Hey everyone, my name is Anthony and welcome everyone, my very first Movie Review: Revisited Edition.
Yes, my friends, its been a decade since I wanted to do a movie review in the internet, but back then, I wasn’t as informed nor respectful, I was a cringey person back then, but in nowadays, im eventually changed myself to become much more improved than what I used to, so, I decided to do some Revisited themed Movie Review if I wanna looking back since I re-watched some movies in my mood to looking back on my old review to make a new and improved version today. Including this subject with one of my favorite movie in 2010 as a movie goer and F1 fan/not-so-smart historian.
“Rush” is a 2013 sports based on true story movie that was produce/directed by Ron Howard, co-produced by Andrew Eaton, Eric Fellner, Brian Oliver and Brian Grazer, and written/co-produced by Peter Morgan.
While I didn’t check where did the idea come from, even though I never checked the behind the scenes (probably because im a dork that I watched movie than watching behind the scenes), im easily assuming that idea came from Ron Howard or Peter Morgan that they were thinking to be a racing movie, but based on true story, mainly, the famous rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda in the 70s, while Hunt is no longer with us since 1993 (Rest in Peace…), they met the late Niki Lauda for the idea for the movie, which he accepted, as well as brought him in during the premier, this was 6 years before Lauda sadly passed away 2019 (a few days before 2019 Monaco GP).
Speaking of release, when this movie came out, it was well-received both critics and the audience for its action, the soundtrack from Hans Zimmer and the rivalry between these two legendary drivers, in fact, I saw it on theater that I loved it so much as both movie goer and F1 fan. However, I wish this movie would’ve make a double positive side both the reception and the box-office, because, despite it reached earned more than $98.2M over $38M’s budget, the movie was considered the flop, which im easily assuming its because the movie came out between Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs 2 and the highly successful Gravity. It really sucks for its result, despite that its a great movie, along with good’ol fashion inaccuracies, which il get to later.
So, with re-watching out of way, will this movie still holds up as my favorite to this day, or is this film that I wish I was born to watching F1 in 1970s?
The movie plays a double plot, like most of the movies back then, but they have some fascinating, and some inaccurate parts.
The movie opens in a buildup of German GP at Nürburgring Nordschleife, where Niki (in narration) explains for how many people have their reasons to be participated to be in F1 in the 70s, until when, as we all know, he had a rivalry with James Hunt. But before we get to there, we have to go back in the early 70s. James Hunt arrived in the hospital that he had himself a fight with some racer with nose bleeding, even though it didn’t matter cause later on after checked by a nurse, he likes to getting on with her, since not only Hunt is a racer, but he’s also a playboy that he likes to going out with the ladies in private (after all, how many times you’ve seen videos or pictures of Hunt with babes?). But one day in his race in Formula 3 with his team owner Lord Hesketh, he got himself an unexpected witness of newcomer, Niki Lauda from Vienna, Austria. After getting a bump each others, Hunt recovered to win the race, and Lauda called his act as dirty, but Hunt and his fellows at Hesketh just shrugged off, which they eventually earned an honorable award to Hunt of his racing career. Meanwhile, Niki used to work in his family’s bank ran by his grandfather, he suggested to have a sponsor for building up his racing career to F1, but his grandfather disapproved him for not just rejecting sponsor, but also argued that motorsport is for “Eugh young boys!” and dangerous reasons, but Niki had enough and pretty much telling his grandfather to taking his job and shove it, and signed up to the other bank called “Raiffeisen Bank” to make more money for sponsor, until he went over to BRM (British Racing Motors) to be a young teammate of Clay Regazzoni, despite BRM is nowhere in shape and no longer in glory since 60s. Sure, he tried his best to build up this dying British team in 73, but again, nowhere shape as what it used to, which is not hard to see why Niki signed to Ferrari thanks to Clay’s suggestion to bringing Lauda in the Big Red Italian to the Old Man Enzo, while returning to the Maranello team at the same time since 72. As for Hunt, while he got himself a relationship with a model Suzy Miller (which is later on), he got himself a surprise from Hesketh that they jumping into F1 than advancing to F2, though no sponsors, but he has a unique badge called “SEX: Breakfast of Champion”. However, despite his party run with Hesketh in F1, his team is on a verge of declining that Lord Hesketh had to let him go, leaving Hunt stuck as Free Agent, until he immediately joining McLaren when Emerson Fittipaldi (after took his last title in 1974) left the team running his own team. So now, James Hunt and Niki Lauda are both challenging each others for 1976 season.
