Released in 2019, “Le Mans 66” retraces the epic confrontation of the Ford and Ferrari stables during a car race, with Christian Bale and Matt Damon in the casting.
Christian Bale And Matt Damon sent to 300 km/h in epic races. This is what awaits the spectators who will discover Le Mans 66. Directed by James Mangold, this feature film traces the rivalry between Ford and Ferrari during the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966. In the 1960s, Henry Ford He gives an almost impossible mission to Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon): defeat the Italian automotive firm on the race where she is queen, the famous Sarthoise race.
For this, Carroll Shelby calls on Ken Miles (Christian Bale), a completely atypical British pilot. Building against capitalism, these two automotive enthusiasts will nevertheless achieve a real sporting and mechanical feat. For 2:30 am, the public is transported between the intimate drama and intense races worthy of the greatest action films.
Behind Le Mans 66there is a real feat that car shopping enthusiasts know well. In the early 1960s, Henry Ford II hoped to buy Ferrari shares, in order to combine the largest car manufacturer from the Italian champion. Negotiations are advancing well until Zo Ferrari decides to cancel everything. An affront that Ford will refuse to let pass. He launches as a challenge to defeat Ferrari on his own land, the 24 hours of Le Mans. He entrusted the mission to Carroll Shelby, a former pilot who has won the race in the past and which has since been converted into engineering and car sales. The Texan will have to create a prototype of Ford racing car, the GT 350. After several failures, he designs the GT40 with the help of his friend Ken Miles. It is still necessary to convince the American manufacturer to leave the British pilot, exceptional but very character, to drive the machine to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In 1966, it was an exceptional race that opposed the two car giants, whose outcome is not revealed to leave the spectator’s pleasure who wishes to discover it on the big screen.
Synopsis – In 1966, the Titans shock was prepared for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It has been twice that the Ford stable is beaten by Ferrari, and it is time to end this reign. Yet the Ford shows signs of overheating and high -speed instability. But Ken Miles, the pilot, will take all the risks.
Le Mans 66, that brings together Matt Damon And Christian Bale, is it worth it? This is the case, according to criticism published at the release of the feature film in 2019. These are relatively unanimous: for the press, Le Mans 66 is a very effective entertainment that has everything to seduce car shopping enthusiasts, but not only. The Parisian Questioned former car pilots in order to know their feeling about the realism of the film. Le Mans 66 did not disappoint: “the general impression was very positive, which is quite rare for drivers in terms of movies on car races”, describes Gérard Larrousse, who won the Le Mans twice, on the occasion of ‘A projection organized for former pilots. However, they still found the film “Hollywoods”, noting some technical errors that only race pilots can notice.
But before being a car film, Le Mans 66 is a biopic On the complex and tumultuous friendship which links Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles. For the point, Le Mans 66 is “an ambitious quest” on “crazy steering wheel”, while Télérama greets “shiny entertainment”. Le Figaro classifies this production in its selection of films to see absolutely this week, and the obs is rave: “This film is pure happiness”, writes the journalist, praising the painting of America that the film offers, the show Proposed, and the last sequence of the film, that centered only on the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ditto for premiere, which describes this biopic “entertainment of good performance”. The specialized media also welcomes the underlying political point of this production in the five-star cast: “Mangold also tells the story of a certain America, the one who does not hesitate to leave the accident there […] Le Mans 66 is a much more political film than it believes “. An entertainment that is therefore likely to bring together all audiences.
Le Mans 66film on friendship
Before being a feature film on a historical rivalry between two car giants, or simply a spectacular car race, Le Mans 66 is a film on the tumultuous friendship that links Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles. “The important thing for me in this film was friendship, camaraderie, the idea of accomplishing something together,” said James Mangold at a press conference. “I tried to make a film that works like an adult drama, with action”. A will displayed by the casting, including Christian Bale: “There is a shared obsession between these characters, a common goal […] It transcended the film: instead of being just a car racing film, it’s a story of friendship “.
Where was turned Le Mans 66 ?
If Le Mans 66 bears the name of the Sartoise city and has the subject of the famous 24-hour race of Le Mans, France has not served as sets in the feature film by James Mangold. Matt Damon and Christian Bale turned this biopic on the rivalry between Ford and Ferrari in Georgia, where the 24 Hours of Le Mans route was reconstructed. “It asked for months and months of work. It was necessary to coordinate everything” described the chief decorator François Audouy in the columns of Allociné.
For Le Mans 66James Mangold wished to give an impression of authenticity and realism. Before filming, Christian Bale took driving lessons to be more convincing in the role of Ken Miles. He finds himself behind the steering wheel of a few cars on the screen: “We had excellent pilots who worked on this film and who lead to Le Mans, specifies the actor. I would love to say that I was able to Driving cars and making the scenes myself, but it would not have been as exciting as in the film. This choice makes it possible to bring out adrenaline during car racing scenes, a treat for car lovers but also for neophytes.