Le Mans

Being an owner through the years of 3 previously available versions (Beta; LaserDisc; DVD) of this film, the primary question whenever a Blu-ray edition is announced of a catalog title produced 40 years ago, is whether the upgrade is worth investing in one more time. All too often has been the case during the early adoption phase of any new format, the answer at best, is maybe. Improved but due to the source materials and/or mastering methods used, perhaps not fully utilizing the capabilities available with the new technology during any expected learning curve. While my media center isn't what one would consider esoteric, it is for most purposes a capable and representative home theater environment for many featuring a 65" Panasonic plasma display (custom settings but not fully calibrated), Pioneer Elite A/V receiver outputting to a matched JBL 7.1 speaker system about a year technologically obsolete this date. Being a long time Porsche automotive enthusiast, a fan of both Steve McQueen and the 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race, I have certainly enjoyed multiple viewings of this film through the years and quite familiar with it both visually and sonically from beginning to end. There are multiple reviews available on different websites so with rare exception, the comments I express here will be limited to my personal opinions of CBS/Paramount's effort with this new offering. Right on schedule, my new Blu-ray copies of Le Mans and Grand Prix arrived in the mail together as these two films were once again, "connected at the hip" as they have been through the decades. For the less than $18 you can acquire this Blu-ray from Amazon during its initial release period, my title for this post says it all: "Don't hesitate, it's Magnifique!" One expects an improved image on Blu-ray but I was stunned at how cinematically the final image was. There is almost a perfect level of visual grain from beginning to end that creates what is so missing in many of today's CGI based motion pictures. The look of film! Special effects were all done in camera and look absolutely real in 1080P high definition. The colors are rich and vibrant even considering the conditions the 1 million original feet of film was shot using now, 4 decade old techniques. Flesh tones are spot on with Blacks deep and rich though there is occasional clipping during some of the night time scenes. The Gulf Blue on the Porsches are dead accurate having seen the actual 917's at their namesake's museum in Zuffenhausen. The clarity in some shots are truly amazing in the level of detail shown and even exposing close ups (06:23) that were originally shot with the camera's zoom lens I suspect, unintentionally mis-set at its starting rack focus point. What some have described as "soft." As many times as I have seen this film, the greatly enhanced picture (at times, video bandwidth indicating 30-33 mbs+ output) allowed me to see unexpectedly, background detail that had escaped notice during my many previous viewings such as the Black paint flaking off the right windshield pillar in Delaney's Porsche (24:21) or the exposed rivets/screws in same location on the Ferrari 512's (23:23). Racecars are typically well worn devices and seeing detailing such as this adds greatly to the realism the film is attempting to create. I also noticed for the very first time, B&W portraits of both Michael Delaney (McQueen at 59.28) and his main rival driving for Ferrari in the story, Erich Stahler (Siegfried Rauch at 1:00:24) hanging on the walls (Michael to the right of the sliding entry door; Erich's to the left of where Michael sits with Lisa) of the cafeteria where McQueen has about as much dialog as there is in any one section of the entire film. If CBS/Paramount used compression, it was very slight and one never sees any halo edge effects. They allowed the transfer to breathe and the visuals certain confirm that. As impressive as the visual transfer is short of a full frame by frame restoration which means there were occasional scratches in the final print though few and far between, the new lossless 7.1 audio mix is its equal. The panning from one side of the room to the other (as well as rear to front) matching the cars going right to left on the screen was truly immersive during the driving sequences. While I wasn't expecting my subwoofer to be exercised anywhere close to Tron: Legacy, very pleasantly surprised whenever LFE was used. For someone that used to clean out record grooves with liquids and brushes before playing to minimize background noise (ticks, pops) while maximizing available dynamic range, two sections of the film truly validates the life like audio free from recording hiss offered here even when sourced from older analog masters. The first takes place at the start of the race from 25:54 when Michael closes the rear window in his 917 and one hears the rhythm of a beating heart increasing in rate until the flag is dropped to start the race (28:00). The second is a repeat of this same sonic theme after the Ferrari 512 crashes off the race course with the driver attempting to escape the pending explosion (1:08:10-1:08:47). With the noise floor so low, listen for the very subtle atmospherics throughout these and many other scenes which in a 7.1 system absolutely helps to create a sound field that has great width and depth completely enveloping the viewer. Consider it 3D for your ears and extremely effective. Overall, for the era this film came from, CBS/Paramount did an excellent and highly effective remix. In the end, what most amazed me during my nearly two hours watching Le Mans again, was how completely and unexpectedly I had been pulled back into this racing spectacle during my viewing. The clarity of an updated Blu-ray worthy transfer, a new 7.1 lossless soundtrack, the perceived shortcomings from a lack of any dialog beyond the PA announcer in the background all contributed to producing for me, Steve McQueen's vision for his film: The physical and emotional experience of actually participating as a driver in the 24 Hours of Le Mans from the comfort of one's own neighborhood (home?) theater. Isn't that ultimately, the intended purpose of every motion picture.

