Last night, I grudgingly (ok, not so grudging) watched “Rush” which I had posted on in 2014 after watching it on a plane. Barbara had added it to our netflix list, and since it is DVD only it took a while for us to roll up to it.
Here is my review of it from 2014.
Watching it again reminded me of the power of the movie, and knowing about the actual rivalry behind the scenes up front this time watching, the story is even more gripping.
In a nutshell, the plot is a real life rivalry between two Formula 1 drivers in the early 1970’s, and how their tit-for-tat began in Formula 2. James Hunt, the flamboyant, live in the now, seize the reins driver, out to win at all costs, versus Niki Lauda, an up tight, cautious, and calculating character (who is often called “asshole” by rivals, teammates, and others), who is constantly calculating the odds, and incessantly working to improve his skills.
The story weaves a compelling narrative, where they both feed off their distaste for the opponent, even to when Niki Lauda is recovering from a bad crash, and his watching Hunt take points while he is recuperating, drove him to return to racing in an unbelievably short period of time.
Since the movie is long out, I will spoil it for you. In the 1976 season, Hunt wins the championship in the final race, a “wet” race in Japan, after Lauda retires due to safety concerns, and after a harrowing performance in truly abysmal conditions.
A great story, well produced and directed by Ron Howard, and captivating even for those who aren’t race fans. Barbara asked if racers are really this driven, the answer is yes, at that level, they all are (including my beloved MotoGP stars).
Of course, Ron Howard took a lot of artistic license to punch up the story, but I will excuse him for that, as the resulting film is a cracking good story.
