Although being a documentary film fan the idea of seeing a film about a formula 1 driver is one that is just never going to be all that apealing to me. The reason being that i find formula 1 to be the most drab, over sponsered and corrupt sport there is. Be it senna has confirmed for me that f1 is one of the most corrupt sports around it also delivered to me a wonderfully edited and beutifully crafted piece of cinema about a dramatic and tragic tale of one of the most talented and charasmatic people sport is likely to see.
Based on 3 time world champion Aryton Senna this masterpice uses intimate home movies and archive footage most of which has until this point been unseen to depict the tale of a national icon of brazil and motor racing as a whole.The film never takes the biographcal aproach yet instead concentrates on the career of senna from his early begginings in f1, his bitter fued with team partner Alain prost to his untimly death in 1994. It briefly touches on senna starting out racing karts in his homeland brazil but. its during that time during 84-94 in which the film decides to focus its attentions as it charts the ascent of the handsome, gifted and charasmatic sennas rise in the formula 1 world.
Now since i have never been a f1 fan i admit i was scepticle about the inevitable interviews and clips of races yet its done in such a way that it is not only insightfull, interesting and captivating but outright thrilling. There is no on camera interviews but instead voice overs on top of the ever present footage which keeps the film at break kneck pace and it is mapped out chronilogicly season by season allowing you to be engrosed by the fascinating ongoing feud between senna and Prost. As for documenting sennas personal life there isnt alot to go on. There isnt any real insight into girlfriends, wives or his family life in general which probably works out for the best in terms of pace and direction of the film.
With the ending comes a great responsibilty to handle it with the care and sensitivty it deserves and thankfully it is given just that. At this poignant moment it would vave been easy for many directors to overstep the moral mark but it is delivered with a great deal of care and sensitivity, something as this tragic event deserved. After watching and learning so much about this truly gifted and charasmatic young man it is impossible to not be moved in someway or at some point in this truly moving piece of cinema which is filled with sporting drama but above all tragedy
