“…watching you win those races, while I was fighting for my life, you were equally responsible for getting me back in the car.”
I think the easiest way to spot a competition is by watching sports, seeing how they score points and win with time limits. Of course, what drive the players to compete is the will to win and with no doubt, passion. But in the competition, there’s always someone who were born with talents and win things almost without efforts. Luckily, there’s another type of person who work hard and never satisfied with his skill. James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) was born with an impulse to speed and Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl) can’t just speed but have a broad knowledge about automotive. Rush (2013) is based on these two real life F1 race car drivers become rivals and how each of them compete until it push their limits.
This drama movie also tells about both personality; Hunt’s sociable and party-goer characteristic, always have girls by his side but sometimes his attitude can’t help his reputation. And an ambitious wealthy Austrian son, Niki Lauda, have his own success strategy even though the whole world underestimated him, even bought his way to be in the Formula One team. Hunt marries top supermodel, Suzy Miller (Olivia Wilde), while Lauda is in a relationship with Marlene Knaus (Alexandra Maria Lara). It seems that Hunt and Lauda meets in every race car competition through the years, and indirectly each influence and challenge another. Until the climax when both compete in 1976 Formula One season, the rivalry soars.
What excites us watching Rush (2013) is definitely the rush of racing. Like Hunt’s saying that his job makes the racers feel alive since it’s near the death. They practically risk their own lives with doing what they love. It shows that it’s not just about racing, it’s about strategy and preparation. When you risk your life, you can’t be sloppy, unless the thought of losing win your head. Of course, when you compete, you have a slight of jealousy of another and perhaps the need to feel more from another. The need to win could blind you and you could just risk anything, even your personal relationships and your health. Rush explains all that through Hunt and Lauda rivalry connection. Somehow though they are very different in character but quite similar in their passion in racing. And of course, there’s a fine purpose why they both should be rivals.
The story involved each of their love interests. Hunt easily could sleep with any woman with his charm, while Lauda is a one-man for one-woman fall in love with a classy woman who once underestimated him too. Good jump after Drinking Buddies is Olivia Wilde as Suzy Miller, quite natural as Hunt’s wife, trying to keep their relationship while it sinks. But somehow she couldn’t resist when another man walks into his life. While the barrier in Lauda and Marlene’s relationship is Lauda’s competitiveness and winning obsession. But their relationship was quite moving and real, it’s enough to enrich the movie as a whole story.
Just when we think Lauda would win the final race, he experience a car accident that burned his body for a whole one minute. It should make things easier for Hunt, but does it stop there? Considering that it’s based on a true story, I couldn’t not be inspired by Niki Lauda’s effort to get all it takes to do what he loves. It seems that he’s the one that should be applauded, but perhaps he wouldn’t be a champion without a real competitor. Daniel Brühl was excellent and memorable, while Hemsworth was very fitting as handsome playboy race car driver. Rush have a good supporting cast and don’t forget the ’70s authentic feel was fantastic.
Without jumping quickly to years ahead, perhaps Rush could be longer in duration and would take 3-4 mini TV series. From one race to another it jumps forward and skipping some parts that presumably unimportant to be told. Did they really have a heated rivalry, or is it just a seasoning for this movie? Either way, Rush is still a worthy movie to be watched and could inspire us. If we are those people who’d prefer have no enemy, maybe we think the wrong way. At least, we have a ‘good’ enemy.
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