The pressure was on for director Michael Mann and his team as they prepared to film a violent car crash scene from the 1957 Mille Miglia race for their upcoming film Ferrari. Cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt detailed the meticulous planning and execution of the stunt, emphasizing that they only had one shot at it. The special effects team rigged a self-driving car capable of hitting the desired speed, launching into the air, and tumbling before landing in a ditch. Six cameras were employed to capture the stunt from various angles to ensure they got the shot they needed.
The film, based on the biography Enzo Ferrari: The Man, the Cars, the Races, the Machine, was predominantly filmed in and around the Italian city of Modena, the birthplace of the renowned automaker and played in the film by Adam Driver. The movie delves into Ferrari’s personal life as well as his professional racing career, including the fatal Mille Miglia crash that claimed a driver’s life, his navigator, and the lives of 10 spectators.
Mann’s rigorous research for the crash scene involved studying race footage from real-life incidents such as a fatal crash from Le Mans during the early 1950s. Messerschmidt noted that the director wanted the scene to be covered in an observational manner, almost like a newsreel, to capture both the brutal reality of the crash and the way it would be depicted. Weeks of testing with various cars and weights were conducted to ensure the car would tumble and land in the precise location required.
The practical stunt was supplemented with visual effects to place the spectators in the scene, and the team even utilized weighted dummies to accurately depict the positioning of people during the crash. In addition, the visual style of the film was carefully curated, with two distinct aesthetics – a painterly look for Ferrari’s personal story and a more aggressive camera approach for the racing sequences, creating a visceral and high-energy experience for the audience.
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Ferrari also stands out as one of the first films to be shot with Sony’s Venice 2 camera and prototypes of the Rialto 2 extension system, affording the filmmakers the freedom to place the sensor in smaller spaces and experiment with new and dynamic camera movements.
When capturing scenes depicting Ferrari’s relationships with his wife and mistress, Messerschmidt emphasized that Mann wanted a more classical approach, emulating Italian Renaissance painting with a patient and artistic look. The DP meticulously researched the artistic styles of painters such as Caravaggio, Tintoretto, Titian, and Rembrandt, incorporating their influence into the visual representation of the personal aspects of the film.
The visual style of Ferrari represents a seamless blend of practical stunts, visual effects, and cutting-edge technology, providing audiences with a unique and multi-dimensional viewing experience. With its release scheduled for Dec. 25, the film promises to transport viewers into the thrilling and dramatic world of Enzo Ferrari and his iconic racing legacy.
