Movie Details
Rush (2013)
Director-: Ron Howard
Cast-Daniel Brühl Chris Hemsworth Olivia Wilde
Movie type- Sport/Action
Release date- 20 September
IMDB Rating-8.1
Languages- English/Portuguese/Spanish
Duration-2 Hour 3 Minutes
Trailer
Synopsis
I like Ron Howard for his diversity. He is one of the few directors who seem to want to try himself not only in every genre, but also in every possible variety of it – he has already made romantic comedies, fantasy comedies, social comedies, biographical and catastrophic dramas, action films, fantasy films, for children, even about the Wild West and the book world of Dan Brown. “A Beautiful Mind”, winner of 4 Oscars, effectively combining a psychological drama with a paranoid thriller, is considered his greatest success, although personally I prefer the magical “Willow” and the suspenseful “Ransom”. He doesn’t always succeed, but he can quickly cover up each failure with another, completely different painting. A hard-working creator (films on average every two years, sometimes more often) whose style is impossible to recognize because it changes depending on the story being told.
When I started watching “rush”, I couldn’t help but be surprised that this is what Ron Howard’s new film looks like – as usual, it is a devilishly spectacular film, but the typically American glitz has been replaced with European severity. It is closer to the restrained “Frost/Nixon” than “Fireblast”, which is visible not only in the visual layer, but also in the way of narration and approach to the topic.
In the 1970s, not only Formula 1 enthusiasts watched in suspense the competition between two famous drivers at the time, the Englishman James Hunt and the Austrian Niki Lauda. The first, a handsome guy who likes parties and flirting with girls, the master of life, trying to prove to everyone how much he is worth. He is played by a very good Chris Hemsworth, who does not limit himself to copying his role from the Thor films. The second one, with an inconspicuous, “rat” appearance, was a fundamental pragmatist who knew nothing about cars, but always seemed to be critical of everything and everyone. This character is played by Daniel Brühl, recently seen in “The Fifth Estate”, and I admit that he is fantastic here – he does not try to please the audience, who may have problems with liking his hero. Hunt and Lauda met as beginner drivers and did not like each other very much, and the latter took each of his rival’s successes personally, not wanting to be left behind. The high point of their struggles occurred during the 1976 season, and that is the period that Howard focuses on in his film.
It’s not difficult to guess what interested the director of “Apollo 13” in this project. Car racing itself does not have to be attractive at all and you need to put in a lot of effort to be able to present it attractively on the big screen. This play was great for John Frankenheimer during the “Grand Prix”, but that was almost half a century ago! Later there was Tony Scott with “Fast as Lightning” (good job) and Sylvester Stallone with his “Race” (no need to talk). Unfortunately, the stories they told weren’t nearly as gripping as the racing itself. It’s different with Howard’s film – the ingeniously executed car rides are fast, but (apart from the final one) short; they are a necessary addition to the story of Lauda and Hunt’s relationship rather than the highlight of this sports drama.
The main characters are presented as talented people, able to overcome external obstacles and their own weaknesses in order to achieve their goal. They differ in character, appearance, way of thinking and driving, and even in their approach to sport. For Hunt, what matters is speed and being the center of attention, but what matters most is the admiration of those around you. He wants to be appreciated. He is ready to take risks on the track because he knows that this is the only way he can win. Not at all – Lauda is convinced of his greatness and superiority over the rest of the drivers, so he can afford to resign from the race. Sam says that he only rides for the money, but it is clear that, like Hunt, he likes this sport. Perhaps that is why they both follow their rival’s actions very closely, because despite their differences, they have a lot in common, and jealousy of the other’s success is, in this case, a sign of praise. It is significant, therefore, that a serious accident occurs when the Austrian abandons his coldness and calculation and begins to imitate the Englishman.
Screenwriter Peter Morgan draws portraits of the two drivers, constantly looking for points of convergence, not allowing them to free themselves from the presence of their competitor, as if they were both connected by some invisible thread. As in the previous joint project of Morgan and Howard, “Frost/Nixon”, the meeting of such strong personalities leads to a duel, but during it a strange bond is born, and the initial reluctance turns into fascination. The great merit of both the director and the screenwriter is giving a voice to both sides; there is no division into good and bad, better and worse, even if history has already decided this.
Screenwriter Peter Morgan draws portraits of the two drivers, constantly looking for points of convergence, not allowing them to free themselves from the presence of their competitor, as if they were both connected by some invisible thread. As in the previous joint project of Morgan and Howard, “Frost/Nixon”, the meeting of such strong personalities leads to a duel, but during it a strange bond is born, and the initial reluctance turns into fascination. The great merit of both the director and the screenwriter is giving a voice to both sides; there is no division into good and bad, better and worse, even if history has already decided this.
The earlier film was about a television program during which the British showman and host of a popular talk show, David Frost, had the opportunity to talk to the then former American president, Richard Nixon. They both had a lot to gain from this conversation, but also a lot to lose – there could only be one winner. “Race” is similarly about the same thing. It is a different kind of duel, and there is also the spectacular nature of the whole story, but there are more similarities, because both films concern real people and events, they are set in the 1970s, and the Britishness oozes out of them. Thanks to this, “Race” can be considered a thematic and stylistic companion to “Frost/Nixon”.
Howard’s film is a nice reminder that sports cinema can still surprise. “Race” seemingly does not break any patterns, but it does not follow any patterns, avoiding clear answers to the question of who was the bigger winner in the Hunt/Lauda duel. I don’t think that’s what the creators wanted to advocate for either of them. After all, the story described in Howard’s work takes place when both of these drivers were at their best. The final monologue from the off (completely unnecessary) only adds some things, reminding the sad truth that the dead have no voice.
The earlier film was about a television program during which the British showman and host of a popular talk show, David Frost, had the opportunity to talk to the then former American president, Richard Nixon. They both had a lot to gain from this conversation, but also a lot to lose – there could only be one winner. “Race” is similarly about the same thing. It is a different kind of duel, and there is also the spectacular nature of the whole story, but there are more similarities, because both films concern real people and events, they are set in the 1970s, and the Britishness oozes out of them. Thanks to this, “Race” can be considered a thematic and stylistic companion to “Frost/Nixon”.
Howard’s film is a nice reminder that sports cinema can still surprise. “Race” seemingly does not break any patterns, but it does not follow any patterns, avoiding clear answers to the question of who was the bigger winner in the Hunt/Lauda duel. I don’t think that’s what the creators wanted to advocate for either of them. After all, the story described in Howard’s work takes place when both of these drivers were at their best. The final monologue from the off (completely unnecessary) only adds some things, reminding the sad truth that the dead have no voice.
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