Forgiveness Film Winner: Rush (2013)
LINK rating: 9/10
In a nutshell, this film is about the ruthless rivalry between Formula One racing opponents James Hunt and Niki Lauda. The backdrop of the 1970s car racing scene paints a picture of excess, danger and recklessness, where regularly drivers would die on the track in the name of sporting entertainment.
James is an English playboy, whose love of speed translates to fast living on and off the race circuit. Niki is an Austrian heir to a business empire, who forsakes it all for his vocation to race. When it comes to their approaches to driving James and Niki are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Niki is methodical, strategic and technically brilliant; James is about risk, passion, and instinct.
The story follows their distinctly different styles, their setbacks, their personal relationships, and the infamous 1976 season in which both drivers risk everything to become world champion.
James and Niki’s rivalry was at times playful, sometimes hurtful, but mostly distracting. Their urge to beat one other to first place caused them to push the boundaries of behavioural acceptability and ultimately risk. The fine line between competitiveness and hate seemed blurred at times, but at the end of the movie, we hear Niki commenting about how he last saw James alive:
“When I saw him next in London, seven years later, me as a champion again, him as broadcaster, he was barefoot on a bicycle with a flat tire, still living each day like his last. When I heard he died age 45 of a heart attack, I wasn't surprised. I was just sad. People always think of us as rivals but he was among the very few I liked and even fewer that I respected. He remains the only person I envied.”
James and Niki’s very public rivalry seemed to be less about enmity, but more about difference; their competiveness on the track drove them apart, but their common love for racing allowed them to forgive and even become friends.
Jesus said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” (Matthew 5:44) Dealing with enemies and rivals, is not just about keeping quiet towards them, or tolerating their negative behaviour, it’s about actively loving, blessing, and praying for them. In that environment and with enough time even adversaries can become brothers.
Is there someone negative in your life that you could see transformed if you chose to love them?