Like I said, it plays a double plot in the movie, where at one side we like to see James Hunt’s colorful journey and his career for being a racer and being a playboy with the ladies around for his shortcut buildup F1 career with Lord Hesketh before jumping into McLaren in 76, since you know, both Hunt and Hesketh are enjoy for their colorful presence and their rich party, since Hesketh was highly rich. Whereas Niki is more calculative and serious racer that he cared so much, other than his family business, since he’s aspiring for motorsports, but also taking seriously for either trying to build up the teams when he signed, but also build up the cars to be bigger and better to be a champ competitor, it may sounds too hard, but he’s more like independent and again, calculative. I always enjoy the double plot for the rivalry that we all know back in the 70s, which I give an appreciation for their origin before set up to F1 career and before we get to the highlight, mainly the 1976 season, the definitive year of the rivalry of the year. Though they’re also have some subplot of having a girlfriends, which im fine with it, but they’re just a minor subplot that has nothing to do with F1, whether is their gaining motivation or falling down. Of course, it also has another subplot involving that the safety regulation in the 70s are no stranger to be aging like a milk, which if you know about F1 like I am, there are many dead drivers before the 80s, since the safety regulation aren’t as “safe” what we have today, I guess its not hard to see why Jackie Stewart is the early voice of safety environment in F1, but despite the best effort, not all safety regulation aren’t as perfect back then, especially where we see one poor driver, Francois Cevert, was killed in qualification (though they never mentioning him in the movie. Aw well), to of course, the infamous near fatal crash from Niki Lauda in German GP.
Of course, like any movies based on true history (and much like Braveheart that I reviewed before), there are some moments are either inaccurate or even skipped, but at least its not as all over the place as Gran Turismo movie.
1: Nordschleife’s nickname
If you ever been or seen the track, the Nürburgring Nordschleife is no stranger that its one of the longest and the most dangerous track ever made since 1920s. But for some reason in the movie, the track is nicknamed “The Graveyard”, I mean I get its based on about more than dozens of drivers were killed or injured from this track, but in actuality, its nicknamed “The Green Hell” by the aforementioned Jackie Stewart from the track’s presentation, one wrong move, you’re in history of either injuries, or worst of all, death.
2: When Niki Lauda won the championship in 75.
Though its kinda disappointed that we never able to see the full season of 1975, but again, the movie’s highlight is the 76 season. Anyway, in the movie, Lauda won his first title in Watkins Glen at US GP, which it may sounds like a good timing to win the title in the lead, but in reality, he won the title in Italian GP (a month before US GP), which I imagine seeing Lauda won the title in front of Tifosi (aka Ferrari fans), like the celebration is definitely going out loud. I should also point out what while Hunt was there, they gave him the wrong Hesketh car model, which they using only Hesketh 308 in the movie.
And 3: Rivalry between Hunt and Lauda.
In the movie, the rivalry between of two are depicted both insulting and bitter, its as if they treated the rivalry rather seriously of argumentative from either unfair of the rules or insulting out of breath while walking away. I understand its just the movie, but we can all agree that its just plain exaggerated based on their different personalities, because in reality, they’re both good friends, sure they could have a problem each others, but they have a nice and respectful chemistry in real life outside of the track, in fact, in either in their season or outside of F1. For example, Lauda raised the money to Hunt two times from cleaning up his life from alcohol addiction to giving him as color commentator in F1 with Murray Walker. Again, I know the movie exaggerates the rivalry as being bitter and nearly argumentative, but they had a good relationship IRL. One last thing, they didn’t start their rivalry in the early 70s when they’re in F3, their rivalry started around in 1973, when in reality Lauda and Hunt didn’t have an argument in F3, but rather Dave Morgan had an argument with Hunt at Crystal Palace before Hunt, being an English gentle playboy, proceeded to shoving Morgan down to the ground, though Hunt got away, but Morgan got a 12 months suspended from the collision.
