Le Mans ‘66, Ford vs. Ferrari - movie

[jl34]

P5BNij said:

Compression and stretching of timelines is common in films based on true events, another example is 'The Krays' from 1990, watching it you'd think they killed George Cornell and Jack McVitie just hours apart, in reality it was several months.

Back to LM '66, were any real GT40s used or were they replicas / continuation cars from (say) Superformance…?

there were no real cars used, it was a mixture of Superformance (for the mk2's and cobras) and RCR for the mk1's and P3's

[anonymous-user]

prand said:

Even factual documentaries are not immune either. I remember being gently roasted by Eric Mc on here after saying how much I enjoyed Senna, even though it almost totally ignores Nigel Mansell's part in the real drama, and really over-eggs Prost's role as the baddie protagonist.

I like that another sporting docudrama, Invictus, also has the 5ft 10inch Matt Damon, this time improbably playing the 6ft 4 Flanker South African Captain Francois Pienaar. Morgan Freeman is a much more natural Nelson Mandela, and the player/actor being Jonah Lomu isn't far off either.

Invictus has some dodgy moments, but at the end, SA still win the final (sorry for spoilers) and like all these films, you just have to go with it and let the artistic license take you.

He got the pulled up shorts right at the end

The guy playing Lomu was Zak Feaunati, a Samoan international who played No.8 for Bath for 5 years in the mid 2000's. A big unit, hence looked the part, but 10kg lighter, 5cm shorter and slower than Lomu by quite a bit.....

[coppice]

I recommend the Netflix /Amazon Prime The 24 Hour War , a documentary covering the same era, and more. Worth seeing for the gorgeous Mk IV Ford used in '67 , and the astonishing footage of GT40s , P3s , 904s etc racing at Sebring in '65 through about a foot of water.. Interesting to see and hear the real Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles after the Bale/Damon portrayal.

If you are as much of an anorak as I am there is still the odd mistake to enjoy too...

[prand]

wsurfa said:

He got the pulled up shorts right at the end

Ha ha yes, I believe the story about that was Pienaar said to the film makers something like "I don't mind what he looks like as long as he doesn't tuck his shirt in and pull his shorts up for the prizegiving like I did - I've been embarrassed about that ever since", and of course that went into the film

[marcosgt]

Big Nanas said:

At least this thread hasn't gone full on 'Dunkirk' levels of nitpicking (Train seat fabric, anyone?)

To be honest, though, those seats REALLY jarred.

I'm not a nit-picker generally, I can switch off and just enjoy most films, but I can remember them introducing that seat fabric!

It was like the 1970s Ark Royal aircraft carrier showing up in a film about Trafalgar! (OK, I exaggerate, but it was like being slapped in the face! )

M

Edited by marcosgt on Tuesday 26th November 12:20

[dogbucket]

Christian Bales characterisation of Ken Miles struck me as if he had been watching too much Guy Martin and just copied that, but if that was what Ken was really like then fair enough.

The over egged britishisms were a bit grating, and in one scene I am sure he called his son a 'Dirty Stop-Out' after finding that he had stayed up late in his bedroom, which was the wrong meaning imo and Mr Bale should have pulled up the script writers being that he identifies as English (even though he is really Welsh )

[irocfan]

marcosgt said:

Big Nanas said:

At least this thread hasn't gone full on 'Dunkirk' levels of nitpicking (Train seat fabric, anyone?)

To be honest, though, those seats REALLY jarred.

I'm not a nit-picker generally, I can switch off and just enjoy most films, but I can remember them introducing that seat fabric!

