Filmmaker Michael Mann is known for his meticulous research and exhaustive preparation, work that is reflected in such existentialist and melancholic portraits as “Heat,” “The Insider,” “Ali,” “Miami Vice,” “Blackhat” and the recent “Ferrari.”
Mann is now offering the public an unprecedented look at his artistic process through the website michaelmannarchives.com. The website, which launches today at noon Pacific Time, begins with a deep dive into the making of “Ferrari,” including 20 video pieces created specifically for the site, never-before-seen photographs, annotated script pages and production documentation, including Mann’s working notes, many of them handwritten by himself.
Access to the “Ferrari” site will cost $65. After the initial launch, there are plans to continue working through Mann’s filmography, with future pages focusing on other films. (Users will have to purchase access to the archive for each film individually.) The fervent online fandom of titles like “Heat” or “Miami Vice” would presumably generate a lot of interest in this kind of behind-the-scenes exploration.
On a recent afternoon at his longtime offices in West Los Angeles, Mann met with The Times and sat with the youngest of his four daughters, Becca Mann, who worked closely with her father in organizing the archives.
Mann's notoriously aggressive behavior seems to soften in the presence of his daughter; he seems to be reinvigorated by the work they do together. In conversation, Mann recalls, in astonishing detail, research work from decades ago or specific moments in the production of his older films.
The initial impetus for the online project was the existence of Mann’s extensive personal archive, the simple fact that all that material was there for publication. From there, however, it began to take on a broader purpose.
“Directing a film is a spectacular, rewarding and creative act,” says Mann, 81. “It’s a huge effort. The film is two hours long, but it takes a year and a half to make. There’s a lot of deciding and thinking about what you’re going to do.”
Mann goes on to talk about something deeper. “Directors have no idea how any other director makes a movie,” she says. “So each one develops their own particular process. This is an opportunity to convey that, to convey something that I’m very excited about. I think it’s the best work any man or woman can do, period. And I’ve thought that since I was 20. And my enthusiasm for it is absolutely unwavering and unrelenting.”
Clip from a behind-the-scenes website of filmmaker Michael Mann. (Michael Mann Archives)
“Ferrari,” set in Italy in 1957, tells the story of a turbulent period in the life of Enzo Ferrari, the Italian carmaker who created the famous brand. Played by Adam Driver, Ferrari struggles to keep his business afloat and build a winning car racing team, all while juggling a personal life that finds him caught between his ex-wife, Laura (Penelope Cruz), who is still grieving the untimely death of their son Dino, and another woman, Lina Lardi (Shailene Woodley), with whom he secretly has a young son, Piero.
The new website is structured around six scenes from “Ferrari,” including two that Mann describes as the “most pivotal” in the film: a sequence in which the characters attend an opera performance and a heated argument between Enzo and Laura Ferrari at home.
Other sections of the site deal with the recreation of the Mille Miglia motor race and the horrific, fatal 1957 accident at Guidizzolo, exploring everything from the recreation of vintage race cars to the special camera equipment used to capture the stunts.
Some of the most notable documents on the site are Mann’s handwritten personal notes, in which he can be seen working out layer upon layer of meaning and intention. “The most important person for me to lead is myself,” he says.
Those free-flowing comments are then filtered into more formal documents for distribution to others in production, as ideas are refined and perfected. The continuity of the process is all the more remarkable because the date from one page to the next can sometimes jump several years (Mann’s interest in “Ferrari” dates back to the 1990s).
A gallery of behind-the-scenes photos of “Ferrari,” as seen on the Michael Mann Archives website.
(Michael Mann Archives)
The site’s videos are longer and more in-depth than those that typically accompany a movie’s promotion. They can alternate between footage of Driver and Woodley rehearsing and the final filmed version of the same scene. Audio sources come from Mann’s rough pre-production recordings, such as when he and Cruz discuss Laura and Enzo’s relationship long before the filming of the movie. (Mann’s pre-production photographs of Cruz in the actual Ferrari family apartment may be among the most striking images on the entire site.)
