Man vs. Machine

At one point in James Mangold’s enthralling and thoroughly entertaining Ford v Ferrari, Henry Ford II – grandson of the iconic automaker, and CEO of Ford Motor Co. – points out his nineteenth story office window at a nearby assembly plant. “During World War II that plant turned out 3 of every 5 bombers used in the war. Do you think Roosevelt defeated Hitler?” His point is clear: wars are not won by individuals but by organizing and mobilizing the machinery of corporate industry.

The year is 1965 and Ford is at war – not in Vietnam (which is never mentioned in the film) but with Ferrari, the Italian automaker which is the perennial champion of the prestigious 24 hours of Le Mans race. What is more, Enzo Ferrari has insulted and humiliated the American automaker and its corporate baron. Mr. Ford’s audience is Carroll Shelby, the only American ever to win at Le Mans and the best sports car designer in America. At the urging of marketing genius Lee Iacocca, Ford has enlisted Shelby to beat Ferrari and win a much-needed marketing boost for the brand.

But Ford was wrong. Wars are not won by Presidents or corporations. They are won by the soldiers whose bravery, sacrifice, and heroism are put to the test on the battlefield.

So enter Ken Miles, the British-born World War II veteran whose single-minded determination to race makes him a one-man killing machine (metaphorically) on the racetrack battlefield. Miles is driven not by corporate loyalty, or even a drive to win, but a Zen-like quest for “the perfect lap” – and that moment of transcendence, when, “at 7,000 RPM… everything fades. The machine becomes weightless. It just disappears. All that's left (is) a body moving through space and time.”

Ford v. Ferrari is at once an homage to the age of American industrial greatness as well as a critique of the corporate mentality which contributed to its downfall. Indeed, the central conflict in the film is not between Ford and Ferrari. Rather, it is, in the non-inclusive language of the era, between Man and Machine. On one level the “man” is Carroll Shelby, whose Patton-like genius is constantly being constrained by the corporate machine; on another level the man is Ken Miles whose desire for the perfect communion of car and driver is constrained only by the limits of engineering and the laws of physics on his speed machine.

The retro look at industrial America in its prime also suggests another conflict, between the promise of the “American Century” and the harsh reality of corporate and political greed that has turned industrial America into the Rust Belt. It taps into the nostalgic longing of many to “make America great again” by invoking an era of white male American dominance. One must look hard to find a person of color in the film; and the only woman of note is Caitriona Balfe’s fabulous turn as Mollie Miles, whose strength of will and character is a perfect foil for her husband. (In earlier years, the role would be played by Katherine Hepburn or Rosalind Russell.)

But the politics of Ford v. Ferrari takes a back seat to the sheer brilliance of the filmmaking. Mangold, whose previous credits include Walk the Line and The Wolverine, provides a film that excels in every way. The writing is crisp and witty. The editing is brisk, so that despite the hefty 152 minute run time, the story never lags. The cinematography is breathtaking, and the score is a perfect amalgam of bluegrass-rock and techno-pop. But the real gem is Christian Bale’s performance as Ken Miles. Bales continues to turn out one great performance after another, and this could be his best yet. Matt Damon also gives a solid performance as Carroll Shelby, as does young Noah Jupe as Miles's son Peter. 

Ford v. Ferrari invokes the era of great auto-racing films like Grand Prix (1966), Winning (1969) and Le Mans (1971), and leaves them in the dust. It may be the best auto-racing film ever made and is certainly one of the best films of the year.

Rated an overly restrictive PG-13 for “some language and peril” – Ford v. Ferrari is a real winner. **** (4.0 stars/4.0)