Though they are few moments that are missing that they could’ve added nor even mentioned like when Lauda made his F1 debut on March as part timer to full timer before going to drained BRM, there’s some character are missing to help out some moments like John Hogan, the man who helped James Hunt by investing him for his buildup to be in F1 and even some other GPs from either Hunt’s bad lucks to the remaining races after Italian GP before the inaugural Japanese GP, you know when James Hunt won a couple more like US and Canada while Lauda is behind from either outside of Top 6 or on a podium from bad effect from his German GP crash, like when Lauda asked for more bandages from constant bleeding in his helmet.
While the story aren’t as historically accurate to follow, but we can all agree the story of this movie is pretty good from its plot element and the buildup F1 career and the famous 76 rivalry.
The movie’s budget is about $38M, and I will say, it looks pretty impressive for its presentation that we’re back in 70s,
For starter, the location was filmed in three countries, UK, Germany and Austria. Its a nice and fitting places to filming for either outside of racing or in a racing, of course, there were filmed in actual tracks for filming like Brands Hatch in British GP, Snetterton for which-ever GP could be, Cadwall Park in a same was as before, the race that was used to be called “Crystal Palace” for obviously in F3 scene. And last but definitely not the least, the Nürburgring with Nordschleife in Germany, yup, the same track that its known as “The Green Hell”, not “The Graveyard” as I said before. Though there are also some scenes were that we like to see other countries like Spain, Brazil, South Africa, Monaco and even Japan, but most of them are filmed in UK (as I said before again) to replicating the track or even done with CG to replicating the old presentation of some tracks. I guess they didn’t have enough budget to filmed in actual countries, but that’s just me.
As we all know, the highlight of this movie is the race sequences, the racing scenes are pretty good and entertaining to watch, of course, there are some scenes to replicating the actual racing back in the 70s, some following well, but others didn’t seems to be right. Sure, its no strangers that they using actual 70s F1 cars to filming, but some other cars either build in replicas or even done with some CG.
Speaking of the latter, the effects are done with multiple companies from different countries like Germany, UK and even in US, which its quite of challenging to to do both effects of the racing scenes, makeups and others. Though one part that bothering me is when we see the interior cars, don’t get me wrong, we like to see hit the paddles, gears up and steering, but having interior car parts could be unnecessary. But there’s also some scene could be difficult to watch, like what happened to Niki Lauda from a near fatal car crash (which he’s able to be rescued by Brett Lunger, Guy Edwards, Arturo Merzario and Harald Ertl, changing the bandages from burnt scar on his head due to bleeding, and the most un-easiest one of all, its showing us a surgery vacuum through his lung to taking out the toxic material, when I first saw that, I was very uncomfortable to see it how they put a metal tube all the way down to his throat to, again, cleaning up his throat from toxic effect from a fire. Even Niki himself (back then) said that its most uncomfortable moment in his life to recover in his 2 GPs absent. So, nice touch for a tricky and uneasy scene to watch. (Let me know at the comment bellow how you guys felt about the toxic vacuum scene)
Finally, I like to give a credit for not just borrow some of the 60s and 70s music, but also an outstanding soundtrack from one of my favorite composer, Hans Zimmer.
While some presentation may or may not look perfect nor accurate, but its a nice presentation what they gave us to have a dramatic racing moments, again, even if it could be exaggerated.
Accurate or not, the characters in this movie are good and fun to watch for their developments and maybe some delivery.
Lets starts with James Hunt (played by MCU’s Thor himself, Chris Hemsworth), a racer from UK that, as I said before, he likes two things, racing with open-wheel cars and going out with ladies as a playboy. Its no stranger that Hunt had a unique personality in F1 for not just being the early dirty boy, but also a playboy how he’s gathering around with the ladies. Though one moment that I didn’t know is when he’s about to be prepare of racing, he threw up before buckle his seat belts and helmet on, maybe its because its either a heart trouble that he threw up or a nervous is too much that cause a throw up of stress? I don’t know how it happens, cause im a professional doctor. Nitpicky aside, he definitely lived up of racing aggressively and ladies hanging out, although, even though he’s aggressive, but he could also causing himself and somebody with collision (though only shown in F3 scene), hence why he was nicknamed “Hunt the Shunt”, the latter part is a British slang of crashing. In other words, James Hunt is basically a rock star of F1 for his party nature with ladies and dreaming to be a best racer, even if he could be troublesome from crashing and even confrontation with fist fight or shoving from being victimized. But of course, Chris did a nice work of his performance and probably nice fitting for him for his look.