Until now, Mann's archival material has been stored in various locations, divided between documents, film elements and physical objects. Becca Mann began working as an archivist for her father about ten years ago, initially just to check that materials were stored properly, then seeing her involvement grow over time.
“This is what happens if you spend time with him,” says Becca Mann, 43, with a fond smile. “I’ll visit the warehouse to see if there’s any dust and then…”
“In 25 words or less, it turned into this,” his father adds with a laugh.
Becca Mann remembers discovering objects that fascinated her personally and knowing that other people would appreciate the opportunity to see them, too.
“We came across some kind of strange, beautiful document, covered in coffee stains and it has all the essence of Heat on one page,” he says. “That’s where we started thinking about how to share it – what’s the best, most appropriate and also the most direct way to do with the material.”
An image of Michael Mann's annotated notes for “Ferrari” as seen on the Michael Mann Archives website.
(Michael Mann Archives)
Becca Mann notes that the further back in time you go, there tends to be less material on each film, which can be tricky for future iterations of the archive website. Mann himself frequently uses his archive to research projects. For “Ferrari,” Mann’s working process was the same as on the previous films, except that even more attention was paid to documenting the work along the way.
Explaining his interest in the archives project, he reflected on how other filmmakers have inspired his evolving practice over the years. He mentions the deep and continuing influence of Russian director Sergei Eisenstein, as well as what he learned about storytelling from his friend, filmmaker Sydney Pollack, who collaborated on early versions of the “Ferrari” project.
While working as an assistant to George Cukor in London in the late 1960s on a film that was never made, Mann watched the director of “The Philadelphia Story,” “A Star Is Born” and “My Fair Lady” make an adjustment to an actor during a rehearsal.
“I don’t know what he said, but it lasted about 10 or 15 seconds and he walked away and the performance went from A to Z,” Mann said. “And that instilled in me that if you want to direct, you have to be able to direct. You have to know what to say to get into the skin of a very determined, hard-working actor.”
Multiple entry points on each interface page take the user to other destinations on the site.
(Michael Mann Archives)
“Ferrari” was widely considered a box office failure, grossing just over $42 million worldwide on a reported $95 million budget and failing to receive any major recognition. However, that hasn’t diminished Mann’s feelings toward the decades of work that went into creating it.
“I’m confident in the long-term relevance of the film,” Mann says. “I think it’s a good film. I think Adam’s work is great. Penelope’s work is great. Shailene. Troy’s script is great. [Kennedy Martin] “It's really fantastic. There's no doubt about it.”
Many of Mann’s films have enjoyed long careers and have found passionate and supportive audiences over time. Just look at the recent screenings of “Miami Vice” in New York and Los Angeles or the excitement surrounding the recent 4K disc release of “Blackhat.”
“That's not a mystery to me,” Mann says of why some of his films take longer to catch on than others, citing the complex, “contrapuntal” ending of “Heat.”
“It’s emotionally compelling, but it doesn’t leave you thinking, ‘Well, that’s it, where are we going to get a pizza? ’ It’s not fast food. There are so many layers to this stuff.”
Michael Mann, pictured as part of The Times Envelope's directors' roundtable in 2023.
(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
Which Mann classic will the archive explore next? “We don’t know what we want to do next,” says Becca Mann. “We’ll learn a lot about people’s response. There’s a huge amount of material in this project. The goal is to do something activating and alive with the archive.”
In the meantime, Mann notes that he is immersed in writing the screenplay adaptation of his novel “Heat 2,” with the desire to begin shooting by the end of this year or early 2025. On casting rumors involving Driver and Austin Butler to take on roles originally played by Robert De Niro and Val Kilmer, Mann says simply, “I can't talk about that.”
The Michael Mann Archives project offers a unique insight into the distinctive working methods of a director who has been at the forefront of Hollywood for more than four decades. Allowing the public to see the work, so to speak, only deepens the appreciation of the intensity of the work that goes into making one of his films.
“I wouldn’t want to make a movie any other way,” Mann said. “If someone said to me, ‘Here’s $20 million, come three weeks before we start shooting,’ that wouldn’t be for me. ‘Make it up as you go along’ is not for me.”
