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DUST TO GLORY
Directed by: Dana Brown.
Produced by: Scott Waugh & Mike McCoy.
Director of Photography: Kevin Ward.
Edited by: Dana Brown & Scott Waugh.
Music by: Nathan Furst.
Released by: IFC.
Country of Origin: USA. 97 min. Rated: PG.

The Baja 1000 is said to be the longest non-stop, point-to-point race in the world. Using 50 cameras to document the 2003 race, director Dana Brown spends little time offering its history, and instead plants us immediately in the rough Mexican terrain. The race itself features over 1000 participants in over 250 vehicles, chief among them motorcycles, which we are told early on always carry the winning team.

The most interesting story here belongs to Mike "Mouse" McCoy, a veteran of the race, who out of delusions of grandeur (and a little boredom) decides to run the 32-hour contest on his motorcycle solo. At checkpoints where other riders switch with their teammates, Mouse takes a few bites of a banana while spitting inane babble to his crew. His mental deterioration over the hours leads to an unbelievable payoff near the end of the race. Other standouts include buggy-driver Andy McMillin, a 16 year old who only weeks earlier had received his driver's license, and J.N. Roberts, a legend of the event who at 62 returns to prove that age carries no burden. In a jarring and crushing moment, the film's helicopter camera hovers too low and accidentally knocks Roberts off his bike, blowing his considerable lead.

Like Brown's Step into Liquid, Dust to Glory introduces us to a group of dreamers living within a subculture. Glory's dynamic race makes it the more nail biting film, but both benefit greatly from the constant onslaught of inspiring images. The sand-filled landscapes of Ensenada prove why computer-generated imagery will never take over cinema the way some anticipate. Although only 97 minutes, the film drags slightly, and Brown's dry narration is an unwelcome contrast to the frenzied action. But a strong score and the high degree of lunacy attributed to each racer (first prize is only $4,000) makes this a more effectual film than one might expect. Michael Belkewitch
April 1, 2005