“Ford v Ferrari”: A Story of Fast Friends

Release Date：Nov/15/2019
Genre：Action/Biography/Drama
Director：James Mangold
Cast：Christian Bale、Matt Damon、Jon Bernthal、Josh Lucas、Noah Jupe、Tracy Letts

Viola's Rating：8.8

As we’re heading towards the end of the year, it marks the end of Formula One World Championship season, the highest class of single-seater auto racing, but when it comes to sports car racing, which has enclosed wheels and two seats, 24 Hours of Le Mans can’t be overlooked. There are two men who were truly fast friends and both went down in not only the history of Le Mans but also sports car racing in general. Now their story has been told on the big screen since “Ford v Ferrari” was released on November 15, 2019.

Based on “The Carroll Shelby Story”, the memoir of Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon), American automotive designer, entrepreneur and celebrated racing driver, this dramatic, biographical action describes how Shelby and driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale) battle against corporate interference, their own personal demons and the laws of physics to build an innovative race car for Ford and challenge Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966.

Matthew 18:3 told us “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” In “Ford v Ferrari”, Miles shows his true colors, and even though he might not appeal to the authorities of Ford, Miles still follows his heart like a child. Maybe it’s this kind of purity that made Miles an inductee to the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.

Miles and Shelby’s brotherhood was based on their enthusiasm for automobile racing, and they’re willing to take high risks for each other, no matter on the business table or on the racing track. They know they can depend on one another and they’re both irreplaceable.

Car racing aficionados will be fond of “Ford v Ferrari” since it depicts a bunch of details that motor racing feature films don’t usually include such as the now changed Le Mans-style of standing start, with which the drivers need to stand on the opposite side of the stretch lining up, and then run across the track when the French flag drops to signify the start, entering and starting their cars without assistance, and then they can drive away. Since car racing is a super dangerous motorsport, adrenaline-filled scenes are all over the feature film including the frightening accidents and crashes.

Many may compare “Ford v Ferrari” with the 2013 “Rush”, and yes, they’re both amazing films, but their emphases are different. While “Ford v Ferrari” focuses on the friendship between Miles and Shelby, “Rush” pays more attention on the famous competitions between James Hunt and Niki Lauda. Rather than describing “Ford v Ferrari” as an auto racing flick, it’s more apt to call it a bromance, and with the Oscars approaching, the motion picture’s definitely happy to win more trophies.

Picture Credit: IMDb