Vive le tour = Twist encore

Following the success of his early films, Louis Malle offered himself a small treat: a short film of the 1962 Tour de France. Malle has always been fond of cycling, and the ‘little queen’ features prominently in most of his films. For Malle, making ‘Vive le Tour’ was an opportunity to renew a fascination dating back from childhood, when he would follow the great race on the radio. By the time this documentary was made, the ‘Tour’ had become a huge sporting and social phenomenon, due partly to television coverage. ‘Vive le tour’ attaches itself not just to the athletes, but also to the press entourage and the crowd, while brushing upon the already sensitive subject of drug use. “When I shot ‘Vive le Tour’, what struck me was the violence, the suffering - it’s probably the toughest sport that exists. So I filmed that: the accidents, the falls, the incredible effort when they climb mountain and how it’s seen on their faces.” Reference: Philip French (1993) Malle on Malle, Faber and Faber. Narration in English by Louis Malle.