About three years ago, I started watching Formula 1 Racing with my husband, just to see what all the excitement was about this form of racing. What I learned was it's an intense method of car racing. It isn't just speed. It's calculating how long your tires will last. How long will the fuel last. Remembering where your corners are at (each track in each location is vastly different). And, trying not to crash your very expensive car so you can earn points for yourself and your team. The one thing I've learned about car racing, no matter which method of racing you choose, there's a lot of hubris that goes along with it. The argument is that the more you lack in humility and the more hubris you have, the better the driver. Safe driver's don't do well, and, overly cautious ones die. As in life, only the strong survive. Le Mans racing is another form of racing with it's own unique set of calculations. Le Mans is a 24-hour race. Two drivers per car, each taking turns driving and resting at 1-hour intervals. Anything and everything can happen. Driver's share with their colleagues aspects of what the car is doing, corners/turns to be wary of, and warning them of what other drivers are doing. The movie, "Le Mans" takes all of these things into consideration with the filming. Let me be very clear: do NOT compare this movie to Ron Howard's "Rush." Two different types of racing. Two different directors. While both movies revolve around the 1970's era of car racing, these movies are approached very differently. There was no CGI in 1971 when the fictitious Le Mans movie was filmed (Yes, the Le Mans race has been around since 1923, but, the movie, "Le Mans" is a fictitious race. Portions of the film are said to be taken from the actual Le Mans race that year.). The budget for this film differs vastly from budgets uses today. Steve McQueen did most of his own driving in this movie! Some of the cinematography for the 1971 "Le Mans" film was way ahead of its time. Camera angles for some of the car racing sequences make you feel like you're right there in the race with the drivers. Both "Rush" and "Le Mans" are great movies that stand alone. But, "Le Mans" is a movie that will withstand the test of time. It was a great movie in 1971. It's a great movie now. Also, "Le Mans" is rated 'G,' a General Audience rating. Some of the driving/crash sequences might be a bit much for an audience under the age of 10. There's only one sentence where McQueen's character tell someone not to be a pain in the a--. Otherwise, no swearing. It's refreshing to watch a movie where the director doesn't have to rely on CGI, nudity/sex scenes, or harsh language to sell a movie. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who is both a car racing fan, as well as a Steve McQueen fan. Enjoy

For a Blu-ray version (in DTS-HD) of a 1971 film, this is has impressive film like quality. While it’s not a 4K Ultra version, it’s definitely an improvement over the Original Widescreen version. (Dolby Digital). It does cost more than the other versions, but I found it a worthwhile investment! And I admit, I’ve always been a Steve McQueen fan…I watched it twice the 1st day!!

Great Steve McQueen movie. It is about the race. Nothing else matters.

