LeMans (the movie) (Steve McQueen)
Discussion
I found a DVD for sale at a local shop the other day for $9 and thought "what the heck". When I started watching the movie I immediately recognized "there is no plot", and it's a horrible movie, UNLESS you just appreciate superb cinematography and Porsche cars, and racing in general. So I began rerunning the racing scenes, over and over, it's great. If you like seeing a pair of 917's running flat out with the second car running a blocking manuver on a Ferrari, ha ha, this one is for you! Looking closely at the field, I see Alfa, Matra, a bunch of 911's, a 914-6, a few Corvettes, a few Lola's, a bunch of Ferrari's, several other 917 cars running other colors (the three car team was in Gulf colors) and a 917 Long Tail being fielded by Shell.
Dogsharks :-)
>>> Edited by dogsharks on Monday 29th December 18:28
Dogsharks :-)
>>> Edited by dogsharks on Monday 29th December 18:28
This is a motorsport movie classic. Nothing else like it.
The film makes no attempt at plot, no attempt to provide stupid sub-plots and false character development.
Its just a film about a race. With stunning camera work showing lovely leMans cars being genuinely pushed by real-life racing drivers of the day.
A great film, But don't expect a plot. See it more as a documentary.
Makes you realise how awful other attempts at motorsport films have been. Anyone seen Stallone's "Driven: - truly one of the top 10 worst films of all time. Made even "days of thunder" look good...
The film makes no attempt at plot, no attempt to provide stupid sub-plots and false character development.
Its just a film about a race. With stunning camera work showing lovely leMans cars being genuinely pushed by real-life racing drivers of the day.
A great film, But don't expect a plot. See it more as a documentary.
Makes you realise how awful other attempts at motorsport films have been. Anyone seen Stallone's "Driven: - truly one of the top 10 worst films of all time. Made even "days of thunder" look good...
That was back when Porsche was "real serious" about winning. They had been stomped year after year at LeMans, "almost winning" on several occasions, but in 1969 look what the factory offered up to compete (what is probably known as "the" single most awesome race car to ever meet the competition), and here is a photo of 25 bran new ones in a row!!
Yikes!
In 1973, Porsche and Penske came up with the famous 917/30. It had streamlined bodywork and a new 5.4L twin-turbocharged flat-12 that produced 810ft-lbs of torque and 1100hp in race trim which was the most powerful road racing car ever until the turbocharged Formula 1 cars of the 80s. Mark Donahue had a slow start but came together and won the last six races of the season and the championship.
1973 was the high-point of Donohue's racing career when he became Can-Am champion driving the awesome Sunoco Porsche 917/30 to 6 wins. This twin-turbocharged unlimited monster is considered by many as the fastest race car ever built.
Prior to his untimely death he set the world's closed course speed record of 221.160 mph at Alabama International Motor Speedway.
The Porsche 917/30 as raced in the 1973 CanAm, was powered by a 5.4 litre turbocharged 12 cylinder boxer engine that produced 1100 bhp at race trim; more than 1500 bhp was produced in practice. It was driven by Mark Donohue to his first and only CanAm championship. Donohue drove this car in 1975 on the Talladega Speedway and broke the 'World's Closed Course Speed record'. Donohue made a four-lap run with an average speed of 221.120 mph according to caculations he reached 250 mph on the straits, this record has not been broken since. It was not only fast but also quick as it accelerated from a standstill to 200 km/h in an amazing 5.3 seconds.
I was in the stands that day, by the way, and witnessed this event. Not only did he break the record, he broke it on every one of those 4 laps. The first full lap from speed broke it, and then he improved on the speed each subsequent lap. Although the car has 1100 horsepower, it had a low somewhat muffled sound due to being turbocharged, and it ran like a rocket ship on wheels. Roger Penske flew Mark into the pits that day on a helicopter, and just as soon as the record was broken, Penske flew him back out en route to Watkins Glen, I believe. What a great driver, what an awesome car too.
Dogsharks
>> Edited by dogsharks on Monday 29th December 19:42
littlegearl said:
you can get it as a poster if you look in the right places...
don't know the link, but theres websites out there devoted to selling movie posters...
Try:www.stevemcqueen.org.uk/
Here are a couple of photos of the camera car for the film "LeMans". Now THAT would be a wild ride, looking backwards trying to get those photos, eh? 
As the story goes, hundreds of years ago when the English and the French were doing
battle, the unfortunate English longbowman who fell into the hands of the enemy often had the two fingers of his "string-pulling" hand loped off. Should he escape, this would prevent him from plying his trade as effectively. That was if he was lucky. He often lost more than two fingers. Sometimes all five, or a hand, and often his head.
The English longbowmen would taunt the French by raising the two fingers across the lines to show they still had them. Through the years this gesture has remained a very English expression. In the last scene of Le Mans shown above, Steve McQueen, as Michael Delaney, salutes Ferrari driver Erich Stahler, played by Siegfried Rauch.
Dogsharks
I got the DVD for christmas (as requested) and it is the dogs dangley bits 
Just turn up the surround sound and listen to the soundtrack of those engines. Just make sure you do not watch it with a boring old f@rt like me!!
I couldn't help myself "I remember when the grandstands were like that" "He's parked at Maison Blanc"
Just turn up the surround sound and listen to the soundtrack of those engines. Just make sure you do not watch it with a boring old f@rt like me!!
I couldn't help myself "I remember when the grandstands were like that" "He's parked at Maison Blanc"
For movie posters try www.drivepast.com. I've never actually used them so can't say what they're like.
Agree it's a top movie. I'm too young to have seen these cars race when they were new, so thank God for the Goodwood Festival of Speed as an opportunity to see them up close and see them used as they were intended, albeit not hitting quite the same top speeds!
Agree it's a top movie. I'm too young to have seen these cars race when they were new, so thank God for the Goodwood Festival of Speed as an opportunity to see them up close and see them used as they were intended, albeit not hitting quite the same top speeds!
Here is a "very good" link for more information about the 917. I'm one of those guys who is old enough to have seen and heard them run in their prime, and it's something you don't forget :-) This is back when Porsche and Ferrari were at each other's throats, and it was "all or nothing", and history will record Porsche put a royal whipping on Ferrari.
Dogsharks
www.symbolicmotors.com/frames/images/Classics/CurrentClassics/Porsche917020/Porsche917020.html
I've got a poster sized 'up yours' picture from www.club-arnage.com with luck they should still have some in stock.
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