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As you observe the interior of Michael Mann’s office, located in an unremarkable building in downtown Los Angeles, it becomes evident that his latest film centers around a specific subject. A glass display case on the windowsill contains a miniature version of a vibrant red Ferrari, while a shelf behind his desk proudly showcases a collection of books about the esteemed Italian car brand. In fact, Mann is the owner of two of these books himself.
Mann explains that what initially attracted him to Ferrari and kept him there for many years is its unique ability to reflect the true nature of life and humanity. He believes that Ferrari stands out in this aspect, as it captures the essence of how life truly operates.
Sitting at his table, wearing grey sweatpants and a black V-neck shirt, he exudes a tense energy. His complexion is light, with speckles of freckles on his arms; his eyes, visible through his wire-framed glasses, are a grey-blue color and have the sharp gaze of a bird. While talking, he fidgets with his hands or gestures gracefully in the air. When making a point, he lightly taps the glass surface of the table with his fingers.
Mann, who was born in Chicago in 1943 to a Jewish family that had moved from Russia, recently turned 80 and remains in great physical condition due to his daily exercise routine. He jokingly mentions that he became an atheist at the age of 11, but his family still holds strong ties to their cultural heritage and traditions. In fact, he spent the weekend before our interview celebrating Yom Kippur with his loved ones.
Growing up in Chicago had a profound impact on Mann’s character and accent, which he still maintains today. The city’s gritty atmosphere served as the backdrop for his films, including his fast-paced neo-noir debut Thief and his biopic of bank robber John Dillinger, Public Enemies. According to Mann, there is a certain cynical humor that comes with urban life in Chicago, influenced by its robust and tough history. He found inspiration in the city’s organized crime history, which he describes as Shakespearean. During his time at university, Mann worked various jobs, including construction and driving taxis, which exposed him to the industrial wastelands of Chicago that he found poetic in their windswept nature.
Set in Modena, Italy, with lavish historical sets, Mann’s new film, Ferrari, is worlds away from Chicago. It is his first release in eight years and tells the story of Enzo Ferrari when his business was on its knees and his marriage unravelling. Adam Driver stars as the suave Italian car manufacturer with Penélope Cruz playing his wife, Laura. Their relationship is the heart of the film, more so even than the lipstick-red vehicles with which Mann has long been enamoured, and the director does a brilliant job of taking us inside its emotional landscape.
The initial draft of Ferrari was penned three decades ago by English writer Troy Kennedy Martin, known for his work on The Italian Job and the popular police series Z Cars set in Liverpool. Director Mann recalls that the script was written in the early 90s but underwent changes to reach its current form. Despite this, he credits Kennedy Martin for the core elements that make the screenplay successful. Mann was personally acquainted with Kennedy Martin, who sadly passed away in 2009. During his time in London, where he studied film and produced his first TV commercials, Mann also became a fan of Z Cars, an acclaimed British show from the same era as Cathy Come Home.
The process of adapting the script into a movie was lengthy and complicated. According to Mann, he took on the script early on and worked on it while under a contract with Disney in the 1990s. He then held the option for a few years. Each time he considered abandoning the project, he would revisit the script and recognize its unique potential, prompting him to keep working on it.
“It was possible for me to produce this film as a low-budget, independent project for $25-30 million, but that approach would not have been suitable,” he adds. “In the American market, racing films were not seen as profitable ventures.”
The change in his perspective can be attributed to his Netflix documentary series. He credits the show, “Drive to Survive,” for the recent rise in popularity of Formula One in the US. He believes that now is the perfect opportunity to pursue this new venture.
Mann revised the screenplay, clarifying some of the initial uncertainties, and filmed the movie on site in Italy during the summer and fall of 2022. In certain aspects, it deviates from Mann’s usual style. Ferrari possesses a mournful tone. There is no trace of the rawness and brutality often present in his other works. However, Mann identified familiar themes within it, particularly what critic Scott Foundas described as “existential tragedies in urban settings”. Mann’s protagonists are typically isolated individuals, struggling against society.
Enzo Ferrari shares similar qualities with others. At the beginning of the movie, he is dealing with personal and financial difficulties. His cars are not selling well, and his marriage to Laura is falling apart due to his secret affair. Director Mann explains, “The conflicts within and between the characters were very compelling to me. Enzo had a logical mindset, evident in his precise handwriting and immaculate factory. But in his personal life, it was the complete opposite – driven by his desires and chaotic. While most of us may question our actions, Enzo’s mentality was more like ‘why not?’ This contrasting dynamic struck a chord with me, as it reflects the unpredictability of life.”
