Mario Andretti as Himself
Sal Fish as Himself
James Garner as Himself
Ricky Johnson as Himself
Chad McQueen as Himself
Steve McQueen as Himself
Jimmy N. Roberts as Himself
J.N. Roberts as Himself
Malcolm Smith as Himself
Analysis:
If there ever was a movie that is missing it’s calling as an IMAX film it would be Dust to Glory. This film is an Endless Summer-esque documentary chronicling several racers in the Baja 1000, a thousand mile cross country race held annually in the Baja region of Mexico. This race has captivated the world of racing and the people of Mexico for over 35 years with its aggressive landscapes, beautiful terrain and diverse racing methods. The race runs multiple classes of vehicles at the same time with everything from multi-million dollar off-road super trucks to stock unmodified vintage VW bugs and 4 wheeled quad runners.
The film follows the efforts of many teams as they make their way south on the Mexican peninsula. The director and narrator, Dana Brown, spins an intricate web of history and story telling to draw the viewer into the action of the race. He accomplishes this feat with the assistance of 14 film crews and 3 aerial filming crews to form a seamless ballet of fast moving machinery and breathtaking views. One notable racer that is followed is former pro-motorcycle sensation Mike ‘Mouse” McCoy, who attempted to ride the entire race solo against teams of riders that used one motorcycle but 5 and 6 riders to finish the grueling 20 to 32 hour course. He was a constant reminder of what will and determination could achieve during the course of the movie.
Even with the film’s fast pace, the director was still able to capture fragments of time to that seemed like endless rolling slow motion waves of loose dust and debris churned up by the high velocity vehicles. Local legends were center stage in small tributes to their faith in a race that has hosted participants such as racing superstar Jeff Gordon to Hollywood icons like Steve McQueen and James Garner. In this bazaar world where Road Warrior meets reality, this film left this viewer with a satisfaction in the craft used to create such a film and a hunger to see this race with my own eyes. To stand among thousands of race fans on the side of a rocky ravine and watch greatness roll past at speeds in excess of 100 miles with nothing separating the racers and the spectators but the skill of the driver That’s the journey from Dust to Glory.
