We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›
This December 25, the long-awaited biopic of Enzo Ferrari will hit U.S. theaters. The movie’s new trailer already shows the price of admission will be worth it, even if you’re just there to hear the cars.
Automotive sound design is a tricky, complex process that even car-centric media tends to get wrong to this day. Every piece of a car makes a unique noise, from the induction to the transmission to the exhaust, and it can be difficult to capture the nuance of each component. It’s easy to understand, then, why even big-budget Hollywood movies and AAA racing games can still flub car sound design. We’ve pretty much come to expect the cars to sound mediocre. And that’s why the sound in the Ferrari trailer is so special, because it sounds like it was done by people who care.
The noise of these iconic Ferraris was revealed to be a crucial part of production in an interview with Michael Mann, the film’s director. Mann was wowed at a young age by a Ferrari 275 GTB, so admiration for Maranello’s creations runs deep in him, and recreating how they sound was vital to the movie. The cars themselves, though, seem to be mostly props for bringing alive the background of Mann’s film about Il Commendatore‘s darkest days.
As outlined in that same interview, the movie will take place during the Summer of 1957, when almost every aspect of Enzo Ferrari’s life was on the ropes. His company is in trouble, his racing drivers are being killed in crashes, his marriage is strained, and he’s still grieving the loss of his young son the year before. It all comes to a head at the trans-Italian road rally, the Mille Miglia, which sees a brutal disaster claim the lives of both a competitor and bystanders.
You can spoil how it unfolds for yourself, or you can wait until December 25 when Ferrari hits theaters. Christmas may be too special a day to dampen with a heavy movie though, so perhaps it’s best to save it for the run-up to the new year, no?
Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach them here: james@thedrive.com
