As somebody who was 4 months short of my 9th birthday when I saw the news update reporting Senna's death, I had been waiting years for a movie to be made about his life. My growing years were spent regretting that I didn't follow the great mans' career for longer, and so I made up for lost time after his death accumulating as much information on his F1 dynasty (and his life outside F1) as I could. It got to that point where you feel as if you know/ knew somebody very well, despite never meeting them.
When I heard that a movie was being made about Senna, I couldn't wait, but at the same time I worried that it may not do his life justice. Having seen the movie at last, it's definitely one to watch, even if you don't follow motorsport. The editing is sharp enough to keep even the most casual viewer interested, which is all the more impressive considering 'Senna' is made up entirely of archival footage.
The movie is an emotional roller-coaster from start to finish, however the only time I felt close to shedding tears was when he finally won the Brazilian Grand Prix. It's a pity they didn't mention it in the film, but only a few hundred metres after crossing the finish line, his gearbox conked out and the car coasted to a halt. That's how close it was. It was truly meant to be the day he won, and you would be hard pressed not to get caught up in the enormity of the moment, even if (like me) you had seen it plenty of times before.
To that final weekend at Imola, and although I had seen much of the footage a number of times before, for the first time I had the feeling of actually being there and living through the events taking place. Strangely, I found Ratzenberger's death more harrowing than Senna's. Perhaps it was because I have seen Senna's death and events before/ after it many times on TV or youtube, but for the first time, Ratzenberger is presented as more than just that other guy who was killed the day before Senna, and instead as an actual person, taking part in a sport he loved and doing the best he could in an inferior car.
I give this movie 9/10. It misses a mark for some minor details that would only interest a hardcore F1 buff like myself:
Those are my only reasons for not giving this film a perfect 10, and they are only minor reasons admittedly. I am already looking forward to seeing this movie again. If you haven't seen 'Senna' yet, watch it as soon as you get the chance. One of those inspirational films that stays in your head after you see it, leaves an impact, and then leaves an even bigger impact when you remember that everything you saw really did happen.
When I heard that a movie was being made about Senna, I couldn't wait, but at the same time I worried that it may not do his life justice. Having seen the movie at last, it's definitely one to watch, even if you don't follow motorsport. The editing is sharp enough to keep even the most casual viewer interested, which is all the more impressive considering 'Senna' is made up entirely of archival footage.
The movie is an emotional roller-coaster from start to finish, however the only time I felt close to shedding tears was when he finally won the Brazilian Grand Prix. It's a pity they didn't mention it in the film, but only a few hundred metres after crossing the finish line, his gearbox conked out and the car coasted to a halt. That's how close it was. It was truly meant to be the day he won, and you would be hard pressed not to get caught up in the enormity of the moment, even if (like me) you had seen it plenty of times before.
To that final weekend at Imola, and although I had seen much of the footage a number of times before, for the first time I had the feeling of actually being there and living through the events taking place. Strangely, I found Ratzenberger's death more harrowing than Senna's. Perhaps it was because I have seen Senna's death and events before/ after it many times on TV or youtube, but for the first time, Ratzenberger is presented as more than just that other guy who was killed the day before Senna, and instead as an actual person, taking part in a sport he loved and doing the best he could in an inferior car.
I give this movie 9/10. It misses a mark for some minor details that would only interest a hardcore F1 buff like myself:
- Virtually no mention/ vox pops of Mansell (a great rival of Senna's on the circuit, he was Prosts' Ferrari team-mate in 1990 and in his autobiography called him "the lowest human being I have ever met". This would have given a more balanced view of Prost and shown that it was not just Senna and his fans who were disdainful of Prost. Berger (Senna's team-mate after Prost and a close friend) and Murray Walker (for so long the voice of Formula 1) would have been welcome inclusions as well.
- The dates are occasionally wrong (e.g, the 1991 Brazilian Grand Prix was on the 24th of March and not the 21st, which incidentally was Ayrton's 31st birthday). Another incorrect detail is when on-board footage of Senna qualifying in the 1990 McLaren at Monaco is shown, while the caption claims it is from the 1988 race. Occasionally, the engine note doesn't match the in-car footage, and has clearly been lifted from other footage. These are tiny details, but considering the effort that went into the rest of the documentary, it's a shame they didn't clean those bits up.
- Surely time could have been found in the film to include Senna's battle with Mansell at Monaco in '92 and his masterful wet weather display at Donington in '93? And although footage of Senna racing to the aid of Comas's wrecked Ligier features in the end credits, it would have been great to have included it in the actual feature itself, linking it with Donnelly's accident to emphasize the concern Ayrton had for the welfare of the other drivers.
Those are my only reasons for not giving this film a perfect 10, and they are only minor reasons admittedly. I am already looking forward to seeing this movie again. If you haven't seen 'Senna' yet, watch it as soon as you get the chance. One of those inspirational films that stays in your head after you see it, leaves an impact, and then leaves an even bigger impact when you remember that everything you saw really did happen.