When a 2-minute launch movie for a car is inducted into the British Film Institute National Archive, you know it must be something special.

Both the car and those magical two minutes of cinema are indeed quite special, breathtaking and goose-bump-inducing.

The premise of the film ‘And the World Stood Still’ is a man piloting his Wraith through an enchanted, steaming forest when he comes across the living incarnation of the Spirit of Ecstasy badge.

For one fleeting, frozen moment, the two have an ethereal bond that is at once serene, lust-filled and slightly fraught with danger. Thematically, the film shows that the Spirit of Ecstasy is with you, guiding you and calling out to you with her beauty – mile after mile.

The Wraith launch film is now in the record books for its beauty, production innovations and stunning visuals. A new production car salutes this honor: the Wraith Inspired by Film Edition.

A two-tone silver with black-accented 21-inch wheels, a bespoke cabin with leather floormats and numerous other delights is the ultimate in ‘meta’ salutes. A film about a car is honored, so the car honors the film with a special edition. Spooky! =]

The cabin is as fabulous as the outre two-door exterior: this Wraith Film edition is open-grained, cross-banded Canadel paneling in Maccasser Ebony. All the woodworking follows a pure, laser-angled 55-degrees for visual purity and symmetry.

In all seriousness, the Wraith “And the World Stood Still” is actually a stunning piece of footage. Assembled using a world-record 100 SLR cameras by a renowned cinema director and crew, the piece meets the challenge of capturing the best car in the world in video.

Art and life together, but uniquely thrilling. The Wraith Inspired By Film Edition is available to order from today at RR showrooms worldwide.

POST SCRIPT

Is there anything in their $2-million of production budget that is not matched by a YouTube masterpiece created by yours truly — dubbed Escape from Vienna!? Yes, perhaps theirs is a bit better…. =]

2015 Rolls-Royce WRAITH ‘Inspired By Film’ Edition

ROLLS-ROYCE WRAITH ‘INSPIRED BY FILM’ DEBUTS AS LAUNCH FILM IS ACCEPTED INTO BFI NATIONAL ARCHIVE

 

31 March 2015, Goodwood

 

The groundbreaking Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Wraith launch film, ‘And the World Stood Still’, has been accepted into the BFI (British Film Institute) National Archive, the world’s most significant collection of film and TV. To celebrate the event, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has created Wraith ‘Inspired by Film’, which will debut at the 2015 New York Auto Show tomorrow, 1 April 2015.

 

The film, which won a Gold Award at the 26th International Visual Communications Association (IVCA) Awards, caught the attention of the BFI’s Senior Curator for Non-Fiction Films, Patrick Russell, who considered it a striking piece of contemporary cinematography and so decided to accept it into the archive.

Rolls-Royce “And The World Stood Still” Video Screens

“We are delighted to see Rolls-Royce’s Wraith launch film enter the BFI’s collection,” commented Russell. “We selected it for preservation as it is an outstanding and award-winning example of modern corporate promotional filmmaking. It’s a powerful use of the film medium for product launch purposes, executed with impeccable craftsmanship.”

 

Marc Mielau, Global Head of Marketing, Rolls‑Royce Motor Cars, said, “It is a great honour to see ‘And the World Stood Still’ accepted into the BFI National Archive. It is testament to

Rolls-Royce’s unique position in the public consciousness as the makers of ‘The Best Car in the World’ and the passion, innovation and creativity of the entire team involved.”

 

The film, ‘And the World Stood Still’, introduced Wraith as the most powerful and technologically-advanced Rolls-Royce in history. Filmed at a secret location near Barcelona, the shoot included an innovative ‘Timeslice’ (frozen time) sequence created using 100 SLR cameras; the longest purpose-built camera rig in Europe; an award-winning film director; 36 computers; 1.5km of cables and one prototype Rolls‑Royce Wraith. A behind the scenes film was also launched after the Company was inundated with requests from fans across social media networks worldwide.

 

Wraith ‘Inspired by Film’

Wraith ‘Inspired by Film’ celebrates Rolls-Royce’s long heritage in film and its entry into the BFI National Archive. Rolls-Royce motor cars have taken leading roles in movies since the dawn of film-making, and have featured in such hits such as Goldfinger (1964), The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964), The Thomas Crowne Affair (1968) and The Great Gatsby (1974) to name a few.

 

Continuing the theme of “And the World Stood Still”, this Wraith is a true hero car, hinting gently at the (film) noir through a number of unique Bespoke touches. Life imitates art as the silver screen is reflected through a unique two-tone Silver and Jubilee Silver paint scheme, whilst a solid-silver hand-cast Spirit of Ecstasy plays the femme fatale to the leading man, as he follows in her wake on an unexpected adventure every time he takes the wheel.

 

Wraith’s coach doors open to reveal the hero’s interior life, which proves more colourful than its exterior would suggest. The Anthracite leather interior accented with Casden Tan exudes confidence and power like a modern super-hero’s costume, whilst its steely character is suggested by a pin sharp aluminium band shooting through the Maccassar Ebony open pore panelling.

 

Wraith is the most powerful Rolls-Royce ever made. Performance complements the drama of exterior styling as a shorter wheelbase, wider rear track and 624 bhp/465 kW derived from the twin turbo V12 and a 0-60mph of 4.4 seconds (0-100kph, 4.6 seconds) give expression to the car’s dynamic looks. The swept lines of the fastback body of Wraith, a style whose origins can be found in the 1930s era of film noir, most clearly signal its purposeful character.

 

Wraith ‘Inspired by Film’ will debuts tomorrow at the 2015 New York Auto Show and will be available to order from Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers around the world immediately after.

To view the Wraith Launch Film, ‘And the World Stood Still’ visit http://www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com/wraith/inspiredbyfilm/.