Ron Howard is a director that gets
involved with projects you can't help getting excited about, however
when I heard he was making a film about the 1976 Formula One World
Championship battle between Hunt & Lauda the skeptic in me became
aroused. Motorsport films have been somewhat of a damp squib in the
past as the excitement that builds from the sport itself is often
more engaging than a re-creation. One film/documentary that has been
able to transcend this recently was Asif Kapadia's Senna, this
however used old footage cleverly cut together to tell the story of
the late great Brazilian in a quite unique way.
In contrast Rush is a typically Howard
stylised feature film breathing life into a script that bears a
significant resemblance to the actual events that unfolded in 1976.
Obvious liberties have been taken in order to embellish on the
already tempestuous relationship that surround James and Niki but
this doesn't detract from the raw feel of the film. Finding a
balance between the story telling element and the on track action is
always an issue for motorsport films and that's why their rivalry
works. I'm left impressed though that Howard et al managed to engage
in other build up relationships like James' with Lord Hesketh and Niki with
BRM / Clay Regazzoni rather than just engaging in the all killer no
filler approach of the '76 season.
In terms of the racing some great
scenes / footage is presented throughout the film that will not only
engage the race fans amongst us but the general movie goer too. The
battle between the heart and the mind is a strong element running
through the core of the film with references made to the dangers of
motosport. None more so than the scene of the decimated Tyrell and
that of Niki's Ferrari 312T2 on fire having ruptured it's fuel tank
in the crash at the Nurburgring (having replaced the high airbox 312T
at the Spanish GP). From here on in the film strives to show the
battle between triumph over adversity with Niki recovering to pilot
the 312T2 at Monza.
Technically the film covers aspects of
the sport beautifully like the problems encountered by McLaren when
their car was deemed to be too wide following Hunt's win in Jarama.
Of course the eagle eyed fans will probably note that certain aspects
aren't right to which I tried to shut off and just watch the film
rather than do my usual anorak level of car deciphering. After
writing this review though I find myself pondering whether the
Ferrari shown on screen was always a 312T2 as I don't recall seeing
the taller airbox of the 312T in the early race scenes. (I guess
when I watch it again in 10 or so days time I'll be looking out for
these foibles)
Good film if you don't know anything about what really went on. There are glaringly obvious ommisions from the film, for instance the 1976 GP at Brands Hatch (Ferrari complaining about McLaren outside assistance) and at Monza with alleged fuel problems for McLaren at perhaps not inconsequentially the Ferrari home track. So shame about those glaring ommisions. Would be nice one day if a film telling the whole story came out, even the Senna film is very biased one way. The most realistic was perhaps the film " Grand Prix" which was fiction.....
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