It was like the 1970s Ark Royal aircraft carrier showing up in a film about Trafalgar! (OK, I exaggerate, but it was like being slapped in the face! )

M

Edited by marcosgt on Tuesday 26th November 12:20

depends - I know nothing about train seat-fabrics (and care even less) so that really didn't pull me out of the film. Likewise WRT Le Mans '66 the odd inaccuracies, for example the wrong Fezza parked in-front of the factory, Bond's DB5 or Ken listening to the '65 race (TBF he did listen to a lot of it but I don't know why they did that) either didn't bother me or I didn't know enough about the era to twig. WRT to the 'fast and the furious style racing - yes it grated somewhat but mrs Iroc, as a non-car person, was totally hooked in which case you'd have to say "mission accomplished"

[Shelsleyf2]

coppice said:

I recommend the Netflix /Amazon Prime The 24 Hour War , a documentary covering the same era, and more. Worth seeing for the gorgeous Mk IV Ford used in '67 , and the astonishing footage of GT40s , P3s , 904s etc racing at Sebring in '65 through about a foot of water.. Interesting to see and hear the real Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles after the Bale/Damon portrayal.

If you are as much of an anorak as I am there is still the odd mistake to enjoy too...

Also on Netflix Shelby America, both Shelby America and The 24 Hour War share period footage. Both informative and enjoyable.

[jonny142]

Shelsleyf2 said:

coppice said:

I recommend the Netflix /Amazon Prime The 24 Hour War , a documentary covering the same era, and more. Worth seeing for the gorgeous Mk IV Ford used in '67 , and the astonishing footage of GT40s , P3s , 904s etc racing at Sebring in '65 through about a foot of water.. Interesting to see and hear the real Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles after the Bale/Damon portrayal.

If you are as much of an anorak as I am there is still the odd mistake to enjoy too...

Also on Netflix Shelby America, both Shelby America and The 24 Hour War share period footage. Both informative and enjoyable.

^ Yep , Great stuff/ Footage ... Saw the Film last night at the local Cinema ,Sound was loud ! .. Enjoyed it alot

[unsprung]

For those who may have questions about the authenticity of the Ken Miles portrayed by Christian Bale... Or if you're just curious...

"I gave Christian Bale info about my dad from press clippings and magazine articles, and I showed him personal photos and shared audio recordings with him. Bale was looking to remain as faithful as possible to my father."

- - - Peter Miles, son of Mollie and Ken Miles


emphasis mine; article here
https://www.lemans.org/app_dev.php/en/news/le-mans...

[MikeT66]

unsprung said:

Alongside the story on the big screen, there's been a wave of interest in Ken Miles, the man. The following is but a partial sample. Each is only from the last 30 days:

"I liked very much that Ken isn't that sort of manly man image"
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/showbiz-tv/w...

"He replicated Miles's test, right down to lap speeds and time of day."
https://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/28057564/ford...

"among the Americans, Ken earned the nicknames Teddy Teabag and Sidebite."
https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/10349767/le-...

"a sarcastic bd who would race his grandmother to the breakfast table"
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/le-mans-66-bri...

"the Flying Shingle, undoubtedly the most exciting special ever to appear in West Coast racing"
https://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/a29790086...

"He really did move to Hollywood and ingratiate himself with Southern California’s hot-rodding racing scene."
https://slate.com/culture/2019/11/ford-v-ferrari-f...

unsprung said:

For those who may have questions about the authenticity of the Ken Miles portrayed by Christian Bale... Or if you're just curious...

"I gave Christian Bale info about my dad from press clippings and magazine articles, and I showed him personal photos and shared audio recordings with him. Bale was looking to remain as faithful as possible to my father."

- - - Peter Miles, son of Mollie and Ken Miles

emphasis mine; article here
https://www.lemans.org/app_dev.php/en/news/le-mans...

Some great links there, unsprung - thanks for posting them.

Interesting how actors approach roles. I remember reading that for Rush Daniel Brühl had many meetings with Lauda to understand the man... yet Chris Hemsworth apparently showed no interest in meeting any of Hunt's family or learning about his background other than the media portrayal. Bale's approach doesn't surprise me at all, having read about his preparation for previous film roles.

[RL17]

Not sure if been posted already but this Ford video shows Shelby team up to just before Le Mans 1965 and a very wet Sebring 12 hours with Miles finishing 2nd (but 1st in GT class). Plus Miles driving at Willow Springs.