Firstly let's discuss the disc and the picture and sound transfer. Remember this film is now over 40yrs old, but it has a timeless quality about it ,and those expecting a gripping story full of dialogue as in most other McQueen films may be disappointed. This film is from an era when the Mulsanne Straight was left fully untamed, and once competitors had cleared the SSS and Dunlop curve it was a totally brutal top speed assault to Arnage and finally Maisane Blanc. Another DVD well worth comparing to Le Man, is Derek Bells "In Car 956", which magnificently captures the speed of the Muslanne straight in the 1983 Le Man. The film gives a great feeling of what driving at the limit in a 917k was really like, and it was perfectly clear why the specially produced Porche 917 LH or Langhek long tail was so much faster. Watch the first few laps where car number 25 the one of only three 917 LH models left the standard short tailed 917K for dead. Along with the Martine liveried LH and the famous Hippie Car 917 LH, these very unstable 917 racers were built specifically for outright speed on the Muslanne straight, they were around 15mph faster than the famous Gulf liveried cars, but because of their very tail happy driving characteristics they were removed from competition, leaving the now famous 917 short tail to conquer everyone before them. Enough of the history lesson, what's the BluRay like. The film really is all about the mighty battle between the Ferrari 512 and Porche 917 with the majority of the action filmed during the 1970 Le Man race, there is really no storyline to the film other than following the race during it's 24hrs. The picture quality of the BluRay is pretty decent with the majority of the film in excellent clarity with great contrasts, but it is in the sound department that this film excells. Right at the start of the race where the clock is about to turn to 4pm the instantaneous start of engines and roar of cars racing away is tremendous. When McQueen primes his fuel pumps and flicks a few switches on the dashboard of his Gulf Porche, you can hear everything in slowmotion so to speak but the cinematography and excitement of cars hurtling down the Mulsanne straight at well over 200mph is impressive indeed,so impressive that one forgets the age of the film, it has not dated one little bit. Cameras were placed at such a close proximity to the road that the sense of speed of race cars hurtling by just feet away is mighty impressive, as is the location of cameras onboard both Porche and Ferrari. Cameras were positioned in such a way to achieve a particular shot that according to the bonus material on the disc cars became unstable at speed, but the close up shots make up for the superb camera angles of the tussle between Ferrari and Porche. Maybe it's not the kind of film you watch time and time again for a gripping story but if you enjoy motorsport of that particular era the film cannot fail. The action and car incidents when they happen are extremely realistic and one could be forgiven in thinking you were watching a modern day classic race meeting like they hold at Le Man throughout the year. A very interesting background making of the film is included as part of the extras on the disc with interviews with Derek Bell and Steve McQueens son. For all those petrolheads out there with your dreams of race driver stardom just ponder on this. Steve McQueen did the majority of the driving in the Gulf Porche himself, and once the film was over went on to own the Porche 917K that he drove in the film. During the filming Steves young son who then was around 6yrs old was allowed to attend the fiming of the race during the 1970 Le Man main race. On one occasion whilst driving the Porche, Steve McQueen noticed his son showing emense interest in what was going on, so he slowed down the car opened the drivers door to the racecar and allowed his son to sit on his lap. Off they went at restrained but still considerable speed down the main roads of Le man, and to this day McQueens son recounts the sheer ecceleration of the Porche 917K. In the bonus extra we see him relive that experience by driving the very car his father used to own, car number 20, the same one he drove in the film. Le Man still ranks as one of the classic race films and at just under £7 it represents a great way of reliving an era when Porche was dominant.

