Senna

"Senna" is a documentary about Brazilian, three-time World Champion Formula One driver, Ayrton Senna. Many feel he is the greatest F1 driver of all time. Known for a swashbuckling, spiritually possessed, maverick style of driving, Senna earned the top pole position in Formula One races more times than any other driver in the history of the sport. He was a Brazilian national hero, at a time his country desperately needed one. Fans from Japan to Mexico revered this driving sensation, and would fill the stands to see him- until an early, tragic death ended his career and life in 1994.This 2010 documentary from Asif Kapadia is a brilliant tribute to not only a sports hero, but also a truly (I would go so far as to say) messianic man. Full of restored family videos, sport television coverage, and interviews from friends and experts- this film is well-paced, visually and audibly pleasing. Crafted to inspire, this film succeeds on all fronts.Senna was born into a prominent and wealthy family on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, Brazil, the da Silva's (Ayrton was born Ayrton Senna da Silva, but dropped da Silva later in his life, due to the name being so common throughout Brazil. Senna is his mother's maiden name). Far from feeling entitled because of his wealth and privilege, Senna never wanted special advantages. He had a calling in life, and pursued it with tireless hunger.According to his mother, it was clear Senna wanted to be a racecar driver at a very young age. Ayrton's father made his son his first go-cart at the age of four. As the documentary notes, Senna would work hard in class to get all his schoolwork done before he had to return home, so that when he got home he could work on his driving.At age twenty-one, Senna moved to Europe to pursue his career as a driver- first, in single-seater racing. By age twenty-two, Senna began his career in the Formula circuit. This was only after Senna questioned his career as a driver, and contemplated going back home to Brazil work in the family business, at his mother's coaxing.A lot was going on in Senna's personal life at this time (he had a failed marriage to a woman he grew up with in Brazil, and who he had known his whole life). Tellingly, as Senna was pursuing a career as a driver in his early twenties, he refused financial support from his parents. He wanted to go at it alone. His wife, it is presumed, wanted to live in Brazil, or at very least did not share his driving ambitions. This is important to the Senna story: driving was not the easy path in his life.Senna gets his first break into the Formula One world with the Toleman team in 1984. But it was with the Lotus team in 1985-87 that a true star starts to emerge. It is beginning in 1984 that this documentary really catches its stride, and that the film's rather quick flyby of Senna's personal life, and some aspects of his youth, makes sense in the context of this film's larger ambitions.With Senna's rise to fame, a spiritual, ethical, ambitious, and humble gentleman emerges on screen. One thinks of recent debacles of other world champion athletes, and the imperfect ways that they have handled their fame, and this only makes Senna's humility in the face of his greatness all the more amazing.As a Frank Williams quote in the documentary notes, Senna was a far greater man than he was a driver on the track.The quilt of interviews that Kapadia strings together in this film, from Senna and his peers, makes this man's greatness clear. Senna felt, rightly or wrongly, that he had a higher calling. His focus was unparalleled. My favorite interview was one in which Senna was talking about how if his learning curve ever flattened out in racing, he would walk away. He was obsessed with self-improvement. When Senna had a large lead, despite the point implications, he simply could not take his foot off the gas. He was driven by perfection, wanted to get closer to God through his talents and belief.This, at least in his mind, he achieved. He inspired seas of people. He lived a principled life. Thankfully, Senna's family has finally opened their vault of memories and videos to a gifted filmmaker, some sixteen years after the death of their son, to allow for this wonderful, touching, and inspiring documentary.

As a 13 year old I remember vividly this unknown driver hunting down Prost under a deluge at Monaco. That was the moment for me. A decade later, the moment came to a gut wrenching end. F1 ended for me. Even if you know nothing about racing, or Senna... this film will deliver. I finally watched it a couple years after it first premiered. I cried all over again. I learned more than I had known in that final race. This is an amazing piece of historical evidence... an homage to a transcendent legend. ✌️

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.

"SENNA" è un film sulla biografia del grande pilota brasiliano Ayrton Senna, uscito nel 2010 e della durata di circa 106 minuti, diretto da Asif Kapadia.Il cofanetto contiente 2 DVD.Il film è un documentario biografico sulla carriera di Ayrton Senna, dal suo debutto in Formula 1 fino alla sua morte prematura sul circuito di Imola nel 1994. Il film è ricco di immagini d'archivio e interviste esclusive. Il film racconta in maniera dettagliata la vita del pilota e della sua intensa rivalità con il suo rivale Alain Prost.Film per tutti:I contenuti del film potrebbero non essere adatti ai bambini o adolescenti vista la presenza di scene molto forti. Consiglio quindi la visione del film in presenza di un adulto.Conclusione:In conclusione, consiglio di guardare il film in quanto risulta molto coinvolgente sulla biografia di un personaggio straordinario, come lo è stato Ayrton Senna. Personalmente, ho apprezzato molto la ricostruzione della vita di Senna e ho trovato il film avvincente ed emozionante. Le scene d’azione sono spettacolari, in particolare quelle sul circuito di Monaco. Il film non annoia dall’inizio alla fine. Ho regalato anche una copia del film a un amico, ed è rimasto molto contento del regalo. Ottimo il rapporto qualità/prezzo. Ho avuto fortuna a trovarlo ad un prezzo davvero competitivo qui su Amazon, pagato circa 12€. Il mio voto a questa recensione è di 5 stelle su 5. Il film vale la pena di essere guardato, ne consiglio l'acquisto.

fab

great

Genialer Film über einen genialen Rennfahrer, der viel zu früh verstorben ist. Es werden nicht nur sein Aufstieg aus dem Kartsport beleuchtet sondern auch seine beschwerlichen Anfangsjahre sowie seine beeindruckende Karriere in der Formel 1. Es werden viele Filmaufnahmen und Interviews aus dem Privatleben der Familie Senna gezeigt und insbesondere sein komplexer und bisweilen schwieriger Charakter beleuchtet. Alle während seiner Zeit wichtigen Personen (Rivale Alain Prost, Teamchef Ron Dennis etc.) kommen ausführlich zu Wort und so entsteht ein umfassendes und detailliertes Bild von einem Menschen, den viele so noch nicht kennen/kannten. Auch die politischen Machtspiele dieser Zeit, unter denen Senna mehrfach zu leiden hatte, werden beleuchtet. Ein sehr interessanter Film, nicht nur für Rennsport-Fans!

For anyone interested in F1 or Senna himself this is an excellent choice. People will always argue whether or not he was the greatest driver just as they still do about Fangio or Schumacher. One thing no one can argue however is that he is one of the greatest. This DVD nicely encapsulates his life from karting to his untimely death. Some of the video leaves a bit to be desired but we're talking about the 70s, 80s and 90s, long before HD spoiled us all. Much of the DVD focusses on the competition with Prost but even that is appropriate because it dominated much of Senna's career and the F1 circus. Senna as a person comes through very well in the interviews.Very highly recommended for anyone's racing library.