LE MANS 1955 - Deadly competition - Animated short film by Q. Baillieux - HD (full movie) 

"We're racing drivers.. we're not monsters." that was powerful.

Biggest payoff of yt’s algorithm I’ve ever seen. Well done

Granpa was there, he was barely 16, he LOVED motorsports, but after that event, he changed, i was once watching a F1 race and he looked concerned, i think being so close to death really hit him hard...

Interesting fact: other driver involved in this crash, Macklin (car that was shown here bouncing in barriers in front of protagonists) had another crash in another race next year where 2 more racing drivers were killed. After that he retired from car racing for good and died of old age in 2002.

my great uncle was there that day. He was saved because at the moment of the crash he was walking in the under ground corridor. When he use to spoke about this event, he always said that wen he enter the corridor, the crowd was screaming of joy, and when he came out of it, the only thing he heard was a complete death silence. Then the scream of pain from the injured.. This man has seen many atrocities that day.

Last part from French to English: “Mercedes was the only team to retire from the race. They will see the competition again 43 years later. Fitch continued his career working for safety improvements. 80 people died, and it is still today the deadliest crash in Motorsport history.”

Just wow. Ending with no music, only the cars sound was a great touch.

The Le Mans disaster was a multiple crash that occurred on June 11, 1955 at the Sarthe circuit, near Le Mans, during the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in which the driver Pierre Levegh and 83 spectators died. It is considered the greatest tragedy in the history of motor racing. However, the race was not suspended, and was won by Mike Hawthorn, Formula 1 champion in 1958, together with Ivor Bueb. At half past six in the evening (local time GMT+1) the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR driven by Juan Manuel Fangio-Stirling Moss was fighting for the lead against the Jaguar driven by Mike Hawthorn and Ivor Bueb after managing to get a lap ahead of most of its rivals. Hawthorn, in the middle of a battle with Juan Manuel Fangio, overtook an Austin Healey, driven by British driver Lance Macklin, at the entrance to the right grandstand line, but suddenly braked and decided to enter the pits. Surprised, the driver of the car that had just been lapped made an abrupt maneuver to the left without seeing that two Mercedes, at full speed, were coming at him. The first was driven by the Frenchman Pierre Levegh, one lap behind, and the second by Chueco Fangio. The drama unfolded in just a few seconds. In a last reflex action, Levegh raised his hand to warn Fangio of the danger.5 He then crashed into the Austin and, at over 200 kilometers per hour, his Mercedes took off and exploded over the packed grandstands. Pierre Levegh's Mercedes totally disintegrated, the engine and other parts of the chassis left a trail of dead and wounded in its flight over the grandstands, including Levegh himself, whose body was left lying on the track.Among the reasons for the strong deflagration is the fact that many parts of the vehicle were made of magnesium, which generates a strong explosion and makes extinguishing difficult, since the water acts as an enhancer of the flames. The organizers of the event, however, did not interrupt the race, which continued as ambulances came and went, later it was learned that it continued so that people would not impede the passage of the ambulances and could attend to the injured. Spectators in other areas of the circuit took hours to learn the extent of the tragedy.The organization argued that the suspension of the race would have made it difficult to evacuate the injured, due to the probable invasion of the emergency lanes. Pierre Levegh was 49 years old at the time of his death.

He was concerned he wouldn't leave his mark on the racing world if he didn't win, but sacrificing the victory makes him one of the most memorable men in motor racing

A breathtaking animated short film on the darkest moment in the history of motorsport.

I'm pretty late to seeing this, but this was one of the greatest short-films I've seen on RU-vid. This kind of creativity is what the internet was made for.

Once upon a time, it was normal for racing drivers to die during races. It’s so hard for us modern viewers to even begin to grasp what that actually meant, and this short does an outstanding job to convey how it was when death was normal in motorsports and how different they would react even to an exceptionally horrifying accident because of that.

First time I have seen the story told from Fitch's perspective, he is a much over looked driver in our time, but he was top level in his day and a World War Two fighter ace as well. He is responsible for the development of the crash barriers that look like a formation of yellow barrels if front of highway overpass supports and other large objects along highways. He owned a Chevrolet dealership in Connecticut and sold what is known as the Fitch Sprint Corvair, [like the better know Yenko] he lived to his nineties.

I swear if this losses the Oscar against a Pixar short I'll burn the ceremony

that argument in the tunnel, the best top moments I' ve ever seen. also Mercedes's decision to withdraw EVEN when they are in the lead made me respect em more. They were so affected they didnt even returned until after 43/44 years later

I love the credits part, where you can only hear the howls of the engines, just like it had been that day... No music, no glory, just the howls of engines, and cars passing by... Probably the most haunting credits i have ever seen...