Gran película con audios extras y subtítulos en español

Moment cinéma

"Le Mans" - eine herrliche Hommage an die großvolumigen Rennsportwagen der späten 1960er/frühen 1970er Jahre, braucht jeder Motorsportfreund in seinem DVD Regal. Steve McQueen machte sich diesen Film quasi zum Geschenk, war er selbst ja ein talentierter Motorsportler. Er erreichte 1970 einen zweiten Platz mit dem 1974 verstorbenen Peter Revson bei den 12 Stunden von Sebring, inmitten eines Weltklasse-Starterfeldes. Die Rahmenhandlung des Streifens ist völlig nebensächlich, sie hat nur die Aufgabe, die vielen Rennszenen zu verbinden. McQueen spielt einen Rennfahrer namens Delaney, sein größter Rivale ist der Ferrari-Pilot Erich Stahler, dargestellt von Siegfried Rauch. Die attraktive Elga Andersen spielt die Witwe des im Jahr zuvor verunglückten Piloten Belgetti. Doch die Hauptrolle spielen in diesem Film die Rennstrecke von Le Mans, die wahnwitzigen Geschwindigkeiten jenseits der 350 km/h, die tollen Rennsportwagen wie der Ferrari 512 S, die Porsche 917 und 908, der Matra 350, Alfa Tipo 33 sowie die großen Lolas. Der Film hat nahezu dokumentarischen Charakter, wurden ja große Teile während des echten Rennens 1970 mit einem Kamerawagen aufgezeichnet. Viele Szenen wurden aber auch im Herbst nachgedreht, die Dreharbeiten waren eine Titelstory des österreichischen Automagazins "Autorevue", Ausgabe Dezember 1970. Die Fahraufnahmen sind atemberaubend, die Geschwindigkeit kommt sehr gut für den Zuseher rüber. Nicht verwunderlich, war Motorsportler McQueen nicht für irgendwelche Verwässerungen der Rennatmosphäre zugunsten filmischer Erfordernisse zu haben. Was ein Pluspunkt für Motorsportfreunde darstellt, jedoch ist "Le Mans" deshalb auch kein im strengen Sinne "guter" Film, wenn man darunter eine Reihe von Charakterdarstellern, ausgefeilte Dialoge und komplizierte Handlung versteht. Mir als Freund des Motorsports macht dies nichts aus, aber es sollten diejenigen gewarnt werden, die dem Motorsport wenig bis nichts abgewinnen können. Für sie ist dieser Film wohl uninteressant. Dennoch kommt in den wnigen Szenen mit Elga Andersen ein wenig vom Verlorenheitsgefühl der Rennfaherfrauen der damaligen Ära durch. Eine Zeit, in der Rennsport weit gefährlicher war als heute und in jeder Rennsaison mindestens ein Fahrer sein Leben auf den Rundkursen lassen musste. Auch der jazzig-orchestrale Soundtrack des Films ist gelungen. Die Bild/Tonqualität der DVD ist gut. Auf meinem Full HD Sony Screen war die Bildschärfe guter DVD Standard, die Farben schön satt und kräftig. Ton, obschon es in dem Film ja nur sher spärlich Dialog gibt, rauschfrei. Jedoch: keinerlei Extras. Als Motorsportfan kann ich nur 5 Punkte vergeben.

Ce film possède sans doute les images, de courses automobiles (les 24 h du mans!!!) et d'accidents, les plus impressionnantes et les plus réalistes vu au cinéma, toutes époques confondues. Ce film fait jeu égal avec GRAND PRIX de John FRANKENHEIMER avec le coté hyper réaliste en plus(oublions le calamiteux DRIVEN et le moyen MICHEL VAILLANT). Je ne reviendrais pas sur le scénario qui ne sert qu'à remplir les blancs entre chaque course. Parlons du bluray, eh bien il est superbe, jugez : -Image : précise, très bonne définition et couleurs vraiment éclatantes (oubliez le master sombre et poussièreux du DVD). LE MANS a bénéficié d'une vraie remasterisation. La scène du départ de la course est bluffante et on a l'impression d'être au coeur de la piste (l'effet HD dans toute sa splendeur!!). Un transfert splendide, peut-être pas aussi bluffant qu'un PATTON ou un APOCALYPSE NOW, mais vraiment réussi. - Son : La VO est en DTS HD 7.1!!! Et ça se voit, ou plutôt s'entend!! C'est une totale immersion au coeur des courses donnant le frisson où l'on sent les voitures concurrentes s'approcher ou nous frôler . Effets multi-directionnels garantis!! La VF mono en comparaison est plate, criarde et sans saveur. De plus le doublage français est une calamitée car Mc QUEEN parle avec un accent américain caricatural. A oubliez, pour une fois préférez la VO!! - Bonus : cette édition possède une making of rétrospectif passionnant (22mn) retraçant l'incroyable défi technique que représentait ce film à l'époque (dans l'utilisation de multiples caméras pour une même scène par ex), indispensable!! Egalement la traditionelle bande annonce du film. Bref une très bonne édition HD à posséder par tous les fans de courses automobiles immersives et spectaculaires. A vous de voir.