Our second protagonist is Niki Lauda (played by MCU’s Helmut Zemo, Daniel Bruhl), unlike Hunt, Niki is much more taking seriously, not because he also grew passionate of motorsport, but also based on his minded calculation of technical and performance of F1 cars from BRM to Ferrari. It makes you think if Niki is portraying as the main villain on this movie based on his genius for teach the teams to build a better car in order to help himself to scoring and winning, but in reality, he’s not really playing like a villain, but more like a secondary protagonist in a double plot between Hunt and Lauda, whereas Hunt is overly confident to be racer in F1, Niki is cool, serious and calculative about cars to be perfectly perform in order to performing perfect of his career to win races and championship. Its another plot of brain vs brawn, but more like brain vs playboy in F1, which what it makes it fascinating to having two different unique personalities in F1. But of course, Niki could also depicted as a tragic figure at the second to third act thanks to his infamous near fatal car crash at German GP, like I said, its pretty hard to watch either in real life or dramatization, but then again, it is a miracle how he survived thanks to F1 drivers rescued him out of his burnt car. But of course, Daniel did a nice work of his performance as the three times champ movie version.
Though there isn’t much else to say for the rest of the characters, but they shown from either follow the true story or maybe a creative liberty, despite some characters are missing to follow the true story.
There’s Suzy Miller (played by Olivia Wilde) who’s Hunt’s first wife that they were married in 1974, but didn’t last long til 76 when she went to Welsh actor Richard Burton (though they originally planned to having Burton in a movie for confronted by Hunt, with Russell Crowe as Burton, but didn’t make the cut), but the downside is they had a divorce on Haiti, not on New York (I think), there’s Marlene Lauda (aka Marlene Knaus, played by Alexandra Maria Lara), who’s Niki’s wife who has a good heart on him, despite not being familiar about cars nor even F1 (Aw well), Clay Regazzoni (played by Pierfrancesco Favino, despite he’s Italian than Swiss) is Niki’s teammate from BRM to Ferrari since they first met in 1973, Lord Hesketh (played by Christian McKay), a rich and owner of his team with his name to helping up Hunt to building his racing career, despite the lack of sponsor, Alastair Caldwell and Teddy Mayer (played by Stephen Mangan and Colin Stinton) are both owning McLaren, whereas Alastair is the team manager, while Teddy is the director following Bruce McLaren’s death, though il give a credit with some Stephen’s delivery for name-calling Fittipaldi’s leaving to his own team, Sterling Moss (played by Alistair Petrie) is a former F1 driver turned F1 broadcaster as a reporter/interviewer in a paddock, and Louis Stanley (played by David Calder) who’s the chair of BRM when his team is no longer the same as his good’ol days of the 60s.
While its nice list of characters, but one character that im disappointed to be included is John Hogan, whom, as I said before, is the one who bringing James Hunt for investing to bringing him from F1 career to bringing him to McLaren for 1976, though he’s also the one who brought over Marlboro sponsor to F1 that we used to know, before the tobacco sponsors are banned in 2005.
SPOILER ALERT for those who haven’t seen a movie or if you don’t mind.
If you’ve already know the history of the 1976 season or if you’re lucky to be an old man for being familiar with this, the final act is quite of heart beating for who’s taking to the title or not, especially with a satisfying ending.
