Ferraris and Fords on the Mulsanne, oh my!

Conditions: Dark and Quiet

Film Review: Ford v Ferrari

When I first started really getting into motorsport, beyond the day to day racing and into the background and nature of it, what struck me was the rich history of the sport, the different eras and the rise and fall of so many colourful characters and empires.  One era that particularly appealed was the late 60's at Le Mans, when Ford pitched it's might and money against the will and wiliness of Ferrari.  I never, ever would have guessed that all these years later that era of the sport would be picked out of obscurity and plastered across movie screens for Joe Public to appreciate.  Suddenly, all these places and people come alive, and scenes and moments are being portrayed across the screen.  It's amazing!  So you could say I'm probably the most biased person ever to review this film.  Oh well.

In fact, there is a distinct disadvantage to someone like me watching a film like this.  I know how this story is supposed to go, I know who the characters are and even in some cases what they're supposed to say.  So if there's even the slightest deviation from established fact, I noticed it - in bright glaring focus.  And this film, good as it is, does play fast and loose with real life characters and events.  Many others have pedantically listed all the things the film changed or did wrong, and I'm not about to make another list, but it should be noted that it wasn't exactly like that.

Focus is key for a movie, and while the actual tale concerns many many people and events spread across many years, a film needs to be about 2 hours long.  It has to be abridged in order to tell a proper story, and so the filmmakers have settled on Ken Miles and Carroll Shelby, and their taking on of Ferrari at Le Mans on behalf of the Ford Corporation.  I urge anyone even slightly interested in the story to read the book "Go Like Hell", which is what this film was roughly based on.  The real reason this film works is due to the tremendous job Christian Bale does with the cantankerous but oddly endearing lead character, driver mechanic Ken Miles.  His relationship with team leader Shelby (Matt Damon) and how he finds himself at the point of the spear is why this film works as well as it does.  The racing scenes are brilliantly executed, the supporting cast are great, but it really boils down to Ken's journey.

The thing about motorsport is that, even moreso in the 60's, tragedy was always near at hand.  Ken's story is all the more bittersweet and haunting for the what might have beens than the actual successes he had.  As with most motorsport tales it starts off mechanical and physical but eventually it becomes a very human story, with wonderful highs and tragic lows.  Five reds out of five.

- peace out