‘Le Mans 55: The Unauthorised Investigation’: Hot Docs Review

Dir: Emmanuel Reye. France. 2023. 89mins

The 1955 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance motor race is infamous for being its deadliest. A fiery accident just a few hours into proceedings resulted in 83 casualties and more than 120 injured. But for first-time director Emmanuel Reye, this history is far more personal: two of his uncles were spectators who lost their lives as a result of the crash. Le Mans 55: The Unauthorised Investigation is especially poignant as Reye speaks to family members about the tragedy and then investigates what could have caused the accident – and, more importantly, why the French government never held anyone accountable. 

While the massive loss of life was horrific, the actions taken in the aftermath of the crash were unconscionable

This French-language documentary premieres at Hot Docs, and those familiar with ESPN’s ’30 for 30’ series of sports-centric nonfiction films may find this informative picture similar in style and presentation. There have been other films about the tragedy — including Quentin Baillieux’s 2018 animated short (also called Le Mans 1955) — but Reye’s combination of journalism, family history and eyewitness testimonials could make this an attractive programming choice for future festivals. 

Reye takes us back to June 11, 1955, when the three powerhouses of race-car driving — Mercedes, Ferrari and Jaguar — were the top draws at 24 Hours of Le Mans, the year’s top racing competition. Circuit de la Sarthe was packed with an estimated 300,000 fans, many of them dangerously close to the track. The event was exhilarating until Mercedes driver Pierre Levegh struck Austin-Healey driver Lance Macklin, sending Levegh’s car flying into the stands. (Levegh was killed on impact, while Macklin survived.) Nearly 70 years later, Reye wants to understand how such a terrible accident could have occurred, but Le Mans 1955 is also an act of remembrance for his uncles Claude and Francois, who died as young men while attending Le Mans. 

Archival footage captures the grandeur and exhilaration of Le Mans, as well as the terror of the crash as Macklin’s vehicle hurtles through the air, strewing devastation into the crowd. No matter how many times Reye shows that scene, the grainy footage never loses its gruesome power. But, as Reye uncovers, while the loss of life was horrific, the actions taken in the aftermath of the crash were unconscionable. From Le Mans’ callous decision to continue the race on the day to the fact that the official investigations files are classified until 2031, the tragedy was repeatedly compounded in the name of bureaucracy, monetary considerations and political expediency.

The documentary’s early sections feature Reye speaking to people in his family, learning that different relatives have conflicting stories of what they believe happened to Claude and Francois. (Reye’s grandfather — the father of Claude and Francois’s — attended Le Mans with his sons but would never speak of that day, and so there is much that remains unknown about the circumstances around their deaths.) Without overselling the drama, these interviews create a sense of a cloud of grief that has hung over this family for decades.

It is not surprising, then, that Reye dives so passionately into news reports, tries to contact representatives from those major car companies, and reaches out to the few living witnesses to the 1955 race — including the only racer still alive, the now 98-year-old Hermano da Silva Ramos — to gain a better grasp on what transpired that fateful day. At one point Reye admits he is not someone susceptible to conspiracy theories, but the modest Le Mans 1955 does get alarmed at the cover-ups and secrecy surrounding this accident. Rather than seeking transparency, investigators seemed more worried about protecting those in power.

Consequently, debates still rage over which driver was most responsible for the fatal crash: Levegh’s car hit Macklin’s, but was that because Levegh was trying to avoid Jaguar driver Mike Hawthorn (who ultimately won Le Mans that year)? Eyewitnesses and experts offer their perspectives on this and other lingering questions, resulting in a frustrating, enraging riddle that may never be solved.

Viewers will have to wrestle with that lack of clarity, but the documentary reminds us that such mysteries are nothing compared to the heartache experienced by those who lost loved ones in the crash. Reye dedicates his debut to the victims and their families, ending his pursuit on a melancholy note. Le Mans went on as usual in 1956, its terrible past put in the rearview mirror — Le Mans 1955 is an elegy for those who cannot so easily forget.