Le Mans

Le Mans.
1971 Cinema Center Films; distributed to DVD by Paramount and CBS DVD.
Starring: Steve McQueen
Director: Lee H. Katzin
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Steve McQueen is Michael Delaney, a participant in the famous 24-hour race taking place in Le Mans, France. The year before, Delaney was involved in a crash during that year's race, which killed driver Piero Belgetti. Piero's widow Lisa (Elga Andersen) is attending this year's race, supporting another driver named Claude Aurac, but she is just cheering for him as a friend, and there's no romantic link. Not so coincidentally, both Aurac and Delaney have accidents in the thirteenth hour of the race, so close together that they appear to be linked.

Lisa finds herself drawn to Delaney, the very driver who was in the accident that killed her husband. She wishes Michael would quit racing because of the danger, but he's addicted to the rush that comes with it. Delaney re-enters the race after another driver is taken out by his team manager for not being "quick enough". This driver, Johann Ritter, is also grappling with the decision on whether to cease racing to please his wife.

This movie used a great deal of footage from the actual race in June of 1970, which McQueen is alleged to have secretly participated in after being denied permission by his producers (his car, a Porsche 908, finished ninth). One driver, David Piper, crashed while filming a stunt, losing a leg. He was thanked "for his sacrifice" in the credits.

Recommended, particularly for Steve McQueen fans.