Quite a few scenes/shots seem to replicated in film like the airport with a wrapped GT40.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ynl2dJSpEYo

Finish possibly more similar to a Toyota conspiracy theory than it appears in the film:

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/news/le-mans/fo...

[unsprung]

MikeT66 said:

Some great links there, unsprung - thanks for posting them.

my pleasure

MikeT66 said:

Bale's approach doesn't surprise me at all, having read about his preparation for previous film roles.

I think you're right.

Bale seems very much the actor's actor: Utterly transforming himself in voice, movement, and the physical self. There are few more dissimilar men than, for example, Ken Miles and Dick Cheney. Yet there he is.

[coppice]

Reminds me of Laurence Olivier's legendary comment to Dustin Hoffmann on the set of Marathon Man. DH was very much the method guy , describing to LO how he was thinking himself into the role , how he was spending hours preparing every aspect of his part -LO languidly asked DH -'Have you thought about just acting , dear boy ? '

[21st Century Man]

I enjoyed it, very entertaining.

But I'm confused as to how the engine and gearbox work so differently on a GT40? When flat out there's still plenty in reserve and you can change down well into the red. The car's brake cooling looks to be very effective too, everything is stone cold by the time the car's pitted, no need even for gloves to pull a disc off that was glowing orange just a moment ago.

[Alex]

unsprung said:

I think you're right.

Bale seems very much the actor's actor: Utterly transforming himself in voice, movement, and the physical self. There are few more dissimilar men than, for example, Ken Miles and Dick Cheney. Yet there he is.

They are both great, but I prefer Damon's performance as Shelby. Calm, understated and with a sense of stillness. With Bale, the acting is too visible.

[highway]

I took my old dad. We both enjoyed it. I saw the reference to Shelby selling the same car multiple times, as he only had one finished car, which was based on reality.

John Beranthal who played The Punisher and Lee iaccoca was excellent as well. The cgi was undetectable in the film which was nice. I liked the references to Henry Ford 2nd as deuce as well- all true.

The most unlikely thing on screen wasn’t the high speed downshifts or cars out of period. More the fact that no British woman from Birmingham had teeth that good in the 60’s.

[JustALooseScrew]

Interesting thread!

Pedants apart, I really enjoyed that film. Took my 13 yr old son to watch it last night.

We have a passive following of MotoGP, F1 WRC etc - we watch it when we find it on the TV.

Chatting after the film we both agreed it was beautifully shot, the sound track was excellent and we laughed out loud to many of the Ken Miles bits and agreed he seemed a bit like Guy Martin.

'No.... he can get his own fizzy pop' after the scrap out side his house was brilliant.

Plenty of roller coaster emotions portrayed and to be honest I really don't care how 'technically correct' it was - it was just a window into the lives of these people and that time in history.

Brilliant and worth every penny spent to watch it.

(I'd go and see it again tonight but sadly it is finished now at our local cinema.)

[Dynion Araf Uchaf]

I went to see it last night with my wife and my 13 y-o daughter.

they both thought it was a great film and couldn't believe it has lasted close to 2.5 hrs.

yes the racing is Hollywoodised, but having glanced across at my daughter whilst she was watching the film, she was totally engrossed in it and flinching at the crashes. She said they were the best bit of the movie.

I actually preferred the action between the lead characters as it made me more aware of the story and thought they all played their parts well.

all in all a good film 9/10.

[MikeT66]

JustALooseScrew said:

Interesting thread!

... it was beautifully shot, the sound track was excellent and we laughed out loud to many of the Ken Miles bits and agreed he seemed a bit like Guy Martin.

'No.... he can get his own fizzy pop' after the scrap out side his house was brilliant.

Plenty of roller coaster emotions portrayed and to be honest I really don't care how 'technically correct' it was - it was just a window into the lives of these people and that time in history.

Brilliant and worth every penny spent to watch it.

(I'd go and see it again tonight but sadly it is finished now at our local cinema.)

100%.

Petrolhead entertainment for me (and Mrs.T66).