Citroën SM in Cinema: exploring the legendary chase scene with Burt Reynolds

This new feature marks the final chapter in our exclusive series dedicated to the most memorable appearances of the Javel-based manufacturer on the silver screen. While the legendary DS long dominated film sets around the world, another absolute icon of the brand managed to captivate international directors with its stylistic audacity and avant-garde technological innovations. The Citroën SM, a true flagship of French-Italian engineering at the time, transcended its status as a mere automobile to become a cinematic figure in its own right. It was in 1974, in the American feature film The Longest Yard, directed by Robert Aldrich, that this Grand Touring coupe found an exceptional showcase. During a memorable opening sequence that has since become a cult favorite for both film enthusiasts and automotive historians, the SM brilliantly demonstrates the full extent of its dynamic capabilities, establishing itself as the leading mechanical role in a major work of 1970s Hollywood cinema.

The opening scene: a stylistic and dynamic confrontation

The feature film opens abruptly on the character of Paul Crewe, masterfully portrayed by Burt Reynolds, a disgraced and deeply disillusioned former American football quarterback. Plunged into an advanced state of intoxication following a domestic dispute, he decides to hastily leave his partner's luxurious home by seizing, without any authorization, the keys to her Citroën SM. What follows immediately is a long and spectacular car chase lasting over three minutes through the streets of Palm Springs, pitting the French technological masterpiece against the imposing local law enforcement. This sequence highlights a striking visual contrast: on one side, the fluid, taut, and resolutely aerodynamic lines of the European coupe, and on the other, the massive, geometric, and archaic silhouettes of contemporary American police sedans, such as Plymouths and Fords of the era.

On a technical level, Aldrich's direction masterfully exploits the fundamental attributes of the French GT. The camera accurately captures the efficiency of the hydropneumatic suspension, which allows the car to corner flat and absorb the imperfections of the Californian asphalt without ever losing its composure. Meanwhile, the DIRAVI power steering, characterized by its speed-sensitive self-centering and sharp responsiveness, is clearly reflected in the daring evasive maneuvers executed by the protagonist.

It is worth noting that the model featured onscreen corresponds scrupulously to the required specifications for the North American export market. This US-spec SM is instantly recognizable by its mandatory regulatory equipment, starting with its massive, prominent bumpers and its specific front fascia, which lacks the famous aerodynamic glass canopy protecting the six headlights, as pivoting units were strictly prohibited by United States legislation at the time. The pursuit ends dramatically when Paul Crewe, surrounded, deliberately drives the car into a harbor's waters, sealing the arrest that serves as the starting point for the film's entire prison-based plot. This spectacular introduction proves that the production team's choice of vehicle was anything but accidental.

The eccentricity of automotive haute couture as a psychological mirror

To understand the impact of such a scene in 1974, it is essential to contextualize the position that the Citroën SM occupied on American soil during that specific period. Introduced in the early 1970s, the SM remained an extremely rare automobile in the United States, appealing exclusively to a wealthy, aesthetic, and deeply non-conformist elite. It embodied both the sophisticated luxury of the Old Continent and French creative eccentricity, carrying a prohibitive price tag that placed it in direct competition with prestigious offerings from Detroit or Stuttgart.

Integrating this vehicle into the script serves as a highly effective psychological characterization tool for the character played by Burt Reynolds. By placing Paul Crewe behind the wheel of this extraordinary GT, director Robert Aldrich instantly conveys multiple crucial pieces of information to the audience without a single line of dialogue. The car immediately indicates that Crewe moves within a highly privileged social circle, but it also suggests his deep arrogance, his detachment from traditional American values, and his rebellious temperament. Driving a car so radically different from local standards graphically translates the character's refusal to conform to the rules of the society that once idolized him before casting him out. The SM thus becomes a mechanical extension of his own trajectory: a jewel of technical prowess and elegance, brilliant yet marginalized, which ultimately sinks out of pure provocation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYlvdb0mcW8

The Citroën SM in the pantheon of world cinema

The appearance of the SM in The Longest Yard undoubtedly ranks among the most memorable references in the cinematic career of this model, often judged by specialists as its most striking performance in a Hollywood production. While cinema has regularly confined it to secondary roles or fleeting aesthetic appearances, Robert Aldrich's film grants it an essential narrative dimension. This performance easily stands comparison with other contemporary masterpieces, such as the French romantic drama César et Rosalie (1972), where it symbolizes the social success of Yves Montand's character, or the psychological thriller Folle à tuer (1975). More recently, works like The Killer Elite (2011) or the cinematic pastiche OSS 117: From Africa with Love (2021) have also capitalized on its timeless silhouette to instantly evoke a specific idea of refinement and technical distinction.

A particularly fascinating anecdote permanently links the lead actor to this prestigious French creation. The following year, in 1975, Burt Reynolds reunited with director Robert Aldrich for the crime drama Hustle, in which his character encounters a Citroën SM multiple times. This recurrence has fueled a persistent hypothesis among several automotive historians, who suggest that the specific car visible on screen might have belonged to the actor's personal collection, as he was reportedly charmed by the vehicle during the previous shoot. Although no formal proof from Paramount archives or Citroën's American subsidiary currently confirms this theory with certainty, it bears witness to the lasting fascination this car exerted on those who drove it.

Furthermore, the timing of The Longest Yard's release proved to be twilight-like: in 1974, as the first oil crisis weakened the market for large-displacement engines and Citroën faced severe financial turbulence prior to its takeover by Peugeot, Hollywood immortalized the splendor of French avant-garde design at the exact moment its commercial career was drawing to a close.

Ultimately, the Citroën SM confirms through this memorable appearance that it ranks among the greatest stars in the brand's history, as well as one of the most striking icons of global automotive cinema. The opening sequence of The Longest Yard remains a textbook example, clearly illustrating the dynamic superiority, aesthetic futurism, and conceptual originality of the car when pitted against traditional American vehicles. Within three intense minutes, Robert Aldrich succeeded in providing this exceptional GT with extraordinary international visibility, transforming a driving demonstration into a monument of popular culture. Nearly fifty years after its theatrical release, this moment of cinematic bravery continues to amaze enthusiasts, permanently sealing the SM's destiny in the constellation of the silver screen.