Academy Awards’ Special: Ford vs. Ferrari

Today the Academy Awards will be awarded to what the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of the United States considers the best of last year's cinema. To finish our special nominated films in the category of Best Film, we bring this review of Ford vs.. Ferrari.

In addition to this category, this film is nominated for Best Sound, Best Sound Editing, and Best Editing.

A corporate intrigue and a history of friendship

Ford vs. Ferrari shows scenes of friendship between the automotive producer Caroll Shelby and British driver Ken Miles during the construction of the Shelby American, a car built for Henry Ford in order to beat Ferrari in the race Mars. Against the backdrop of the history of this friendship, we see the corporate intrigue of the rivalry between Ford and Ferrari and the incursion of the first in the racing cars due to the failure of an alliance between the Italian and the American company.

This optics of car racing is interesting: behind the speed and power that seem more emotional than rational, there is corporate calculation and business interests. This goes a bit contrary to what is usually seen in car movies: the passionate man who can't drive, who must risk his life in every race. Here we see, yes, a passionate driver, but no less manipulable for those who have the power.

Read also: Special Academy Awards: The Irishman

On the other hand, the only female character moves away from the commonplace of the driver's wife concerned about the health and safety of her husband and here we see a woman seduced by the excitement of racing and the manufacture of the machine her husband will drive.

The role of the protagonists is played by Cristian Bale and Matt Damon, both do very well. There is a portrait of a friendship between men that moves away from the typical gloriousness and exaltation of the masculine and both actors manage to transmit that. There are also glimpses of teasing the patriarchate: we see Henry Ford crying in fear and offended because they call him fat.

However, all these themes, although interesting, are touched very briefly in the James Mangold feature film. Even the comic tone, so interesting this time, falls short and is almost completely erased by an end of an insurmountable tawdriness.

While there is in Ford vs. Ferrari some glimpses of questioning and comicity, it is all very subtle and it is not suggested enough to stop being simply an entertaining movie to watch on a Sunday. It moves away at certain points from the typical car film that glorifies hegemonic masculinity without more but not enough to be remembered in a few years. It is barely enough to outline some themes and reflections, but it is not enough for much more. Of course, it is very entertaining and exciting, but no one could say much more than that.