I left the theatre, adrenalin flowing after watching some of the most scintillating car racing scenes ever on screen, jumped into my four cylinder Subaru and raced home at five miles an hour over the speed limit. Its’ been seven hours since I left the cinema and my heart is still pumping as I think about what I saw.
I have never been a car racing fan, preferring to watch re-runs of “All My Children,” rather than watch a live race on the next channel over. I’ll never take them for granted again. Ford V Ferrari takes you into the heart and soul of the world of “prototype” competition. Even if you are a life-long fan, you most likely won’t be prepared for this amazing true story, which culminates in the 1966 Le man’s twenty-four hour race.
The story begins when Ford Motor approached Enzo Ferrari about acquiring his company. Ferrari used Ford’s offer as leverage and they were eventually acquired by Fiat. In the process, Enzo Ferrari himself said a number of unflattering things not only about Ford Motor, but Henry Ford II himself. Chairman Ford, played by Tracy Letts, took the insults personally and set in motion the sequence of events, which resulted in this story.
Ford v Ferrari
Entertainment Rating: ★★★★
Rating: PG-13: scattered profanity, intense, close up action scenes
Possible Oscar Nominations: Best Movie, Editing, Special Effects, Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, Best Actor: Matt Damon
Ford and Lee Iacocca recruit Carroll Shelby, the renowned car designer, played by Matt Damon, to begin the job of creating the car that can defeat Ferrari. This is a task that would normally take two to three years, but Shelby is given only a few months to accomplish this goal in time for the next Le Man’s race. Shelby recruits Ken Mills, played by Christian Bale, the (now) hall of fame driver to work with him. Half the fun of this film is watching Shelby and his teamwork to build the car, and the Ford executive team swarming around debating some of his decisions. Finally, Chairman Ford himself shows up, and decides he would like to take a ride in one of the cars. In one of the better sixty-second scenes you’ll ever see, Shelby takes Mr. Ford for a 200 mile an hour “spin,” leaving the “deuce” speechless. Tracy Letts should get a special acting award just for that minute.
As the story builds up to Le Mans, there are a number of scenes of test drives and previous races driven by Mills, giving us a taste of what’s to come. Half the time we are in the “cockpit” with the driver, the camera frequently showing the RPMs. The limit for these cars is 7000, beyond that they risk blowing the engine. At 7000 RPMs, they are cruising at close to 220 miles an hour, and the drivers say things begin to fade and they are in a “zone” of their own.
The big day arrives and the Ford Shelby G 20 is ready. The race itself is spectacular, and if you are like me you will hang on to your armrests as the cars swirl around the racecourse. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. Some of you most likely have, but regardless, this is an adventure you don’t want to miss.