After been absent from 2 GPs, Niki Lauda made a surprising return at Italy, despite Ferrari hired Carlos Reutemann for planned replacement before he came back, despite he needs another bandages from constant bleeding from his injury from a blaze, as well as being pissed over one question in his conference return (the latter of which that I don’t think Hunt ever beat the living hell at the reporter. But I digress), Lauda started on 5th grid, while James Hunt is WAAAAY down to 27th due to fuel infringement. During the race, it was a rough start for Niki for his clear view to quickly blurry due to the effect from his near fatality, but Lauda eventually recovered to finishing in 4th, while Hunt was out in spun out after playing chicken at Tom Pryce. It sounds like a dramatic comeback that he’ll able to score more, but alas, it was a different story…
After 2 GPs where Hunt finished above Lauda in Canada and US, the season closed off to at Japanese GP, located at Fuji Speedway, but when they arrived, despite the its normal weather in qualifying, but the race day is gonna be UGLY because of heavy rain and foggy all over, many drivers are protested to canceling the race because of harsh weather, but not only the protest is rejected, but its because the title is on the line as a final race (which is Hunt finishes above Lauda at Top 4, he’ll wins the title) and it’ll also be televised on live TV globally. After Hunt qualified in 2nd next to Mario Andretti and Lauda in 3rd, the race was on with water track splattering all over in a heavy rain, Hunt made a better start to overtaking Mario, Lauda tried to chasing after anyone as he can, but after 2 laps… Lauda withdrew the race, with a combination of his endangered health from a crash and heavy rain like that, its too much struggle for Niki that he quickly left his car in the pit with argument at his crew that his life is worth more than killing himself from a heavy rain for a title shot, as well as “Tell them the truth” over the commentary about this situation, after calling BS over “Engine Issue” (though Lauda isn’t the only one who withdrew the race from bad condition, but that’s a different story).
Meanwhile, James Hunt was cruising in the lead, but once the heavy rain is about to end and the track was slowly drying up, his wet tyres are starting to plummeting quickly with losing the lead and positions, after pitted for new tyres, he’s on a struggle chase to overtaking Jacques Lafite to Clay Regazzoni (When in reality, James overtook Clay first, then Alan Jones, the latter of which he isn’t in a movie, maybe its because Jones’s Surtees car has a questionable sponsor of condom called Durex, but again, different story), he crossed the finish line, which at first, James thought he’s finished in 5th according to the official, but it turns out it was a discussion from a scoring error that Hunt was finished in 3rd than 5th, securing his first and only title in his career. As a result, James Hunt became a celebrity for his championship for having his famous appearance, having party with drinks and dopes and of course, hanging out with babes. However, in a final moment, Hunt is having a last pep-talk to Niki Lauda how they’re now both champs, even if Lauda wanted him to get back than focus on his fame, but then again, James Hunt like to partying for being famous as a champ, and in the end, Niki Lauda (in narration at the ending) reflects Hunt’s fame has completely overwhelming that he started drowning after his one-hit wonder and retired from racing to became a color commentator we used to know up until his death in 1993 with his age of 45 from heart attack, Lauda was sad to hear the loss from the latter, even though we all know they’re famously known for rivalry, but he said Hunt is “amount a very few he liked and amount a few he respected” and “the only person he envied”. A last statement from the late Niki perfectly sums up that even though they’re famously known for their rivalry, but they’re both good friends outside of their cars. We will miss them, but we’ll never forget them in a fascinating history of F1.
And now for my final opinion of this film
Overall, while not as perfectly accurate for a movie based on Hunt-Lauda rivalry, I still love this movie.
It has a well-done filming of actions and beauties, the racing scenes are fun to watch as a F1 fan, the characters, while some are limited and missing, but they’re good and some are fun and story is pretty good to have a double plot between two different characteristics.
Sure, it has some problems like different angles of cars, some history moments are either swapped or skipped over and like I said before, some characters can be good, but limited, as well as one character has to be mentioned is missing.
Despite the box-office would’ve gone better and some flaws, but I just can’t help but adored this movie as both F1 fan and lover of watching movies. This is definitely a Must-Watch film that I highly recommended to watch. Sure there are some movies based on motorsports that enjoyed like Ford V Ferrari that I’ve covered before, but its Rush that I love to looking back at it. If you’re curious why I love this movie, got check it out, or maybe get some friends together to see it. Rush is definitely one of my favorite in 2010s movies.
For my rating, im gonna give this one a Perfect 10/10 with a Trophy of Success.
So this ends of my movie review, if you guys have your opinion or any suggestions, and what do you think of my Revisited review? Let me know at comment bellow and support me on KO-FI.com/blackevil.
Thanks for reading, and im Anthony, signing out.
