Film Review: Rush (2013)

by George Hornby

Set around one of the fiercest rivalries in the world of Formula One, Rush sees two drivers push each other to the limit in chase of a world title.

In 1976, reigning champion and proud Austrian Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl) stepped back into his Ferrari 312T in search of his second world title. Against him was rival, James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth), British McLaren driver and willing to go to any lengths to win. Directed by Ron Howard (known for Solo: A Star Wars Story, Apollo 13), Rush delivers the thrills of one of the most intense Formula One seasons in history.

A story that is shared between two leads, Rush casts Hunt and Lauda perfectly. Both Hemsworth and Brühl play their roles exceptionally. Chris Hemsworth brilliantly portrays the loud, obnoxious, party-obsessed Briton, and perfectly contrasts Brühl’s quiet, calculating Lauda. Howard expertly utilises these characters to contrast each other, and leaves the audience to pick a side, as he follows their stories from their meeting in Formula 3, all the way to their climactic championship battle.

One of my main criticisms of the film would be the pacing. Although films aren’t allowed to drag on for 5 hours to fit in every single event, Rush does seem to skip quickly over Lauda’s first world championship win in 1975. What was a monumental event in the young Austrian’s career, which embedded his name into the history books, the championship is portrayed at breakneck speed, ironic for a film about motorsport. The reasoning for this is clear however; films can’t be 5 hours long.

The main event of the film is the 1976 German Grand Prix, at the Nürburgring. A dangerous event covered in thunderstorms and rain showers, the pace of the film slows for this particular race for one reason: Niki Lauda’s infamous crash, the crash that left him burned across his whole body and unable to drive in the championship for only 2 races, a remarkable recovery time considering his injury. Within 40 days of being stuck in a burning car, Lauda was back on the grid. The film approaches this event with respect for Lauda, but also with the right amount of tension that plunges the audience into suspense as they worry for Lauda’s safety.