Is Ferrari woke?
Ferrari (2023)
Movie
Released: January 1, 2023
Wokeness Score
2/10
Not woke
No political or woke messaging whatsoever. Focuses entirely on story, characters, fun, or escapism.
Key Summary Points
- Traditional biopic of 1950s Italian industrialist with no modern identity politics.
- Female characters reflect historical gender roles without contemporary messaging.
- Focus remains on racing drama, business, and family conflicts without social commentary.
Wokeness Analysis
Ferrari (2023) is a straightforward biographical drama centered on Enzo Ferrari's personal and professional crises in 1957 Italy. The narrative focuses on business struggles, the dangers of motorsport, family dynamics including infidelity and loss, and high-stakes racing without injecting modern progressive ideologies. Main characters are Italian historical figures portrayed by actors of appropriate ethnic backgrounds, with no forced diversity casting or anachronistic social commentary. Female roles, such as Enzo's wife Laura and mistress Lina, reflect the era's realities of marriage, partnership in business, and personal relationships rather than serving as vehicles for feminist or identity-based messaging. Reviews note the film's traditional biopic structure emphasizing masculinity, risk, and ambition in a historical context, with no evidence of didactic lectures on race, gender, or politics. One minor note in reviews describes a character as a 'proto-feminist,' but this is a subtle, organic descriptor tied to the story's emotional conflicts and does not dominate or alter the plot. Overall, the film prioritizes story, character depth, and cinematic spectacle over any ideological agenda, aligning closely with classic entertainment-focused biopics.
Plot
Set in the summer of 1957, the film follows Enzo Ferrari, the founder of the Ferrari automobile company, as he navigates severe financial difficulties threatening his factory, a strained marriage with his wife Laura following the death of their son, and a secret relationship with his mistress Lina and their young son Piero. Enzo pushes his racing team to compete in the dangerous Mille Miglia, a 1,000-mile endurance race across Italy, while balancing corporate survival and personal turmoil. Directed by Michael Mann and starring Adam Driver as Enzo, Penélope Cruz as Laura, and Shailene Woodley as Lina, the story explores themes of ambition, loss, and the high costs of success in the world of motorsport and manufacturing.