Man's Mania for Speed: A blur of kinetic energy

Is it worth your time?

If you like old-school newsreel footage and have a short attention span, you’ll dig this. If you need a plot or characters to care about, stay far away. This isn't The Roughneck; there’s no story here, just pure, unadulterated velocity.

It’s just… fast. Really fast.

The whole thing feels like someone took a blender to the early 20th century. One second you're watching a train barrel through a station, and the next, a speedboat is clipping the waves. The editing is actually surprisingly sharp, which I didn't expect. It keeps you awake, unlike some of the slogs like The Squall where you spend half the time staring at the curtains.

The narrator is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. He sounds like he’s shouting into a gale-force wind. It’s a bit much, honestly. Maybe take a breath, buddy?

Oddly Specific Notes:

• There’s this one shot of a plane landing that lasts about three seconds too long, and you can see the pilot looking around like he’s lost his keys.
• The sound design is basically just a constant, low-frequency hum that makes my speakers rattle.
• Some of the transition wipes are so aggressive they’re almost aggressive.

It’s weirdly hypnotic. I found myself counting how many hats flew off people’s heads in the crowd shots. I think the count was seven. 🎩

There isn't a shred of the emotional weight you might find in Hjärtats triumf, but that’s fine. It’s not trying to be a poem. It’s just trying to make you feel like your heart is racing.

Sometimes, the footage gets so grainy you can't tell if it’s a car or a tractor. It’s charming in a 'found in an attic' kind of way. It’s not perfect. But it moves so fast you don't really have time to complain about the scratches on the film stock.

Don’t go looking for meaning. Just watch the blur. 🏎️