Created by Robbert Alblas
This is what Ford v Ferrari (2019) failed to deliver.
And I will say it again, this is what Ford v Ferrari (2019) failed to deliver apart from adding to Christian Bale’s already stellar acting reel and shining another light onto Caitriona Balfe’s talents.
Instead, the audience was presented disjointed driving scenes that were not necessarily immersive nor memorable apart from having the effort to recall a few moments worthy of discussion; in short, they were not my favorite scenes of the film — which was a welcomed surprise as a skeptical audience member.
The story of Ken Miles was a struggle alongside the larger vision of the complicated historical aspect, which was much too large to capture in any respect. This dynamic ultimately failed to represent the continental weight of the rivalry between the two manufacturers, carrying the audience swiftly from one shallow dramatic sequence to the next and on.
Instead, the satisfying drama thankfully fell on the shoulders of Miles and his on-screen counterpart, a supporting actress.
The film, therefore, to myself, was a stunted biopic on not Enzo Ferrari, Henry Ford II, nor Carroll Shelby, but Ken Miles.
Speaking of Enzo Ferrari, the filmmakers failed to understand his position and his character, and it showed, instead relying on stereotypes to paint a tiny image of the biggest man in the room. A glimmer of Gianni Agnelli satisfied some of the story’s larger nuances to the more demanding seats of the audience.
When the excitement outweighed the product…
What I do remember about Ford v Ferrari more than anything were the film trailers as seen in theaters, the Internet’s excitement about the trailers, and the effort of illustrating the shooting of the racing scenes… which were more or less a torn-page out of the hype around Le Mans (1971).
By the way, although, I am a huge fan of Steve McQueen, and I would much rather own and watch Ford v Ferrari than Le Mans again. So chalk that one up to Ford v Ferrari.
What I remember in the years and months more than anything leading up to the film’s debut was the phenomenal effort by the crew behind The 24 Hour War (2016). Although I had much knowledge about the historical story, the documentary has become a go-to reference for novice enthusiasts wanting to know more about Hollywood’s depiction.
Shelby v. Ferrari
Staying on Ford v Ferrari, personally, I believed that the title naming was an outright mistake aside film edits which were a reflection of too many hands in the cookie jar, a problem which has plagued Hollywood films for nearly two decades of splitting economics.
Carroll Shelby’s enigmatic personality and his unmistakable effect on the motoring world within everyday life and the motorsport arena for the next century and on was the real story within what was actually shown to the audience, yet the edit did not represent this, and thus the title did not.
This naive pursuit by Ford slaughtered many of their pilots and in the end, Shelby’s name was the tiny wedge between two global behemoths, which ultimately reflected the unique geopolitical environment of the time that centered on the industrialization of motorsport.
Instead, the audience is fed tiny pieces of this in the form of what could be characterized as slapstick satire with a huge budget.
Enzo would have Agreed with me on this.
Enzo Ferrari would have never approved Ferrari being associated with the 2019 blockbuster… nor his namesake’s latest in-house filmography effort in Le Grand Rende-Vous (2020).
Enzo was particular with how his marque and machines were displayed by filmmakers, particularly, Hollywood.
Hollywood has clearly not returned the favor in recent times.
Grand Prix (1966) was a notable exception by Enzo and the filmmakers were routinely tested with expensive trips to his office, toting cumbersome cinema projection equipment and film reels. These became known as pressure-cooker moments to sway Ferrari into his exclusive approval to represent Ferrari on the silver screen.
Further Recommendations
Some of the best pieces that come to my mind to represent Ferrari through a motorsport lens are:
- Grand Prix (1966)
- Ferrari F1 Shell Commercial (~2007)
- Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta Launch Video (2016)
- Ferrari 250 GTO by Robbert Alblas (2019)
- Rush (2013)
Numerous films like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) and National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983) alongside television favorites such as Miami Vice (1984–1989) show-off the marque’s ability to remain relevant through its founder’s vision in an ever-changing pop culture atmosphere.
Thank you, Robbert Alblas.
I just happened across this video on a late-night scroll down social media yesterday evening, and I knew it would be good. I saved it and enjoyed it the following day, and here I am writing about it and recommending it. A very rare occurrence.
I believed that the excitement and quality that this tiny piece delivered on gave me an opportunity to vent on the recent Ford v Ferrari film and Ferrari’s nauseating idea of an in-house “film” in 2020; it shall not be named again in this article.
Hollywood producers take note, I would pay to enjoy more sequences like this if Hollywood delivered on the teases they had offered up in trailers.
Who knows, maybe I just may need to enter Hollywood eventually to get what I like on the screen.
