SENNA (2010)

As a casual Formula 1 fan in recent years, Ayrton Senna is a name that is not unfamiliar to me.
Within the motor racing world and inparticular Formula One, his name is steeped in greatness, a true champion with an undeniable aura that surrounds him. A three times world champion, ascending to the top of the F1 mountain in 1988, 1990 and 1991. His career tragically cut short during the 1994 season at the San Marino Grand Prix where his Williams-Renault careered off at the Tamburello corner.

However, my F1 education did not begin its inception until the mid-nineties, around the age of 7 or 8 years old; my sunday afternoon would consist of an unforgettably delicious sunday roast dinner cooked by my mother, then settling down infront of the television with my dad to watch Formula 1 (not much has changed).
During this time, it was the likes of Damon Hill (whom i idolized), Michael Schumacher, Gerhard Berger and Mika Hakkinen who were mixing it up at the front of the grid for podium places, with youthful drivers Rubens Barrichello, David Coulthard and Eddie Irvine all rising through the ranks. Subsequently, I felt I had 'missed out' on witnessing the brilliance of Senna.

That was until very recently. I became aware of an Ayrton Senna based biographical documentary style film that had been released in the final quarter of 2010.
The film itself received a special screening on October 7th at the 2010 Japanese Grand Prix held at the Suzuka Circuit, where Senna had achieved four podium finishes including two victories during his career.
In addition to Senna's personal successes and accolades at the famous circuit in Suzuka, Japan, it has also facilitated and decided the fate of champions and runners up as the penultimate race in the F1 calendar.
Thereafter, the official world premiere took place on November 3rd 2010 at the Cinemark Theatre situated in Ayrton's native Sao Paulo, Brazil. The release date in Brazil was 12th November 2010 and June 3rd 2011 here in the UK.

'Senna' is a cinematic documentary of the highest calibre which for me, presents a very honest and articulate depiction of Ayrton Senna's rise in the motor racing industry.
Utilising an abundance of archive footage and testimonials from the people that knew him best both within motor racing and outside the industry.
From humble beginnings with his loving family who wernt the worst off in his native Brazil by any means, his successes through Go-karting, documenting his initial naivety and inparticular his immediate impact within Formula 1, but also the speed inwhich he rose to prominance to challenge the likes of Alain Prost for the drivers championship, with the very real politics that is a constant undercurrent of what the fans and media see on the track, off it, in the guise of FIA president Jean-Marie Balestre.
All of which for Senna, is unfolding at the speed of an F1 racing machine tearing round the circuit at 200+ miles per hour.
He evidently voices his acknowledgement of the difficulties of leaving Brazil behind to join a whirlwind lifestyle in Europe as an F1 racing driver.

Despite Ayrton Senna being an F1 racing driver, this film is anything but watching 106minutes of cars racing round a track.
Illustrated is so much more than that, in a truly engaging, fascinating and entertaining thrill ride thats fundamentally moves and undeniably reaches out to the audience to create an emotional response.

The clarity of my verdict is unwaivering; 5 stars out of 5.

Ayrton Senna's legacy as a true great was never in doubt, and has become additionally solidified on the silver screen and in home cinema. Both to existing fans of Senna, his time in F1 or Formula 1 as a sporting commodity in itself, and showcasing Ayrton's charisma on and off the track to a new demographic and audience who perhaps were not old enough to appreciate the talents he possessed.

I cant say enough positive things about this stylised documentary film, and highly recommend you go and see it for yourselves.

The production achieved wide critical acclaim including Empire Magazine's Dan Jolin affording the film 4 stars out of 5, stating that it is "ambitiously constructed, deeply compelling, thrilling and in no way only for those who like watching cars drive in circles"
A similar accreditation was enthused by Steve Rose, writing for The Guardian, also gave the film a 4 out of 5 rating, praising the fact that "with so much recorded footage of Formula One available, it has been possible to fashion Senna's story as a live action drama rather than a posthumous documentary. We're not so much hearing what happened in the past as seeing it happen before our eyes''.
Alex Zane writing for The Sun, too, gave the film 4 out of 5 and summised 'Senna' is "fascinating and profoundly moving".

Positive reaction was not restricted to print based literature but also through web based meduims like Daniel Sarath's publication through the online blog ‘Napier's News’ which gave the film 5 stars and called it "a flawless work of cinema that showcases documentary filmmaking at its most exciting".
Also the film review aggregator and forum 'Rotten Tomatoes' garnered a 92% fresh critical consensus rating a year after its release in November 2010.


DVD and Blu-ray discs were released in Japan and Brazil on March 21 and 24, 2011, respectively. On October 11 of the same year, it was released onto home media in the UK.

The film is currently available on Netflix Instant, and was released on March 6, 2012 in the U.S.