DVD Corner

1 Blu-ray Review

“1” is an engrossing documentary.

“1” is a documentary film about Formula 1 Grand Prix racing that covers a lot of ground. Structurally, it’s all over the place as it digs into the history (and business) of racing, the evolution of motor vehicles, the life of a driver, the glaring safety concerns of the past, and the deaths that have occurred over the years. The film is comprised of narration by Michael Fassbender, photographs, reenactments, interviews with designers, drivers, and journalists such as Martin Brundle, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, John Watson, Mario Andretti, Jackie Stewart, and Lewis Hamilton, and a dazzling amount of of archival news and racing footage from various eras and races across the globe.

As someone who has zero interest in watching people race around in circles, I was shocked to find that “1” was such a compelling movie. What could have been a mere love letter to the immensely popular international sport was instead an unflinching look at the history of F1. While the docu does indeed cover the sport’s rabid fanbase and the racing league’s success, the heart of the film is about people. Whether we’re learning about inspiring stories of icons such as Juan Manuel Fagio, Michael Schumacher, Graham Hill, Jochen Rindt, James Hunt, and Niki Lauda or getting tearful tales of racers like Ayrton Senna and Jim Clark who died on the track, the documentary is about the dreams, desires, skills, and bravery of these racers. You may be baffled as to why the racers constantly lived life on the edge, but you will understand that they were nothing if not passionate about their job. These racers found their calling (as it were) and it’s that notion that makes “1” worth watching.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.78:1 1080p. How does it look? Predictably, the film varies in quality as there is a ton of archival footage as well as many newly shot interviews.

Audio Track: Dolby TrueHD 5.1. How does it sound? From the engine roars to the interviews, this track delivers.

The only extras are trailers for Millennium Entertainment titles.

February 28, 2015 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | 1 Blu-ray Review, Formula 1, Racing