RACECARS COMPETING WITH PERSONALITIES

WINNING THE 24 HOUR OF LE MANS WAS THE TICKET

By PETER THOMAS BUSCH

Henry Ford II needed a marketing tool for the slumping Ford Motor Company and found instead a legacy.

Director James Mangold chronicles the biopic history of the Ford GT40 sportscar in the film, Ford v. Ferrari (2019).

Ford sales dropped and a sportcar winning races in the world’s leading competitions was thought to be a way of reinvigorating interest among consumers in Ford vehicles.

Matt Damon plays Carroll Shelby, an independent sports car designer hired by Ford to build a racecar to beat the world’s leading sportscar designer, Enzo Ferrari. 

Christian Bale plays Ken Miles, Shelby’s lead engineer and driver.

Damon develops a distinct Texas accent and an assertive personality.

Shelby had already been constructing performance vehicles, but the offer from Ford of an unlimited budget to develop the fastest racecar in the world was beyond temptation.

Damon portrays Shelby as having to balance the corporate interference by Ford with the unpredictable, often confrontational personality of one of the best engineers and drivers in the world.

Bale puts on a thick British accent and that social deviant, defiant characteristic of people who know they are the best at what they do.

Mangold creates distinct scenes throughout the film to keep the audience interested while the characters develop, and the relationships between the characters.

The first part of the film is a bit slow until Shelby and Miles agree to collaborate on the Ford sportscar project. Once the terms of that professional relationship are established, Damon and Bale share several scenes.

The casting seemed a bit odd initially, but Damon and Bale play opposite personalities complimenting each other throughout the film. The script is also dotted with the humor that Damon and Bale have been accustomed to delivering throughout their acting careers.

Mangold keeps to a linear narrative, although he brings interesting variety to the screen by filming in different sets. Mangold also switches back and forth from Shelby dealing with Ford, and Miles dealing with the sportscar and then also with family issues.

Mangold creates an interesting subplot showing how Miles was supported by a wife equally enthusiastic about racecar driving. 

Caitriona Balfe plays a patient loving Mollie Miles with her own personality. Mollie does not mind the motor grease and the financial constraints of a grease monkey providing for his family as long as she is not lied to.

Noah Jupe plays the enthusiastic son, Peter Miles. Jupe does a good job playing the young boy with the dream dad that takes him around the racetrack for ride-alongs in a really fast car.

Mangold keeps all the car stuff real by weaving the sub-narrative about family life in and out of the main narrative about the sportscar.

Mangold also consistently uses music to compel individual scenes throughout the film. 

The film shows how Shelby and Miles put personalities aside to develop the car in fits and starts from the 12 Hours of Sebring to 24 Hours at Daytona and finally 24 Hours at Le Mans in 1966.

Ford, played by Tracy Letts, has his corporate interest at heart, and the sportscar, as well as Shelby and Miles, are just tools to get him there ahead of Ferrari.

Mangold has cast several talented character actors in supporting roles, such as Josh Lucas as Ford executive Lee Beebe and Jon Bernthal as Ford executive Lee Iacocca.

Mangold stimulates interest in the film by having a lot of little things going on simultaneously on and off the screen. The acting is varied and interesting and so is the camera work and cinematography.

Unfortunately, the film in the end is just a bit too simply about the sportscar and the world famous races.