Le Mans

The twenty-four hours of Le Mans, the return of a driver who lost a friend in a crash there the year before, and the circuit itself. The film barely speaks; the first line is a long time coming and the total dialogue would not fill a short. Steve McQueen drove the project on his own obsession, took control of the production, and fell out with the studio as the cost rose, eventually losing both his money and his production company. Parts were shot at the 1970 race itself with real cars at real speeds, which is why the sound and the image still cannot be faked. The story is thin, but the film exists to make you feel a race. Who it is for: viewers who love motor racing and unshowy, almost documentary filmmaking. Who it is not for: anyone wanting character and plot, since neither is provided.