TechnoFILE is copyright and a registered trademark © ® of
Pandemonium Productions.
All rights reserved.
E-mail us Here!
Le Mans on DVD

Le Mans on DVD

Steve McQueen brings the star power that undoubtedly helped raise the financing for this unusual racing film.

It’s unusual in that this isn’t so much a soap opera interspersed with some racing footage as it is a movie about the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race - with some storyline put in to break up the racing action and humanize the characters.

McQueen isn’t really needed here; his role isn’t a stretch for an actor and could have been played by any journeyman performer. He undoubtedly signed on so he could do his own driving, and we can imagine he must have had a lot of fun during the filming.

McQueen is Michael Delaney, American race driver rebounding after an accident the previous year that killed a compatriot. Here he’s representing Porsche in a grudge match with Ferrari in the top class of the race, guiding the beautifully sleek 917 around the eight mile track.

But, in an unusual move for a movie with a big name star, he’s put out of the race quite early thanks to a lapse in his concentration and it looks as if he’s going to be forced to watch the rest of the classic race from pit row. Will he ever get a chance to redeem his accident of the past year and bring Porsche the victory it wants so desperately?

We won’t spoil it for you.

There’s a lot to like about Le Mans, the movie. More than just a standard drama, the film gives you a good feel for the race itself, with camera shots from the driver’s perspective, low shots from all sides of the cars that really impart the feeling of speed - and even shots of the carnival atmosphere that surrounds one of the most famous races on the planet.

Le Mans was obviously a labor of love, made by people who love motorsports and who wanted to bring an accurate portrayal of the race to the screen. It’s obviously Hollywoodized to a certain extent, but still manages to come off surprisingly pure.

So if you’re looking for a human drama, forget it. This is about the pursuit of speed and the checkered flag, and as such it succeeds on all counts.

They’ve even done a nice job with the audio, which has been remastered into Dolby Digital 5.1 surround. We didn’t note a lot of surround, but Michel Legrand’s score uses the main front speakers very well - and the screaming of cars by the camera is accompanied on many occasions by a delicious audio pan from right to left channel as the car passes by.

The DVD is also presented in anamorphic widescreen, 16x9 TV compatible and though there’s a tad of grain at times for the most part the picture quality is very good. We start off with a bit of a strange aspect ratio that includes black bars to each side of the screen, but most of the film is presented in standard 2.35:1 and looks great.

Speaking of looking great, car buffs will love the hardware on display here!

We would have loved to see some extras with the DVD, for instance some good background info on how they made the film and made it feel so authentic, but ‘twas not to be. You don’t even get the trailer!

Drat!

Oh well, if you have gasoline in your veins, you’ll love Le Mans.

Le Mans, from Paramount Home Video
108 min. anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1, 16x9 TV compatible), Dolby Digital 5.1 surround
Starring Steven McQueen
Produced by Jack N. Reddish
Written by Harry Kleiner, directed by Lee H. Katzin

 

Tell us at TechnoFile what YOU think

Google
 
Web www.technofile.com
 

Home

Audio/Video

Automotive

Blu-rays

Computers

Gadgets

Games

Letters

Miscellaneous

Search

Welcome

Support TechnoFile
via Paypal

TechnoFILE's E-letter
We're pleased to offer
our FREE private,
subscription-based
private E-mail service.
It's the "no brainer"
way to keep informed.

Our Privacy Policy