Le Mans

A driver (Steve McQueen) coming off a nearly fatal injury, competes in the 24 hour endurance race, Le Mans.

Le Mans was star Steve McQueen’s dream project. After director John Sturges left the project due to McQueen interfering in nearly every aspect of production, Lee H. Katzin came aboard and the film essentially became McQueen’s show.

To that end, it’s no wonder the film plays more like a documentary than a drama. McQueen loved racing and had a real passion for the sport, going through great pains to deliver an authentic experience. There’s no dialog for the film’s first 37 minutes, and the paper-thin plot is almost entirely forgettable. Mainly, this is 106 minutes of squealing tires and revving engines, of men and machines pushed to their limit for no other reason than pride.

To that end, if you’re a race fan, you’ll love Le Mans. If you’re not, well, the film probably won’t make a convert out of you, but the worst you’ll be is a little bored. Indeed, McQueen would probably have been better off dropping the underdeveloped love story sub-plot and the 10-15 minutes it occupies, as Le Mans is a movie about racing for race fans. The rest is just distraction.