Lizzy's Film Reviews

《決戰終點線》是很有趣的組合──它抓住了賽車的刺激與精采，同時又有細膩的角色描寫。所以不喜歡賽車的朋友別擔心，你還是會覺得這部片非常好看。它在車道上或賽車場外都提供了足夠的元素讓觀眾全神貫注觀賞本片。

70年代，Niki Lauda﹝Daniel Brühl﹞是法拉利車隊的F1車手，個性務實，講究精準，而他的主要競爭對手，是McLaren車隊的James Hunt﹝Chris Hemsworth﹞，花名在外，惡習不少，做事隨興，魅力十足，與Lauda是完全不同的典型。本片主要描述1976年賽季這兩位車手的賽況消長，以及一場嚴重車禍如何改變這兩名車手的心態。



在進入主線故事之前，本片先花了點時間鋪陳這兩人入行的過程與生活態度，這些細節為他們後來的大小決定奠定了基礎，最終本片讓觀眾思考的是：成功是什麼？什麼才應該是讓人想成功的驅動力？如何面對逆境與失敗？每個人的想法當然都不同，沒有標準答案，電影也沒選邊站，一切交給觀眾思考。



本片編劇Peter Morgan擅長於描述兩位個性不同者的對手戲：像是《黛妃與女皇》(The Queen)裡的伊莉莎白女王與首相布萊爾、《請問總統先生》(Frost/Nixon)裡的尼克森總統與David Frost等等。《決戰終點線》也不例外。Lauda的一切都要精準計算，對於賽車本身恐怕並不是那麼享受，而是喜歡成功與其帶來的金錢與勝利感，他連「戀愛結婚後變得比較怕死」也多多少少是計算過的結果──因為現在有"something to lose"所以要更珍惜生命；Hunt則是想做什麼就做什麼的人，追求的是當下的刺激，真心享受每一場比賽。



這些個人特質與背景的鋪陳之後，接續到關鍵的1976年賽季，種種驚人的轉折令人神經緊繃，如果你跟我一樣完全不知當年的結果﹝事實上我之前連這兩位車手名字都沒聽過﹞，看片前千萬別去google，在不知情的狀況下看最刺激。

有趣的是這看似南轅北轍的兩人，原本討厭對方，但在幾度交手後，雖仍不同意對方的人生態度，但卻產生某種互敬。而且仔細想想，這兩人其實也沒那麼不同──他們同樣充滿自信與衝勁，都有追求成功的強烈動力。或許有些我們第一眼討厭的人，在深入認識之後也會有不同的觀感。



除了有趣的角色研究與對比以外，在技術方面，本片水準也很高，車輛競爭、碰撞的各種效果與攝影很精彩，賽車上裝攝影機的點顯然都有仔細思考過，剪接流暢緊湊，配樂震撼人心，音效剪輯很棒，整體說來算是每一方面都很優秀的作品。



演員部分，「雷神索爾」Chris Hemsworth非常適合本片的花花公子角色，陽光的笑容、搖滾巨星的外貌，再加上看起來隨和好相處的個性，第一眼就讓人﹝尤其女性觀眾﹞感受到他的吸引力。另一位主角Niki Lauda就比較複雜些，他的嚴肅個性令人有距離感，並不討喜，但Daniel Brühl的表演讓這個角色充滿尊嚴與人性，越看到後面，就更讓人對他產生敬意。當年Daniel Brühl原本很有獲得奧斯卡最佳男配角提名的聲勢，沒想到意外沒有入圍，實在可惜，只能說去年競爭太激烈了，希望Brühl再接再厲囉。



《決戰終點線》是導演朗霍華近年來最精彩的作品，還沒看過的朋友可別錯過了。

***
經典對白：
***

Niki Lauda: A wise man can learn more from his enemies than a fool from his friends.

***

James Hunt: The closer you are to death, the more alive you feel. It's a wonderful way to live. It's the only way to drive.

***

Niki Lauda: Of course he didn't listen to me. For James, one world title was enough. He had proved what he needed to prove. To himself and anyone who doubted him. And two years later, he retired. When I saw him next in London, seven years later, me as a champion again, him as broadcaster, he was barefoot on a bicycle with a flat tire, still living each day like his last. When I heard he died age 45 of a heart attack, I wasn't surprised. I was just sad. People always think of us as rivals but he was among the very few I liked and even fewer that I respected. He remains the only person I envied.

***

Niki Lauda: Happiness is your biggest enemy. It weakens you. Puts doubts in your mind. Suddenly you have something to lose.

***

James Hunt: Yes, I was. I admit it. I was prepared to die to beat you that day. And that's the effect you have on me. You'd pushed me that far. And it felt great. I mean, hell, isn't that we're in this for? To stare death in the face, and to cheat it? Come on, there's nobility in that. It's... it's like being knights.

Niki Lauda: You English, you're such assholes. You know my position. Twenty percent risk.

James Hunt: No, no, no, Niki, don't bring the percentages into this. Don't be a pro. The minute you do that, you kill what's good about this. You kill the sport.

***

(Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures)