Film showcases genius of McLaren
Donaldson documentary features family recordings and interviews with some of motorsport’s biggest names
The movie McLaren opens in cinemas today and tells the story of an incredible New Zealander — race driver and car designer Bruce McLaren. Aucklander McLaren left New Zealand aged 20 and became one of the world’s best drivers but it was his ability to design and create that helped establish his legacy.
“I remember the shock of the country and feeling the sadness that this young guy had his life cut short,” the film’s director Roger Donaldson told the Herald. “There is an element like those people from the past whose lives were cut short like Buddy Holly or Marilyn Monroe — what would’ve happened if they had lived longer?”
Inspired by his memories of McLaren and a love of motorsport apparent in movies such as Smash Palace and The World’s Fastest Indian, Donaldson combined rare archive footage, present day interviews and recreated scenes using audio from McLaren family tapes to make the movie. It showcases how a Kiwi with incredible talent and vision inspired one of the world’s most renowned sports and luxury car manufacturers.
“One of the reasons I was attracted to this movie when I was asked to direct it was that, as a boy, I saw Bruce McLaren drive,” Donaldson said. “I borrowed a race car off his father that was in Smash Palace. I’m crazy about car racing and many people have no idea that the McLaren car company is named after Bruce McLaren — a New Zealander, who went off to England at the age of 20 with a bunch of his petrolhead mates and started building cars.”
Some of motorsport’s biggest names feature in the film, including Sir Jackie Stewart, Mario Andretti and the late Chris Amon. Donaldson said he didn’t have to work hard to convince people to be involved.
“One of the things I realised is that anyone interested in motorsport realises the significance of Bruce McLaren in the history of New Zealand and world motor racing and they were just jumping at the opportunity to be part of this film.
“If I achieved anything with the film, it is that I managed to convince or persuade the people who were part of Bruce’s life to talk openly and candidly about it and reveal their true emotions about how much Bruce meant to them all these years later.”
The film concludes with McLaren’s death in a testing crash at Goodwood. Some of the interview subjects had not spoken about it until now.
To add to the emotion, several people featured in the film died in the time it was in production.
“Chris Amon passed away, Patty McLaren, Phil Kerr all passed away during the making of the film,” Donaldson said. “That was maybe another reason why they were prepared to speak so candidly about the past because they knew that life was not going to go forever.
“One of the things that would be nice to achieve with this film is to see Bruce recognised as the significant New Zealander he was and to see the connection between Bruce McLaren and the McLaren car company be very clear and to understand that the logo on the front of the McLaren car is actually a Kiwi.
“This is an important New Zealand story that has never really been told.”