RUSH
US, 2013, 132 minutes, Colour.
Chris Hemworth, Daniel Bruehl, Alexandra Maria Lara, Olivia Wilde.
Directed by Ron Howard.
Any fan of Formula One will not want to miss Rush.
And for those who are not so keen or dislike it intensely, there is a human drama here amongst all the races and competitiveness which is of more than ordinary interest.
The focus of the film is on the Formula One races of 1976. The film has established both the characters of British James Hunt and Austrian Nicky Lauda. They both come from wealthy families and have fathers who disapprove of their choices of racing driving. However, they are independent-minded, stand up to their parent and decide that this is their vocation. James Hunt is the very British public school student who lives a privileged life - and rather exploits it in his partying and womanising. He has a group of friends who finance him in his move up the rungs towards Formula One. Lauda, on the other hand, invests money in racing companies and makes himself indispensable to them, especially with his engineering skills and his ability to work on cars to make them go faster.
Both coming on the scene at the same time brings an almost inevitable move towards the competitiveness - although it appears that they shared rooms initially, something omitted from the film to highlight the rivalry.
Chris Hemsworth who has proven himself a very reliable Thor in both the original film as well as The Avengers and the soon-to-follow new adventures of Thor. This time he has a fine opportunity to create a character and he does so with great aplomb. Daniel Bruehl is a very reliable screen presence in many films from Germany and Spain (he has parents from both countries) as well as in a number of English-language films. Hunt is handsome and debonair, Lauda is a driven and disciplined man in a severely Teutonic way, has some protruding teeth which, he acknowledges, makes him look rather rodent-like. However, whenever he looks like, he is a champion driver and absolutely determined.
The film then settles down to show the races of 1976. They are filmed with a pounding musical score as well as the inevitable noise volume of the cars, heightened by the sound engineering, so that fans will feel (and hear) that they are actually watching races in real life. The filming and editing of the racing sequences is expert, capturing all the excitement not only for an observer but with shots from inside the cars, the drivers’ take on the speed, the dangers, evading other cars, finding the gaps, as might be facetiously said, from their vroom with a view
Then comes the gruesome accident where Lauda is severely injured, especially in his face, which required some reconstructing. The film shows the pain he put up with in the process of healing, urged on by his watching Hunt on television beginning to catch up on point scores for world champion. Within weeks, the relentless Lauda is back on the track, determined to preserve his championship status from the previous year.
The film makes many points about the dangerous nature of Formula One at that time, Lauda organising a meeting of fellow drivers to ask them not to race because of the dangers. He is not a persuasive negotiator and they refuse.
Once back on the track, in the Formula One race in Japan, Lauda decides that the rain and wet track is too dangerous and withdraws from the race. Hunt perseveres in the very difficult circumstances and is able to achieve 1976 world champion status, by one point.
The film has an interesting gallery of supporting characters, especially from the different companies, and sponsors, indicating the background of finance needed to race Formula One cars. There is also some attention given to the human interest stories in the relationships of the two men. Profligate in his relationships with women, Hunt meets Susie Miller and impulsively decides to marry her. He is involved in his sport and partying life. She works in New York. The marriage is doomed, especially when she meets Richard Burton who leaves Elizabeth Taylor for the second time and marries her. The relationship between Nicky Lauda and his wife is much more serious, beginning with a humorous episode where she doesn’t believe he is a racing driver. When her car breaks down and two men give them a lift and are overawed that Lauda is driving their car. She is a strong-minded woman, allowing Lauda his passion for driving, not intrusive but very supportive.
We are informed at the end that James Hunt died at the age of 45 of a heart attack, and probably from very hard living. Nicky Lauda went into flight company work and established his own airline.
Two years ago there was a documentary on Ayrton Senna and his rivalry with Alain Prost, an intriguing and well-regarded film. But here is biography, semi-documentary, wiith a screenplay written by Peter Morgan (The Queen, The Last King of Scotland, The Audience, Frost/Nixon) and directed by Ron Howard, an expert in making films which are very popular, well-crafted. Howard is oone of the best Hollywood story-tellers (though no studio would finance this film and he made it with independent companies – with Lauda-like tenacity).
1. Audience interest in Formula One? Its history and the 20th century? The champions, competitiveness, rivalry, the danger of the sport? The lifestyles of the champions?
2. Ron Howard as director, his ability to tell stories, popular stories, the variety in his career?
3. Audience knowledge of Formula One, important for appreciating the film? The fans? For non-fans?
4. The RE-creation of Formula One and the races, the noise, the pounding score? A subjective point of view from the driver’s seat, surveying the course?
5. Two stories intertwining? Hunt and his origins, Lauda and his origins? Both being wealthy and comfortable? Their fathers’ disapproval? There accepting driving as their career? The considerable skills? Relationships? Hunt and his being a social animal, partying, womanising? Lauda being the opposite, meticulous and disciplined? Their different dedication to their careers?
6. The introduction to the two, before there arriving at Formula One status? Hunt in himself, appearance, manner, his range of friends, party, the lord and his financing him, but his not being skilled and losing his money? Hunt’s going up the ladder at the levels of racing? Lauda by contrast, his appearance, the comment about looking like a rodent? His talking and buying his way into the sport? His manner, Germanic? His discussions with the companies, improving the speed of the cars? The different races, Lauda and his superiority?
7. Hunt, his age, manner, skill in driving, the public school background, his accent, playboy, with women, the liaison with the nurse and the hospital, his fans, escorting different women to functions, the meeting with Susan Miller, their interactions, the impulse of wedding? She in New York? The upset about his career? His treatment of her? Her marrying Richard Burton and the consequences?
8. Niki Lauda, his team, fellow drivers, especially Clay Regazzoni? The bosses? Lauda and his blunt manner, discipline, winning the races, his determination, fostering of the rivalry?
9. The difficulties of getting into Formula One, Hunt and the bankruptcy of his backers? Lauda and his team work?
10. Lauda meeting his wife, driving, her not believing he was a celebrity, the breakdown, hitchhiking, the men ignoring her feminine charm and fascinated by the fact that Nicky Lauda was driving their car? The excitement, speeding, the bond between the two? The marriage? Her not being intrusive, her being supportive?
11. The focus on 1976, the succession of races and the results, Lauda moving ahead as world champion? The meeting about the dangers on the track,
the drivers ignoring Lauda? Their reasons, his not being diplomatic?
12. The accident, the brutal injuries, the fire and his being burnt, rescuing him, hospital, the pain in the treatment and his undergoing it, watching Hunt on television and increasing his tally, the reconstruction of his face, the press conference? His return to racing?
13. Japan, the weather, his pulling out, the dangers? Hunt, determined to continue, the difficulties of the course, his winning? Lauda congratulating him? Hunt winning by a point, becoming world champion?, his lifestyle, his reputation, dead at 45? The contrast with Lauda, his interest in planes, his airline?
14. A successful blend of sports film, focus on Formula One, character study, presentation of rivalry?
