Jann Mardenborough Crash
Although Gran Turismo is based on a genuine tale, the inclusion of the well-known Jann Mardenborough crash in the film has generated some debate. Though it is based on a genuine incident that was inspired by the racing simulator games, the film has the same name as the Gran Turismo series.
The world’s top Gran Turismo gamers are recruited by the GT Academy, which trains them to become professional racers. After winning the GT Academy in 2011, Jann Mardenborough rose to prominence as a racer.
After switching from Gran Turismo to GT Academy, Jann (Archie Madekwe) finished third in the renowned Le Mans in 2013. The Gran Turismo accident at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, however, is a significant scene in the film that Jann finds difficult to get past.
Jann loses control of the car after driving too quickly on the renowned Flugplatz corner, and it keeps flipping until it crashes in a crowded location with onlookers. After the crash, one spectator passes away, which deters Jann from wanting to race again.
Jann Mardenborough Crash: What Actually Happened?
The real-life vehicle crash involving Jann Mardenborough was virtually exactly like the one shown in the movie. The collision occurred at the same corner of the Nürburgring Nordschleife and involved the identical Nissan GT-R Nismo car. That is exactly what happened in real life, just as in the Gran Turismo movie, when the car gains air and cartwheels over the barrier and into the crowd. Nobody was at fault for the real-life incident, which was impossible to predict. Gran Turismo exaggerates the incident just a little.
In the film, the Nissan GT-R Nismo jumps off the Quiddelbacher Höhe and spins around the circuit multiple times before landing in the spectator area. The car didn’t actually flip until it ricocheted against the tires around the railing. The Nissan was being held in place by the spoiler scraping the ground when Jann caught air in 2015. The car slid down the track vertically with its nose pointing skyward.
The automobile was thrown over the fence and into the spectator area when the rear of the Nissan touched the tires (source: Top Gear Auto Guide).
How Tourism Affects Jann Mardenborough’s Mishap?
Gran Turismo alters Jann Mardenborough’s accident by putting the event in 2013, despite though the incident occurred in 2015. Adding a few flips to dramatize the event doesn’t significantly modify what actually happened. Jann was inspired by the accident to do well in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where she finished in third place. After escorting Jann to the crash scene, mentor Jack Salter delivers a forceful speech emphasizing that the rookie driver shouldn’t retire because the incident wasn’t her fault.
That was not the case. Two years before to the collision, Mardenborough had already finished third at Le Mans. Despite the incident, he continued to train for the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans. Although he never had a talk with Jack Salter, a similar incident did occur.
Mardenborough consulted Allan McNish (via Telegraph), a three-time Le Mans champion who also had a 1990 crash that claimed the life of a spectator. Though the talk was positive.
In order to present it as a pivotal, inspiring setback on Mardenborough’s heroic trek to his Le Mans podium, Hall and Baylin’s screenplay time-shifts it. Years later, the actual accident occurred—possibly a callous reinterpretation of a tragic incident.”
Charlotte O’Sullivan of the London Evening Standard added, “It is not only false but disgusting to suggest that the incident helped catapult Jann to greatness.” Gran Turismo’s happy conclusion seems a little ill-deserved after learning the truth about the crash date, but it raises an important issue that has become a popular theme in entertainment. The entire plot of Gran Turismo revolves around the spectator’s real-life death, however not a single mention of the spectator’s name appears.
The dead person is still only used as a story device. This is becoming commonplace in true-crime television programs and documentaries, which portray serial killers as fascinatingly terrible geniuses and exploit actual murder victims for dramatic and exciting scenes. Because of the deceptive narrative choice, Gran Turismo’s Rotten Tomatoes rating suffered, and it currently stands at a meager 65% (although the audience score is a far higher 98%).
Gran Turismo’s use of the crash was approved by the actual Jann Mardenborough, who stated that it “would have been a disservice for the audience for that not to be in there” (via Driving). Although the racer’s use of the crash is problematic, it’s a noble gesture, given it’s unlikely that the racer had any input into how the writers exploited the tragedy.
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