We want to dominate

Ford vs Ferrari (2019)

The Ford Motor Company is said to be masters in taking up challenges. In its giant plant, Willow Plant with its one-mile-long assembling line, the company managed to produce B-24 Liberator bombers at the rate of one plane per hour. This was their contribution to the World War 2 efforts to liberate the American soil and their European cousins from tyranny. The company established a reputation for themselves as "the arsenal of democracy" by transforming their production lines to make aeroplanes, tanks and trucks for the armies that defeated Adolf Hitler. They were a pioneer of sorts as women worked in the assembly line and were paid equal wages with men. It, wittingly or unwittingly, to also become "the arsenal of fascism." for its substantial business deals in Nazi Germany. But that is another story for another time.

By the end of WW2, Henry Ford's grandson, Henry Ford II had taken over Ford Motors. He adopted an aggressive business style. When his bid to buy over Ferrari met a dead end, he went ballistic. He made his personal mission to show his dominance in the motor industry.

In the early sixties, Ferrari was overrunning the racing tracks. For six years, back to back, from 1960 to 1965, it won the Le Mans 24 hours endurance race. 

Ford II, through his agents, went on a headhunt to recruit the best racers to beat Ferrari in Le Mans and show them who the boss was. That is where this film fits in. It narrates the story of two American racers - Ken Miles and Carroll Shelby- in a dramatic twist which saw Ford Motor Company finish the Le Man Race in a podium finish.

This film is not just a run-of-mill offering that depicts the expected David vs Goliath scenario where David comes out tops despite all the disadvantages, and everybody is happy. It offers much more than that. The characters are rich. The chemistry between Miles, a war veteran British émigré who is a lowly mechanic because of his short fuse, and Shelby, a sports car salesman who himself was a race winner, is phenomenal.

What makes it more interesting is the controversy surrounding the final outcome of the race and the mystery surrounding Miles' crash during practice at the end of the film.

They say jealousy and greed are unfavourable traits. Clearly, this is not always the case. Many innovative inventions and groundbreaking feats have been achieved through our rapacious desire to dominate and tower over our fellow brothers. 

For background on the history behind the story, see https://time.com/5730536/ford-v-ferrari-true-story/.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

There was a time...

Thank you EsKaySK for sharing this.

The building of cars has come a long ways from the early days of Ford Motor Co.

This shows how large Ford really was. Unfortunately, everything in this world has a shelf life. Massive empires which never thought the sun would ever set on them actually saw twilight. Kings who claimed to have to have found the elixir of mortality only fell folly to their own foolhardy. Like Flint Town in Michigan which was looking into prosperous times when General Motors decided to build its plant here. It used to be the postcode that everyone wanted their lovely home to be. Look at it now. With the relocation of automobile plants and the slump in the American car industry, melancholy seems to be the order of the day. It has become a ghost town with no economic activity and lawlessness prevail in the greater part of the town.

These pictures are of Detroit, another of the numerous American cities in the same boat. What would you if you are an inmate of such a city. Would you choose exclusiveness, keeping everything as 'American' as it used to be in the good old days or choose inclusiveness and lose out all opportunities to foreigners or factories overseas?

The test of faith

A friend whom I know was complaining to me recently. I know him as a faithful servant of a temple. He spends most of his precious free time doing chores at a temple with the believe that he was doing his bit to keep the faith going. He was hoping that his little deeds, will keep the seed of his religion going. His conviction was further strengthened when an offspring came into the picture after many futile attempts of medical intervention at fertility. He was compelled to accept that that produce was indeed divine in origin but not the immaculate type!

Tmn Connaught to Angkasapuri

Hence, his journey into the Divine deepened. He felt that he had to give his life and soul trying to live up the messages imbibed in the good Books. Within the confines of his abode and the surroundings of his place of worship, living it up to the teachings were no brainer. Everyone visiting the house of God naturally became well behaved. He had control of the behaviour of his family members in his household too.

But... Once he sets his foot out of his comfort zone, things turn combative. One familiar driving around the city would agree that it is a war zone out there and all human decency is drained out once one starts the ignition. Any little iota of civility and courtesy goes out of the window the moment the driver places his posterior on the seat. Scouring for a place to park the vehicle awakens the cannibalistic gene of our long lost ancestors. And get a slight scratch on your hard-earned horsepower and lose your sanity.

Sea of patience. Cubaan!

With all these challenges, I can understand why my friend complains that all his dharma and deeds at the temple is nullified. As much as he can, he tries to fall the teachings of the sages to practise patience, tolerance and the art of giving rather than taking in all his daily ventures, as mere mortal, he failed at all levels. His faith is tested on a daily basis. Maybe the learned mystics and wise men never had to brave the KL traffic. Karma is neither instant nor slow. Rules are made to broken.The guardians placed to protect turn predators to feed on hapless occupants of lower rung of the food chain.

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For a legendary car chase...

The French Connection (1971)

The one thing that everyone remembers about this movie is the mind boggling ground shattering rubber burning metal clanging car chase off the streets of Brooklyn to stop a crook on a train. At that time, the scene of a shot taken low from the driver eye level was revolutionary. 

The rest of the story is hardly memorable as it is the run of the mill procedural cop and robber drama with 2 dedicated cops (Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider) who went beyond the call of duty and biological duty to nab French drug smugglers and their associates based on instincts against the orders of their superiors.

As the attraction in the early 70s was fast car chases and daring stunts, this movie went to nab many accolades in the acting, technical, and direction categories for that year.