The first trailer for James Mangold’s latest film, Le Mans ’66 (aka Ford v. Ferrari), has been released. Based on a true story, the film stars Christian Bale as racing driver Ken Miles, a British-born American racing driver, and Matt Damon as the esteemed race car designer Carroll Shelby. Together they aim to take Ford to the pinnacle of motor racing by beating Ferrari in the legendary 24-hour Le Mans endurance race, one of sport’s most illustrious events.
Mangold says, “I love stories that take you to a time when we were a little less cautious: when we were first figuring out our relationship to technology, how we were going to make excellent tools and faster better contraptions based upon our instincts more than computer models. Now, we’ve become so corporate, liability-protected, computer simulated and risk averse it’s hard to imagine the same kind of discovery is even possible.
“The eccentric characters who pioneered racing, much like our astronauts and test pilots, put their lives on the line every day. The cars were prototypes, one of a kind, and sometimes death traps, dawning-age beasts so powerful they could tear themselves apart. The men behind the wheel and in the pits and garages came from all walks of life, speed junkies, technical engineers, entrepreneurs, military men, street racers, gamblers, designers, hot rodders, and car geeks, young and old. All working together at the very edge of technology without a map.”
The trailer is a two-and-a-half minute showcase of an American Dream fuelled by engineering brilliance. There is a tangible determination for success matched only by Miles’ scepticism about their chances. The film also marks yet another physical transformation from Bale, his lean figure a stark contrast to his previous role as Dick Cheney in Vice. Ford v. Ferrari has a reported budget of $100 million and it’s easy to see where that money is going, with flashes of gruesome high-speed crashes and adrenaline-fuelled pursuits. It is a film that promises to chart the difficulties and sacrifices of success at all costs.
Le Mans ’66 speeds into UK cinemas on the 8th November.