Myth & Mogul: John DeLorean

Released in 2021, "Myth & Mogul: John DeLorean" is a stimulating, three-part docuseries available on the popular streaming platform Netflix. This program endeavours to unravel the enigmatic life of one of the most flamboyant and controversial entrepreneurs of the 20th century: John Zachary DeLorean. Packed with historical facts, archival footage and a slew of interviews, it offers viewers an insightful journey into the extraordinary life and downfall of the phenomenal automaker.

John DeLorean, once a high-flying star in American automotive industry, is best known for creating the iconic DeLorean sports car featured in the "Back to The Future" franchise. Also, he was the youngest director at General Motors at age 40. But his story is not merely one of brilliant engineering feats and success; it is a saga of grandeur, audacity, disastrous failures, and legal confrontations. The series succeeds in capturing this complexity by intertwining his professional life, personal life, the cultural scenery of the times, and his relentless quest for perfection.

Each episode of "Myth & Mogul: John DeLorean" delves into his tumultuous journey in painstaking detail. It all starts with his meteoric rise to fame at General Motors where he helped popularize the Pontiac GTO and other memorable automobiles. After his controversial departure from GM, the series charts his ambitious endeavour to create DeLorean Motor Company (DMC) from scratch in the late 70s with a vision to build a futuristic, stainless steel sports car. The subsequent chapters comprehensively chronicle the problems he encountered, including financial troubles, business malpractices, and the notorious cocaine trafficking charges that notoriously flagged his downfall.

Each chapter of "Myth & Mogul: John DeLorean" is a journey into the underbelly of the American automobile industry and the aggressive competitiveness that prevailed during the time. Besides the professional aspect, the series also shines a light on the man John Zachary was behind the public facade. This includes his tumultuous personal life marked by high-profile marriages and divorces, lavish living, and an infatuation with Hollywood glamour. The series also analyses DeLorean's persona through his interpersonal relationships and how his ambition was often perceived as arrogance in the automotive world.

The series leverages a variety of sources to construct a lavish and multi-faceted narrative. Expert interviews, news clips, rare home footage, photographs and testimonials from friends, associates and family members all work in tandem to add colour to the complex portrait of DeLorean. The series goes well beyond the glitz and glamour of DeLorean, delving into the psyche of a man who dared to live a life less ordinary, charting his own path and facing the consequences head-on. Among those interviewed are former colleagues of DeLorean, members of his legal team, journalists who covered the DeLorean saga, and even DeLorean's daughter who offers some heartening insight into the life of her enigmatic father.

Narratively complex, visually engaging, and utterly revealing, the docuseries "Myth & Mogul: John DeLorean" explores not just the individual at its heart, but also the auto industry's power dynamics, the American Dream's seduction, and the price one pays for unabashed ambition. The viewer is left with an unforgettable portrait of a man who chased epic dreams yet found himself ensnared in a web of self-destruction and legal debacle.

This series is not just for car enthusiasts or those drawn to narratives of downfall. It is equally appealing and insightful for viewers with an interest in business, American history, or larger-than-life personalities. "Myth & Mogul: John DeLorean" provides a captivating, nuanced, and multifaceted examination of a man who, for better or worse, left an undeniable mark on automotive history, Hollywood, and the American cultural lexicon. Regardless of the viewer's prior knowledge about John DeLorean, they are sure to find themselves fascinated by the unfolding drama that the series presents in the life and times of this audacious entrepreneur. Above all, this nuanced series ponders upon the timeless theme - the human fallibility beneath the sheen of charisma, genius and ambition.

Contrasting the tall tales of his myth with the reality of his mogul status, Netflix's "Myth & Mogul: John DeLorean" illuminates deceptions, indiscretions, the relentless pursuit of ambition, resilience in the face of adversity, and offers a thrilling delve into an extraordinary life that was anything but ordinary. Navigate DeLorean’s turbulent journey, as each episode disentangles the complex web of this ambitious figure’s life, allowing a much deeper understanding of the man behind the myth.