It was an interesting decision to take away the visual focus from the crash itself. I feel like many other animators or directors would dedicate 5 to 10 minutes to the destruction and visible deaths of many people, but this short was a lot more subtle with it. I think it works wonders, and helps put the focus of the short on the people around the tragedy instead of the crash itself.

I clicked on this thinking it was some kind of CG animated re-creation of the crash. Man, was I wrong. I enjoy being wrong from time to time.

9:50-10:10 You can see and feel Johns Anger,his disgust towards.Alfred and his decision to continue; even though it was one of his cars who killed all of the those innocent people. But he you can also see the sympathy and sadness of all of the people who died;Especially his friend. If a voice actor can tell that emotion just by 2 sentences. And a designer who can show the emotion. That is true talent. Well done to this studio!!

Enjoyed. Imagine driving that fast, no overhead/road lighting and with 50s Era headlights/technology. Truly scary times in auto racing.

the race went on and the spectators weren't allowed to leave as that would cause the ambulance to be delayed

Wow, that voice acting was incredible, didn't expect that

My great grandpa was in that race. He was a man working on one of the cameras. When Levegh went flying, he ducked just in the nick of time. But his other cameraman was killed and mutilated. He describes it as one of the saddest things he had ever saw. RIP his best friend/cameraman.

the fact this plays more on the psychological impact more than the crash itself really makes it quite unique and moving.

9:16 This is one of the most powerful scenes I have ever watched. The voice acting and animation, the muffled sound of the cars over head... This is art.

"We must think about our future.." Sometime in the future : *Winning 6 of F1's Driver's Championship and the constructors championship 6x in a row* Well damn..

If this loses to some stupid Pixar short, I'm starting a riot

Man, this is something else. I was there in 2013 when Allan crashed. The silence over the race track was, well nothing like any of the 6 other times I was there. I can imagine it was much worse back then. Le Mans 24H is and will always be the craziest race to ever have been raced.

The ones who were brought here by YT's Algorithm but stayed for a Masterpiece... Present yourselves

This is simply incredible. This goes beyond animation and straight into a new territory of expressional and narrative art.

I actually met John Fitch a few years before he died, I only knew he was a driver.

"It's not about piere anymore" That's in my top ten lines from all of media/history

If this film doesn't win anything then something ain't right

I’m here just shaking my head in awe. This short is amazing. Every motorsport lover needs to see this, but also anyone who enjoys animated shorts and filming in general will also enjoy this work of art. Thank you to the team responsible of creating this masterpiece

2019, the year that the rest of the world noticed le mans

Speechless. In just 15 minutes they managed to summarize a whole universe of humanity. The pride of progress and effort, technical and human prowess, the losses and tragedies that can occur, the decisions that are made to accept and overcome them, the value of teamwork, the knowledge that there are things more important than a precious momentary prize. All told with such a delicacy and fine art, so direct and simple within its depth, that it makes one feel close in many ways: over time, with the protagonists of history (and with those of History), with men and women both anonymous and renowned. In short, an unexpected little Great Work of Art. Thank you for taking the time and effort to tell it.

One word - masterpiece This was the blackest of black days in the history of motorsport. A horrific tragedy.

Magnifique, juste splendide. Brillant hommage.

Why youtube decided to show me this today I dont know, but Im so glad it did. This is powerful.. I watch the 24 Hours of Le Mans every year and I know its history, and this incident.. To who voiced John here, an amazing pwrformamce, I got chills during the dialogue between John and Alfred in the underpass. I can only imagine how he felt after hearing "we can win" after seeing what he had. And seeing whats left of the Benz in that plume of red smoke, accompanied by this beautiful art style, was truly chilling... This more than deserves an Oscar.

At first I thought, why not just continue?, then I understand what john was thinking. Also the reason why he said "we must think of our future". Why would they win if they are also gonna be responsible for the lives of 80 innocent people? Respect for that. For not being egoistical at winning like winning is everything. It's not just about the result, it is also about progress or how to get the result.

A beautiful film. John Fitch is one of my all-time heroes whose innovations were responsible for saving countless lives on racetracks and public highways.

Absolutely phenomenal. I hope it wins every award imaginable.

it’s been 3 years since this came out and I can say that this by far is my favorite short film I’ve seen. with the voice acting, visuals, and music being my favorite. the voice actors do deserve their praise, I don’t think I’ve gotten so choked up over something when I first watched the argument with John and Alfred. Nathan Willcocks (John’s VA) and Joe Sheridan (Alfred’s VA) gave it out their all, whew! but like I said, all time favorite short film. *edit*: the soundtrack at eleven minute mark makes my eyes water, I love Ali Helnwein’s music for this so much.

