Le Mans review (Blu-ray) ★★

I must start by saying I was eager to see this film. Combining motor racing, the early 70s era and Steve McQueen seemed like a winning combination to me. So you can imagine my eagerness waning as the film reached the half-hour mark without one line of dialogue. This was both the movie's strength and weakness. From the initial moments of the film it is clear that this is not your typical Hollywood sports movie. This is not a cinematic tale of one mans strife against all odds, overcoming adversity and achieving his goals. This is an accurate representation of the race known simply as Le Mans.

McQueen plays Michael Delaney, a racing driver who has competed in Le Mans, the world famous 24-hour race, in the past and is trying once again to win the title. As you can tell from my synopsis, the plot is minimal. McQueen and the rest of the cast do not get much of an opportunity to flex their acting muscle in this film due to the lack of narrative. Le Mans as an event and an experience is the real star of the show. The focus is targeted on the sights and smells of this race with all other concerns sidelined.

From the opening we are shown establishing shots of the racetrack and area in the build up to the race. At first it's intriguing but it soon become tedious. It rapidly becomes a trend for this film to spend far too long on each scene, wasting time before getting to the point. It's clearly meant to feel like a documentary but without any sort of drive for the audience to cling onto it feels limp. As the film progresses it is assumed more relationships will be developed, more rivalries and conflict will emerge but the film continues in it's style. It almost feels like you're watching a two-hour F1 race. There are a few exciting moments during the race and the final act of the film is strong but there is simply too much time wasted. There are many slow motion shots, scenes repeated and endless shots of the race in action.

One issue I had was with the ease that the drivers seem to cope with their roles. McQueen hops in and out of his car and while in the vehicle we never see them struggle or clash with other drivers. There is also no rivalry felt between the competitors, which detracts from the intrigue. Another difficulty that arose was McQueen's relationship with the female lead, which was simply bizarre. Andersen really fails to deliver throughout the film and every scene between the two of them feels weak and feeble. The entire plot point feels like a footnote added late in the script, simply because there must be more in this movie than endless racing. Why don't we throw in some romance?

While admirable as a project, Le Mans was self-indulgent and overlong. It achieved it's goal of capturing the spirit of Le Mans but sacrificed basic drama and intrigue to do so. Rather than focus so intently on the race it would have been a better idea to spread that focus over a number of exploits than put all your eggs in one basket. For petrol-heads this a must see, but not recommended for others.