Steve McQueen captures a moment in history...

Only the presence of Steve McQueen could have accomplished this amazing documentary of the event that started endurance racing. If you are a fan of Steve's work, a car person, a race fan or a person looking for a "book-mark" in history this is for you. Only the persona of a man like Steve could of fused the studios, the French government, the ACO (promoters of the event) and dozens of the finest drivers of the day, including drivers that to this day their records are yet to be broken into a film that even today stands alone. To have earned the respect of Porsche to add their assistance in a big way and the cooperation of Scuderia Ferrari and so many others shows the respect this charismatic American actor/racer had earned during his career. While todays Le Mans 24 hours is much different event this movie captures the flavor and drama of the spectacle. In the big color program of the 2005 event paid homage to McQueens bringing the event to a much larger audience.

Great to have on DVD

The quintessential Steve McQueen racing movie. Brings back a time long past in the international racing arena. Spectacular cinematography and shivering night shots. Highly recommended.

True to the event

There's no cutthroat, classless "win at all costs" attitude evoked by the participants in the race here. Those who walk away (and those injured) carry a sense of honor knowing they've done the best they could. Anything less just isn't good enough in this honorable cast. It's all in this movie, with a sense of realism not seen in this genre. Beautiful, simple images of the French countryside and culture merge in the setting and people surrounding the race. To so convincingly squeeze 24 hours (including tedium) as a statement of this unique event is a thrilling experience.