When years of intense training, build-up and bitter rivalries can come
down to a final sprint over the finish line for all-or-nothing glory, it's
no surprise that sporting races have proved to be the perfect material for
cinematic excitement. And whether it be by foot, on a bike or at the
wheel, the behind-the-scenes dramas leading up to the climactic race often
offer as many thrills as the race itself.
Intense drama
The Racer
is no exception. Set in the high-speed world of competitive cycling, the
film transports us to Ireland, 1998, for the opening stage of the world's
most prestigious cycling event, Le Tour de France. Here we find aging
cyclist Dom Chabol (Louis Talpe) in danger of losing his place on
the team without ever having tasted winner's glory. Even best friend Sonny
(Iain Glen, Game of Thrones), the team masseur and the man in charge of the blood-doping operation
that has kept Dom at the peak of physical powers, can't help. But just as
Dom gears up to head home, another teammate is knocked off the Tour and
Dom is thrown back into the saddle. Now with the years of blood-doping
having taken a toll on his body, this racer may find himself paying the
ultimate price for a final shot at the glory...
To celebrate The Racer as it takes position to sprint into
cinemas and on streaming platforms from 18th December, we've taken a look
back at some of the most thrilling races on film.
Chariots of Fire (1981)
A classic of cinema, Chariots of Fire tells the story of two
real-life British athletes at the 1924 Paris Olympics.
Ian Charleson stars as Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish Christian
who runs for God's glory, and Ben Cross portrays Harold Abrahams, a
Jewish student at Cambridge University who competes to overcome the racial
prejudice he has endured all his life. As a strict Christian, Liddell
refuses to run in his chosen 100 metres because it takes place on a Sunday
so decides to compete in the 400 metres race on a weekday, ultimately
breaking the world record and winning the Gold Medal. Meanwhile in the 100
metres, fellow-brit Abrahams scoops the gold, making the 1924 Olympics a
landmark in British sporting achievement.
The film is perhaps best known for its iconic electronic score by
Vangelis that accompanies many of its rousing race sequences, and
it was nominated for seven Academy Awards, picking-up four including Best
Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Original Score. With a
supporting cast of British acting favourites including
John Gielgud, Nigel Havers and Ian Holm,
Chariots of Fire is a beloved British classic about two
inspirational athletes who made history at the world’s greatest sporting
event.
Belleville Rendez-vous (2003)
Weaving a bizarre tale of organised crime and the abduction of a Tour de
France cyclist, Sylvain Chomet’s fantastical animation
Belleville Rendez-vous made waves among critics upon its
release in 2003. Steeped in surreal imagery and with almost no dialogue,
the film follows an elderly woman called Madame Souza, whose grandson
Champion has been kidnapped by the French Mafia and forced to ride his
bike (without ever stopping) at their underground winery to juice the
grapes. And yes, it is every bit as crazy as that sounds! Souza then
embarks on a race against time to find Champion before he dies of
exhaustion, but that's not before encountering a parade of colourful
characters along the way such as the singing, dancing Triplets of
Belleville.
Chomet’s film was a hit on the festival and art-house cinema circuit as
well as garnering two Academy Award nominations, and seven years later the
director would be back with his multi award-winning
The Illusionist. With gorgeous animation, bizarre humour and an unforgettable,
toe-tapping song, Belleville Rendez-vous is a sporting film
with a difference!
The Flying Scotsman (2006)
In July 1993, and then again in April 1994, Scottish cyclist Graeme Obree
broke the world one-hour distance record, earning him the name The Flying
Scotsman. His incredible story of racing achievement is told in
Douglas Mackinnon’s film of the same name, with
Jonny Lee Miller starring as Obree. Known for his unconventional
sitting position and his iconic ‘Old Faithful’ bike, Obree had a turbulent
racing career that included being fired from a professional team in
France.
The Flying Scotsman focuses on the period in his life when
Obree would win, lose and then re-win the world one-hour distance record,
with plenty of heart-stopping cycling action in the Velodrome. Obree has
since been inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame and with screen
veteran Brian Cox and Lord of the Rings’ Billy Boyd filling out a top-notch cast of Scottish acting
talent, The Flying Scotsman is a thrilling and emotional
tale about one of the country’s greatest living sporting heroes.
Rush (2013)
Speeding onto screens in 2013,
Rush was a turbo-charged look at the rivalry between motor-racing aces
James Hunt and Niki Lauda. A model of Austrian precision and
cool-headedness, Lauda proved the opposite of the brash, party-loving
Brit, Hunt, though the pair would prove equal in pushing themselves to
ever greater glories during their tumultuous time behind the wheel. The
film charts the development of their careers in parallel, with racing
drama on the track matching personal troubles at home until it comes to a
head during the 1976 Formula 1 season. When a devastating crash threatens
to put an end to Lauda's racing days, the driver goes against the odds to
return and take on his rival in an attempt to win the championship on a
rain-soaked track at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Directed by Ron Howard, the film benefitted from some choice
casting with Thor star Chris Hemsworth excelling as
the outgoing and self-confident Hunt and acclaimed actor
Daniel Brühl capturing Lauda's steely determination. For a
true-life tale of a dangerous racing rivalry, Rush takes
pole position.
Le Mans ‘66 (2019)
Another film to explore an intense motor-racing rivalry,
Le Mans '66
(aka Ford Vs Ferrari) looks at the friendship between an automotive designer and a
hot-tempered racer and how it pushed a failing motor company to victory
over its rival. After a failed 1963 attempt by Ford Motor Company to buy
Ferrari, an insulted Henry Ford looks to design a car capable of beating
Ferrari at the prestigious Le Mans race. To do this he enlists the help of
designer and former Le Mans winner Carroll Shelby, who insists on bringing
his best friend, the hot-tempered driver Ken Miles, along for the ride.
While Ford is against using Miles as a driver, Shelby pushes their cars to
ever great speeds and insists that Miles is the man who can drive them,
culminating in a confrontation between Ford and Ferrari at the 1966 24
Hours of Le Mans race.
With director James Mangold at the helm and A-list acting talent in
the form of Matt Damon (Shelby) and Christian Bale (Miles),
Le Mans ‘66 was going for gold at the 2019 Academy Awards
where it picked up a Best Picture nomination.
Vertigo Releasing presents The Racer in UK cinemas and on
streaming platforms from 18th December.