Last week I made a post on Jacques Villeneuve. The mention of him and Le Mans reminded me of the 1971 movie with Steeve McQueen. It has been quite a few years since I watched that. So with no F1 or MotoGP race on calendar this weekend I’d picked up the DVD and did the re-run on my home cinema. This movie was made about 30 years before CGI turned every action flick into anime.
It is filled with lots of raw racing action on the punishing French countryside track. There is a bit of drama, perhaps 5 or 6 dialogues (first one after about 20 minute mark) and the rest is racing action shot in semi documentary style. Lots of fast on board footage, slow motion, violent and yet beautiful crashes. Watching this movie one can appreciate how dangerous motor racing is.
This is Le Mans 24 hours, not Formula 1, but the huge difference is safety standards on tracks then and now is striking. It was dangerous to be a driver, but perhaps even more dangerous to be the race marshal. Seeing the guys waving yellow flags centimetres away from 300km/h speeding monsters, that is scary…
If you want to enjoy some racing blast from the past, pick up this movie and enjoy. They do not make movies like this any more…
on 
on 
