The goal of art is to affect the viewer. It wants to move us. The feeling of being moved and affected is a universal trait among the movies I have covered so far. They all achieve their goal through different means. Some films like Whiplash, which I discussed in my last post, do so intellectually. Others, like Dead Poets Society in my first, make you think while tugging on your emotional heartstrings. Sometimes, however, a movie attempts to move past the domain of realism to strike at the very heart of our emotions. They show us what we're feeling rather than tell us what we should be feeling. One film that falls into this third category is the 2008 film Speed Racer.
Speed Racer follows the exploits of the driver Speed Racer (yes it's very on the nose) as he battles his way through the cutthroat world of professional racing with his family; battling ruthless executives and fellow racers alike on the way. Racer (Emile Hirsch) is an idealist who does what he does for the love of the sport, attaining excellence through his talent and sheer desire to be the best. His journey is one of emotional highs and lows which culminates in the finale of racing in the Grand Prix.
My love for this movie comes from two key things. Firstly is the joy it brought me growing up, a fast and fun movie in which 7 year old me had a great time. The second aspect came as a result of rewatching this film a few years ago. The films visual decisions with scene transitions and the race sequences are exceptionally unique to watch in 2023, and often feel more dynamic than the technically "better" films that are produced today. Oftentimes what is shown on screen is not realistic, or it defies physics or expectations. Instead, the goal of the action shown on screen is to carry the energy and emotional weight of scenes while being unburdened by the laws of what is realistic.
The best sequence of this film, indeed one of my favorite scenes in any film, comes at the end of Speed's final race in the Grand Prix. Throughout this four minute clip, most of the race is shot in a way that feels detached from the race itself. That's because it is not about the result of the race, or how Speed maneuvers his way through his opponents. What matters is the emotional truth of the scene, which is distilled down into flashbacks and visuals completely separate from the normal view that most would show of the situation. Seeing this sequence never fails to make me swell with emotion. Watching the battles Speed has endured throughout the various conflicts of the film showcases his growth and character arc with an understanding of emotional storytelling most media simply lacks.
This film is not perfect. No art is. It's not for everyone. Instead, this film dares to see beyond the world around us to showcase the feelings and moments it wants us to take away. It aims directly into the imagination and dares us to feel a little deeper. That dare alone has earned it its place on my Rushmore.
Hello Jacob, Excellent work on this blog. The introduction does a great job of building difficulty. The discussion of being moved and the forms in which films can move you are universal. The whole reason that people watch movies is to escape their reality. Films achieve this by affecting the audience emotionally for the viewer to be engrossed by the film. In the case of Speed Racer, I relished the language you used to examine the emotions of the scene and how the main focus is the emotional storytelling rather than the logic of the scenes.
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