It’s very easy for a sports movie to become nothing but a hokey machismo display. It’s equally as simple for a sports film to be a standard underdog story, in which the scrappy newcomer from a lower class finds victory over the cocky veteran. "Rush" doesn’t fall into either of these traps, and in turn is one of the best sports movies of recent memory. That’s because writer Peter Morgan and director Ron Howard know that it’s not really about the sport; it’s about the players.
In 1976, Formula One racing was home to one of the greatest rivalries in sports history – James Hunt and Niki Lauda (Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl respectively). Neither man started from humble beginnings, each coming from a wealthy family of accomplished businessmen and politicians. Both Hunt and Lauda found no interest in following in their families footsteps, and pursued their own path towards racing. That’s about where the similarities end between them. The gorgeous Hunt embodies the “live fast, die young” lifestyle, relishing in the inherent danger of Formula One racing. The first time we meet him he’s walking into a hospital, bloodied and battered but persistently charming. Within minutes, he’s smooth talked his way into the nurse’s pants. She will not be the last woman he beds throughout the film.
Conversely, the “rat-like” Lauda doesn’t enjoy the same promiscuity. That lifestyle doesn’t suit him, as his personality is abrasive and blunt. He approaches racing as a scientific endeavor and knows that every time he gets behind the wheel, he has a 20% chance of dying. Early on, when another driver crashes and is decapitated, Lauda shows no humanity and blames the driver for his own misfortune. The two first met in 1970 at a Formula Three race. Hunt made an aggressive move on the track, causing Lauda to spin out and lose his sure victory. Lauda confronted the unrepentant Hunt after the race, and their rivalry was born.
Peter Morgan structures his script very cleverly. Sensing that neither main character was particularly sympathetic, he forwent the solo protagonist route and gave both racers equal screen time as leads. "Rush" very much feels like a race, in which the competitors are constantly dogging each other for positioning. For a few scenes we’ll stay with Hunt, who is desperately trying to get an edge over Lauda. When he finally achieves momentum, we switch gears to Lauda who now must counter that by attempting to build momentum of his own. This is a risky plan for Morgan, as typically you want your audience to stay with one character for as long as possible and connect with them. By constantly bouncing back and forth, that connection is lost. However, that works in "Rush’s" favor. Lauda and Hunt by themselves are not lead material. It’s the battle between Lauda and Hunt that is exciting.
The racing scenes are exhilarating, with director Ron Howard working in genius tandem with cinematography Anthony Dod Mantle. A pioneer of digital cinematography, Mantle comes up with some remarkably inventive ways to capture the races at unique angles. Bolstered by a heart-thumping score by Hans Zimmer, "Rush" truly lives up to its name during these sequences.
Howard’s exemplary direction extends to his ability to keep the constantly shifting narrative focus in check. At no point does it feel as though Hunt or Lauda are taking over the story. More importantly, Howard (and Morgan) never choose sides as to who is “right”. Who are we supposed to be rooting for here? This is a sports movie after all, and in sports you root for a team. That’s the way it works right? Well, not always and not here. Both Hunt and Lauda have likeable aspects, and both can be abhorrent. What’s fun is watching their moments of aberration; the few times where we get to see both Hunt and Lauda deviate from their stereotypes. These men don’t hate each other. Rivalry is just a form of respect, and that becomes clearer and clearer as "Rush" drives on.
The hunky Chris Hemsworth shows that he can be more than a hammer-wielding God as the arrogant James Hunt. Morgan says that the Australian actor was a godsend, as the British Hunt did not look like a typical Brit. He says they tried out hundreds of British actors but none could equal Hunt in handsomeness or hair, and so they had to branch out to the Aussie Hemsworth who fits the profile snugly. Hemsworth doesn’t coast on his looks though, and is able to play the few low-key moments just as effectively as his showiness.
The German Daniel Bruhl, who some may recognize from his role in "Inglourious Basterds", is equally impressive as the Austrian Niki Lauda. Bruhl had the added benefit of meeting his real life counterpart (Hunt died in 1993) and was able to build his own Lauda from those experiences. Bruhl sees Lauda as a driven man with no time to waste on dancing around a point. If something needs to be said, he says it, and he doesn’t care who he insults in the process. The rationality present in Bruhl’s performance is a distinct balance to Hemsworth’s devil-may-care attitude.
"Rush" is a slick, sexy thrill ride driven with controlled ferocity by Ron Howard. More closely identified with directing mainstream movies like "The Da Vinci Code" and "The Grinch", "Rush" reminds us that Howard is still capable of producing Oscar-level work.
