Spotlight Entertainment presents ‘Lamborghini – The Man Behind the Legend’ a journey through the founding years of supercar royalty and the makings of the man who aimed for nothing but the best and most beautiful.
The film begins in the picturesque region of Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy. The Second World War has ended and Ferruccio Lamborghini is finally back home with his friend Matteo. We follow Ferruccio as he struggles to create his dream of a superior yet affordable tractor for the post-war revitalisation that Italy so badly needed.
Rushed To The Deadline
Set through three chapters, the first is dominated by a young Ferruccio, his loving wife Clelia and best friend Matteo. In truth, this period alone has enough drama and excitement for a feature film in its own right but ‘Lamborghini – The Man Behind the Legend’ unfortunately isn’t able to translate any of this into its opening chapter.
A young Ferruccio shows some passion and enthusiasm that the legendary car maker surely had, the film quickly settles into a twisting tale of clichés mixed with strong highlights.
The film is interspersed with a rivalry that Ferruccio Lamborghini, and the company that bears his name, have had since its inception, that with Enzo Ferrari. Already the leading name in luxury motoring for most of the 20th century, the undisputed king of the road, Ferrari is the benchmark.
From Tractor to Track
The very reason for Lamborghini’s creation, as we see in the film, is due to Lamborghini’s belief that his tractor clutches are the answer to making a Ferrari the complete automobile. Enzo Ferrari, true enough to life, delivers his iconic repost that farmers should stick to farming.
By this time, chapter one has ended with the tragic death of Ferruccio’s beloved wife Clelia who passed away while giving birth to Tonino Lamborghini. This was the last moment of the film that successfully portrayed real emotion and was very sad to watch.
The excitement, passion, drive and fervour that must have been around Lamborghini and his factory at this time was surely a thing to behold. The intensity of the workload to get a vehicle, of such a high standard, ready in such a short space of time must have been exhilarating.
Lacking in Depth
We are still left to wonder how it must have truly felt as the film yet again fails to convey the true depth, leaving us with admittedly pleasant visuals but a script that could well have been explored deep into the real story.
The car, however, is a great success, unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show to rapturous applause and a sour-faced Enzo Ferrari.
The iconic Miura is born from the successes of the Geneva Motor Show’s Lamborghini 350 GT. Here the film really begins to hint at the impact and influence that bulls, matadors and bullfighting have had and continue to have on Lamborghini. We see Ferruccio at an art gallery, looking at photographs of iconic bulls. Inspired by their grace and power, he decides to name his next car, Miura, after the bull breeder and his breed of famous fighting bulls.
La Macchina
It’s a trend that has continued with Lamborghini throughout their history, the vast majority of their vehicles being influenced by the world of bullfighting in some way with the iconic Lamborghini badge showing a snarling bull, ready to charge.
Throughout the film, we see Ferruccio in a physical race with Enzo Ferrari. Their flagship cars of the 80’s screaming through the deserted streets of Italy. Ferruccio is angry, steely in his determination to get ahead of Ferrari, yet Enzo seems slightly more serene. Often neck and neck or the Ferrari slightly ahead when suddenly the Lamborghini Countach comes screaming to a halt, brakes locked and squirreling sideways. Enzo tears off into the distance and it’s here that Ferruccio’s race is run. With the oil crisis of the 1970s and Lamborghini’s unionised workforce, he was unable to continue to keep Automobili Lamborghini a viable business and made the decision to sell the controlling share of the company.
A Story Bursting With Emotion
The film ends with dinner, Ferruccio and his son Tonino, the author of the biography on which the story is based. Clearly a changed man, older and no longer absorbed by rivalries and desires to be the greatest but seemingly isolated and introverted, unlike his younger self.
Perhaps this is an ending befitting Lamborghini – The Man Behind The Legend, a lifeless and uninterested Ferruccio drained of the passion and vigour that he was famous for, it’s a film that fails to encapsulate a story bursting with emotion. The dedication, commitment and aspirations of everyone involved with Lamborghini during this period fail to be truly recognised and everything ultimately culminates in a film not befitting of the great name, Lamborghini.
