MovieChat Forums > Rush (2013) Discussion > Who did you admire more, Hunt or Lauda?

Who did you admire more, Hunt or Lauda?

posted 11 years ago by Manifest_12
72 replies | jump to latest

Judging by their characters in the movie, who did you like/admire/identify with more, Hunt or Lauda? Here's my brief breakdown of the two from my observations:

JAMES HUNT: Impulsive, hotheaded, likes to enjoy himself (with parties, ladies, drink, racing, etc), brash, competitive, fiery.

NIKI LAUDA: Methodical, distant, prickly, intellectual, loner, desires excellence (even at the expense of enjoying himself), demanding on himself and others.

James races for the thrill of the race, the danger, and the prizes, where Niki races because he's good at it, it makes money and that's his element.

Both characters have their own way of being an A-hole. I don't think one was more humble than the other. James is a bad boy. Lauda is a machine. Judging by the movie, I don't envy either of their personal lives; where James is wild and superficial, Niki is cold and robotic. (Happiness is the enemy?) I think both belong on the track.

I give my vote to:

NIKI LAUDA

He displays a lot more control than James. His steely intellect earned my admiration early in the film. His "no-BS" straight talk means his insults are unmitigated and he'll trash you without remorse, but at the same time it means his compliments are genuine. Both men are tough, but Lauda is made of metal. Lauda was brave enough to refuse his inheritance and gamble on his dream of being a F1 driver. He was more level-headed and precise, and very disciplined.

I'll admit James had a better handle on how to live his life when not on the track, at least when he's not binging. He lives in the moment, saying "What's the point of having a million of medals, cups and planes if you don't have any fun?" Lauda lived in his head, he can't admit to even liking racing (or flying). I don't actually want to be either of them.

I rooted for Lauda the whole movie though.

[–] Sarmoviefan26 (1368) 2 years ago

Both

From hunt I admired his raw talent and his passion for the sport and passion for everything.
From Nicky I admired his discipline and being someone who was focused on his goals.

[–] Otter (24464) 2 years ago

I identify with Lauda SO much more! So it's not a question of admiring one more than the other, it's that I understand Lauda and don't understand Hunt.

I love the Lauda of this movie, he's the nerd who went where no other nerds had dared to go, into the testosterone-fueled world of car racing, and he stayed an unabashed nerd and made a career out of thinking out decisions his competitors bulled their way through. And he was brave, both brave enough to go through hell to get where he wanted to be, and brave enough to defy the "guy code" and refuse to step over the limit of dangerous conditions. I love the Lauda of the movie!