[Films] Rush

Yesterday I made another visit to Warwick Student Cinema to see a film that I absolutely had to see on the big screen. When I first heard about this film, the combination of director and subject material made me incredibly excited. Ron Howard, director of films including 'Apollo 13' and 'A Beautiful Mind' (which I think are both brilliant pieces of cinema) was going to be making a film about the rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda, culminating in the dramatic 1976 F1 season. 

Sadly, I wasn't able to see Rush at the 'real' cinema; it was released at an inconvenient time, just when I was in full-on finishing the PhD mode. But the Student Cinema came to the rescue once again.

One of the character posters. (Credit: digitalspy.co.uk)

Unfortunately I didn't manage to escape opinions of the film before I went to see it. Obviously I knew the story, so spoilers weren't an issue. The problem was that I was aware of certain issues with the film from a motorsport fan's point of view. I'm not sure therefore whether I noticed some of the flaws because I was aware of them in advance, or because they were glaringly obvious given my knowledge of certain aspects of the film. Specifically, the circuits represented in the film compared to the circuits actually used.

I've watched enough motorsport, both British and International, on television and in person, to notice major discrepancies between where the film said the cars were racing, and where they were actually driving around. As I said, some I was expecting, but there were a few I noticed myself. The same British tracks were used as stand-ins for several different F1 tracks across the season, and in most cases look nothing like where they were supposed to be, even given the changes the tracks have undergone in the intervening years. It was a bit jarring to be honest, particularly when the real tracks were used in other cases. I suppose it was done because some of the tracks have changed so much; Paul Ricard for example looks nothing like its 1976 version, whereas Monza could plausibly be the same place in some cases, and the Nurburgring Nordschleife has barely changed.

The cars, oh the cars! F1 cars in those days just looked so awesome. (Credit: topspeed.com; autoblog.com)

But enough of that. What about the rest of the film?

I know the basic events that transpired during that fateful season, and on that front the film performed admirably. Lauda's accident and recovery were suitably harrowing, and the characters of the two protagonists seemed true to what I know about them. Hemsworth is a reasonable stand-in for Hunt, but Bruhl is the spitting image of Lauda, and has him down absolutely pat. It's uncanny, and deserving of recognition in awards season. It's the contrast between the two that's at the heart of the film though, both in terms of character and general life. In some ways it's a perfect story for cinema - Lauda and Hunt are such polar opposites that it makes a classic tale that could work with any sport, let alone with the extra excitement generated by the fact that F1 is involved.

What I particularly enjoyed was the transformation, limited though it was in some ways, that Hunt goes through in the aftermath of Lauda's accident. I think it's partly motivated by the desire to be seen to beat the best to win the championship, to not be seen to have won it 'because Niki was injured'. But partly I think it's the development of a healthy respect for his rival. I think it fitting that the final words, uttered by Bruhl,  are a tribute to James Hunt by Niki Lauda, as an equal and something close to a friend.

L: Hemsworth and Bruhl; R: Lauda and Hunt. Hemsworth is a decent double, but Bruhl matches Lauda to perfection. (Credit: hollywoodreporter.com; mirror.co.uk)

Rush is by no means Ron Howard's best work; that's still Apollo 13 in my opinion. But it's a very good piece of cinema, particularly for anyone with at least a passing interest in F1 and its history.