One of the most beautiful animations i've ever seen, with a great story line to boot. Definitely deserving of an Oscar

I have to say this is the first time I ever though about this tragedy from Pierre perspective, I am Argentinian, and I always heard the story about how Pierre was hero for signalling so Fangio did not crash into him, but man, this is very touching. I loved the animation style and the story was very well refreshing to hear... needless to say I loved every second of it

This movie has perfect timing. I am actually working on a documentary about Juan Manuel Fangio for a school project and this video really just put into perspective through what times he must’ve sometimes gone through

The sheer impact of having the crash look like a mutilated body by having it be covered in blood red is astounding

Honestly this art style deserves a movie

That is just so tragic in 1955 Safety has come a long way

Ok if this doesn’t win an Oscar, we riot.

Le Mans….. so much blood and toil. Respect for the most difficult 24hrs in motor sport.

If this loses to some cheesy Pixar animation I'm going to violate 3 consecutive laws of the Geneva Convention.

The scene in the tunnel under the race track was very well done. The voice actor for Fitch deserves some praise.

Very amazing, emotional and touching movie... Safety has come a long way since that tragic day in 1955.

This is an animated masterpiece. Animation, sound, score. This is one of the best films I've seen. RESPECT.

5:06 I just keep replaying that sound

Ce film est poignant. Extrêmement bien réalisé, dessiné et construit. L'époque est parfaitement respecté, les voitures sont belles, le circuit est magique... Grand merci à toutes celles et tous ceux qui ont réalisé ce film. Grand bravo. Un passionné des 24 Heures comme moi l'a dévoré et m'a fait ressentir beaucoup d'émotions. La première fois que je regarde les 24 Heures à la télévision c'était en 2005. Ca été une découverte totale et un virus qui est resté chez moi depuis. Alors que les Audi du team Champion + Oreca et les Pescarolo se bagarrait en tête, France 2 a parlé de ce tragique accident. Je n'avais que 10 ans mais je me souviens du moment ou je découvre ces horribles images d'une voiture explosée et des débris volés sur plusieurs mètres, j'étais glacé... Triste... On a du mal à imaginer qu'un tel accident se produise surtout à ma génération ou la sécurité existe depuis longtemps. Ce court métrage me rappelle les émotions que j'ai ressenti à l'époque ou je découvrais cet accident. Le moment ou on voit des corps recouvert de draps, avec une voiture en feu et le son des voitures qui continue de foncer j'ai a nouveau été glacé et vraiment triste de la même façon qu'il y a 14 ans... Ca me rapelle aussi 2013 ou j'entendais les Lotus B12 Toyota Rebellion hurler dans les lignes droites des Hunaudières tout en apprenant le décès d'Allan Simonsen. C'est toujours glaçant... Aujourd'hui je roule sur un Kart de compétition, ce film m'a mit une claque qui rappelle que ce sport est dangereux et le restera toujours... Mais quoi qu'il arrive, on l'aimera toujours justement pour ce danger et rouler sur le fil du rasoir.

This could easily be a feature long film, professional

This was the most moving and beautifully animated short film I've seen in many years. This deserves more than just a nod. I don't care what the competition is. Great cinema has the power to move you to real emotion. This animation did that. Thank you and best of luck.

The only time where engine roaring past felt heavy instead of exciting I love this so so much

Some days the RU-vid algorithm isn't all that much. Today it's just wonderful.

When you are native french but also fluent in english 😍 it makes this short animated movie even more enjoyable.

J'aime trop ce genre de court métrage, le style orignal, les émotions extrêmement présentes, de pures masterclass, un excellent taff bravo

This movie was so depressing in both the eyes of the crew and the spectators Rip

I wish it were released a week before Ford v Ferrari so that we can get kinda prequel of what happened during opening scene of the movie.

Magnificent. ( It was believed that the race continued because if had been stopped, the departing spectators would have jammed the roads blocking the first responders. And being German- WWII- being very recent history there were serious social and political ramifications...)

This animation was created with such love and care, and the attention to detail... Keeping the crash out of the spotlight, but still keeping it onscreen behind the main character, Jogn Fitch, who is the focus of the story, brings a new perspective to the 1955 Le Mans disaster.

These type of animations need a whole lot more credit than just being on the recommended page of RU-vid.

I really hope this wins an Oscar. The film was truly beautiful.

I really like the art style, makes this so much more powerful.

This highlighted a lot about the crash that isn't that commonly known: 1) The crash was a *highly* local event. Most of the fans along the racecourse were unaware it occurred, until much later. The carnage was absolutely horrific in that one area, but the short wisely chose not to linger there. There are plenty of other videos out there that show the graphic aftermath of what happens when large pieces of a racing vehicle go cartwheeling through an unprotected crowd at 100+ mph. 2) The race was not red-flagged but continued, in part to prevent panic from spreading through the crowd and potentially causing many more casualties. This was, to say the least, a highly controversial decision later. 3) The Hobson's Choice that was faced by the Mercedes team. Their decision to withdraw after the crash also remains controversial to this day, but the short sheds new light on it. "We are racing drivers... we're not monsters" was incredibly powerful. And once they withdrew, they left auto racing altogether for over 43 years.