Mann explains that he was not interested in a long biopic, instead focusing on a compressed period of time – the summer of 1957. He believes that lengthy biopics are better suited for documentaries on the History Channel and do not tend to work well as films. In this four-month timeframe, all the significant events in Enzo’s life collide. Similarly, the film’s setting in Modena, a city known for hand-crafted Ferraris since 1929, is also condensed. Mann notes that everything in the film takes place within a 500-meter radius, with locations such as the barber shop, hotel, and opera all in close proximity. Enzo himself preferred to stay within this small area and even stopped attending races and leaving the country. Thus, the challenge was to make this compressed neighborhood feel realistic and believable as the primary location for the film’s action.
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Mann is renowned for his ability to pair actors, such as Madeleine Stowe and Daniel Day-Lewis in The Last of the Mohicans, or Russell Crowe and Al Pacino in The Insider. He has once again achieved this with Adam Driver and Penélope Cruz. Despite being much younger than the 59-year-old Enzo Ferrari in the film, Driver’s makeup and hair dye convincingly make him look older. Mann praises Driver, stating that he was impressed by his previous work and after meeting him at the Chateau Marmont in LA, he knew he could play Ferrari due to his courage, honesty, sensitivity, and strength.
Cruz’s character, Laura, is portrayed as the long-suffering counterpart to the protagonist. Unlike the usual luminous beauty played by Cruz, Laura is depicted as angry, morose, and deeply troubled. Mann describes her as a “ferocious revelation” who channels a sense of judgment from ancient northern Italian tribes. Her appearance also reflects her character, with wider hips and orthopedic devices in her shoes to give her a distinctive gait. Despite this, Mann had to constantly mess up her hair and apply makeup because Penélope Cruz is naturally stunning without any enhancements.
This movie is not like Rush or Ford v Ferrari, as it is solely focused on the excitement and danger of motor racing. Unlike those films, Ferrari delves into the emotions and thoughts of its characters, rather than just the technical aspects of racing. However, Mann still manages to create intense and captivating competition scenes. He confesses, “I have always been drawn to speed. First on motorcycles, and then in cars. It’s a meditative experience: it’s just me, myself, and I, completely immersed in the moment underneath my helmet. Everything else fades away. It’s a spectacular feeling. And even though I may be going 100mph, it feels like slow motion.”
The vintage Ferraris featured in the film are also prominent characters, as director Mann was determined to capture the powerful engine noise. With the assistance of Nick Mason, Pink Floyd’s drummer and classic car enthusiast, Mann ensured authenticity in the sound. “The Ferraris have a unique and captivating sound. It’s like music,” beams Mann. “We made sure to record the actual sound of the cars during post-production. The Maserati driven by Berra in the beginning is owned by Mason and we placed 10 microphones throughout the car to capture the sound while driving in conditions similar to those in the film.” To achieve the desired reverberation of the engine noise, Mann had the cars drive through an abandoned railroad tunnel, capturing the sound as it bounced off the walls.
The high point of the movie is the Mille Miglia race, which was first held in 1927. Enzo was determined to win it, hoping it would revive his struggling brand. The intense scenes during the race are some of the most gripping moments in the film, possibly because they occur at night. Mann often uses the shadows and reflections of the city at night to create a sense of unease in his films, such as Collateral and Miami Vice. In his acclaimed 1995 crime drama Heat, there is a famous scene where a helicopter follows getaway cars through a maze of brightly lit skyscrapers. “I have a romantic sensibility,” says Mann. “I simply enjoy filming at night.”
Similar to the renowned directors Ridley Scott and Martin Scorsese, Michael Mann continues to thrive in his craft without any signs of slowing down. While filming Ferrari, he also collaborated on a novel that serves as a follow-up to Heat, quickly becoming a top seller on the New York Times list. His upcoming film, Heat 2, will revisit the original story as both a prequel and sequel, with Driver taking on a leading role. When asked about his thoughts on mortality, he simply smiles and responds, “Not really. As you reach a certain point in life, you realize you must take control, or gravity will take control of you.”
Ferrari is in cinemas from Boxing Day.
Source: theguardian.com
