Senna

We were glad to see Senna when it was showing at the Violet Crown in Austin. This documentary is awesome and we decided we had to own our own copy. Our friends came over to watch and they loved it as well, though none of us are Formula 1 fans. The actual video footage of Ayrton Senna, both personal and professional, is heart-wrenching and the film is so well constructed that it becomes much more than just a story about a Formula 1 driver. It's a story of a gifted but humble man, who had faith and persevered against all odds to accomplish extraordinary things. He was devoted to his family and his country and they were devoted to him. He was brilliant, charismatic, and passionate about his sport. Asif Kapadia has created a truly stunning documentary about a truly extraordinary man. Watch this film - you won't regret it!

I am a Formula One Wannabe Driver.I go to Europe when I take my holiday and as soon as the plane lands I am in my Alfa Romero driving 150 miles an hour on the Auto Strada.I have driven the roads in Italy so many times that I know how the Italian's drive. I am proud to say that I am the Best Italian driver there. I am now a official kinda crazy driver!!!!I know how they double park on a two lane road to run into the markets to buy last minute food they forgot and they don't come back to their car for ten minutes because they know the owner of the mercato and they are having a cappuccino with them!! .Why wait till they come back when the sidewalk is a perfect place to drive. No double parking and I just have to drive around the Italian's as they swear at me!! Lots of hand gestures, I wonder what they mean? Ha Ha!!I really loved the movie and all the real footage of all the great F1 drivers at that time.I didn't know that there were so many casualties in every season. Safety was not a priority from the promoter's and owner's of the companies that built the race cars and unfortunately many great F! drivers were killed on the track!! It was to me a real eye opener for me.Senna and Niki Lauder were the two drivers who really finally got more safety features on the tracks.Unfortunately Senna crashed and died before they finally took safety seriously.I loved the whole movie but I wasn't excepting to see them taking Senna's body out of the car.I cried for days.Thank you for a great movie on Senna and F!.Linsey Miller

A great documentary about an amazing person. I am a life long gearhead that has shared this movie with my wife, that let me say is not quite as enthusiastic about the glamor of racing. The last movie that we enjoyed together that had the main topic of motor racing, involved just enough eye candy for her to remain interested. This picture provided a more human side to the track, and exposed the life of a passion. By the end she had tears in her eyes. I would like to believe that it was from the passion and emotion that is from motor racing, but in reality, it was the story of an amazing person. Gone long before his time, Senna brings passion of living close to the edge, and believing in something greater than yourself. I would recommend this documentary to any person. A great watch, and a story that should be shared with everyone.

I first heard about Ayrton Senna in the Guinness Book of World Records. Most consecutive victories, fastest recorded speed--I don't remember what he was in there for, but he was my introduction to F1 racing. I also remember reading about Senna's fatal crash--how could the best driver in the world die in a crash?Senna is one of the most most moving, most human, most disturbing films I've seen in a long time. I've just never seen anything like this movie. The footage is up close and personal; the language is raw. The press conferences, as you've always suspected, don't tell the real story.The film chronicles Senna's life, his rivalry with Alain Proust, his impact on Brazil, and the chaotic events of his final season. There's so much contrast in Senna's life: he's well-off, but from an extremely poor country. He's a courageous driver, but is treated unfairly by the racing establishment. Until, surprisingly, he isn't. He's clearly a sex symbol, but hasn't settled down with anyone. He's a symbol of hope and joy to Brazil, but he doesn't always handle adversity with grace. He changes teams to get a better car, only for Formula 1 to change the rules--he ends up with a worse car than he had the year before. He's a three-time World Champion, yet he feels like there's something more out there, that there's room for him to grow. Senna was as human as they come.Finally and chillingly, the film covers Senna's final race in extreme detail. It shows a young Rubens Barrichello clearly in awe of Senna, then crashing during a practice lap. It shows a 33-year-old driver, Roland Ratzenberger, crashing fatally during qualifying. Senna is clearly upset, but has qualified in pole position, and starts the race the next day. We find out that Senna had read the Bible that morning--the passage was about receiving the gift of God's presence. At this point, in-car footage shows Senna's final laps. We already know the outcome, but seeing it from Senna's point of view is almost like watching your own death--as close as you can possibly get without going there yourself. At the final moment, the camera cuts away.The end credits both show Senna's funeral, and at the same time, make you feel like you're at a _real_ funeral: there's a montage of family photographs and videos, all from Senna's pre-F1 days. What might have been had Senna not raced at Imola? Why didn't he just "quit and go fishing," as the race doctor suggests? Why, when there had been no fatal crashes in Formula 1 in decades, were there suddenly two on the same weekend? What actually happened during Senna's fatal crash? Was it simply coincidence and bad luck? A faulty car? Something preordained by fate? The final scenes beg for resolution, but in life, sometimes you don't get it.