Un magnifique court métrage qui mérite d'être adapter en long métrage.

What an incredible piece of art. Truly amazing. Bravo, you're wonderful creatives at heart.

One of the best short films ever made!

L'hommage aux deux pilotes Italiens au début, mis en valeur par le scénario, comme un présage...

Bravo à tous ceux qui ont participé à ce court métrage, très beau et très juste à la fois, un bel hommage aux victimes en somme. Le fait que l'accident ne soit pas directement montré et qu'on nous montre plus ce qu'il se passe ensuite est une décision appréciable

Wonderful yet deeply disturbing. RIP to all those lost on that tragic day.

I do not fully approve of the fact that in the cartoon the accident occurred at night (in reality, it was the daytime. There is archival footage of the accident.) But in a whole cartoon an excellent. Drama, staging, angles, style of drawing and animation, sound design. Excellent work. The viewer from Russia. (wrote via Google Translate)

Wouaw, un court-métrage poignant, touchant et réaliste. Les bruitages sont très fidèles à la réalité. Que dire de plus ? PARFAIT !

Ce court-métrage raconte une histoire... Mais c'est aussi un bel et grand hommage, et un touchant témoignage, d'une grande humanité...

Me: Bored to death RU-vid recommendations: I got you fam

I am crying What a masterpiece We want more like this

Such a great use of the CGI technics, bravo to the director and the team behind !

was not expecting to be pleased with an animated film of this crash but it was very tastefully done and focused on the people.

Emotional, thought provoking, beautifully animated and voice acted. I cant say enough good things about this film. Thank you.

I want more of this. Formula 1 greatest stories, more prototypes, more GPs. This is sick man, awesome job y'all.

i need to put this into words.. the visual of the insides of the car laid bare with such a stark red contrast to the muted environment, it gives off a visceral flair of carnage and gore, and yet in truth, no actual gore is ever shown. the bodies are whole and clean, and only the damage of the car itself is so mangled and red. its a metaphor in visual form, no need to show blood or guts when such a visual metaphor does more than that. especially the first shot of the car as it is left burning, looking like a body with its ribs torn open and all the oil bleeding out as if blood. the artists knew how to make it look violent without ever once using violence. i paused it there and just stared in shock. i guess what i am trying to say is this.. they represented the death and pain that took place through the body of the car, and used it to act in place of those who died, a fitting stand in for the setting. thematic and poignant. while the entire movie is good, I was most affected by those scenes. may all who died that day rest in peace, and thank you to all of those who made this work of emotional art.

Mike Hawthorn and Ivor Bueb, the winners of the race, both died in 1959, aged 29 and 36 respectively. Meanwhile, John Fitch died at the ripe old age of 95 in 2012. How life goes sometimes.

It’s kinda scary... this actually happened... and as far as I’m concerned... They got it spot on.

émouvant, touchant, un drame que personne n'a oublié, félicitation aux créateurs de ce court-métrage pour la sobriété et la puissance des images et du montage

It wasn't 80. They just refused to continue counting. Beautiful and haunting. Thank you for respecting every part of this. That was amazing.

This is the best animated and the most emotional short I have ever seen

the most tragic event in the history of racing- all beautifully put together into a 15 minute film. this is purely amazing.

What an incredible piece of art and storytelling.

2.5D animation was one of the best animation style

The amount of money i would pay for a full length movie like this

Thank you so much for this film! ...and a special thanks to the author of the Russian subtitles!

this needs so much more attention! by far my most favorite vid on youtube

While I respect what the film-makers were trying to do here there's several gross inaccuracies which really change the way some are portrayed. The Fangio/Moss Merc lead or there-abouts for most of the race before being withdrawn, and there's no mention at all of the Kling/Simon Merc. Also Pierre Levegh would never have expected to be in the lead car as he wasn't even a regular factory driver for Mercedes. I'm not certain if Neubauer retired immediately after Le Mans or not (but I don't think he did...) but certainly he hadn't planned to before so that's another strange thing to include. EDIT: He definitely did NOT retire immediately after Le Mans and continued until the end of the year. Really though what annoys me the most is that the film passes judgement on people (and encourages the audience to do the same) on very limited evidence (and many inaccuracies not just the ones I've listed) which to me just isn't fair and it should be more clear that this is a work of fiction only inspired by, not based on, a historical event.

this is a masterpiece, both in the story and the visual department