Skip to main content

Ford v Ferrari is a 2019 sports drama movie that tells the real story of the legendary battle between two giants of the automotive industry during the 1950s and 1960s. James Mangold directs this promising film which tells the story of how Ford after a long battle of intrigues, backstabbing and bad odds, finally dominates Ferrari in the iconic 24 Le Mans in 1966.

The narrative follows two determined drivers, their collaboration to overcome the odds and their determination which transformed Ford Motorsport to a giant of motorsports. Carol Shelby (Mat Damon) and Ken Miles (Christian Bale) through their partnership, put an end to Ferrari’s dominance in races. Mangold also stays true and sensitive to the real story of the two men and their relationship.

To begin with, Ford v Ferrari is a cinematic masterpiece. it throws the audience directly into the action. The precision in the shots and its photography provide some of the best action scenes of the last year. Adding to that, are the memorable performances of the actors. While the movie is a biography, the filming makes it more an action one. Mangold has spent many years making comic-book movies. He has delivered two X-Men movies (The Wolverine and Logan) and managed to gain a lot of experience which enabled him to create such cinematic style. The locations also help the vintage, “dirty” look of the movie.

As the story focuses on various conflicts like Ford vs Ferrari, Shelby vs Miles and the dramas inside Ford Motorsport, the writers take you with them. The arguments are represented as childish, macho and “boys will be boys” most of the time. All this in a comedic way. Shelby fights Miles outside his doorsteps while Miles’ wife , Mollie (Caitríona Balfe) observes them from the garden. She then offers them a drink to cool them off. Moreover, the scenes of potential Ford buyers highlight men’s desire for beautiful, fast cars. While it might look as a motorsport film Ford v Ferrari is also a character study. It does a very good job with showing the different characters.

In order to present the characters as truthful as possible, the actors went to great extends. Christian Bale, spent a lot of time with Ken Miles’ son. The later shared with him a great deal of details about his father. From photographs to voice recordings, Bale had everything on his disposal. While there is a lot of controversy regarding Miles’ death, thanks to his son, who was 16 at the time of the fatal accident, they managed to make a very decent version of it. The actor also spent a lot of time following car races and speaking to the drivers. Matt Damon was with him at some of them. All this contributed to the authenticity of really crucial scenes.

Christian Bale (Ken Miles) and Noah Jupe (Peter Miles)

Overall, Ford v Ferrari is not just another race cars film. This movie should be taken seriously and be appreciated for its cinematic beauty and character depth. It is mainly because of this two reasons that it differs from the other movies with similar thematic. It is the humanity that it adds to its characters, and the sensitivity found at its core. This is what really hides behind the fast cars, manliness and battle for dominance. Ken Miles after all just tries to be the best man he can and when he has to, he does.

Leave a Reply