Senna

The genre of documentary films has enjoyed a cannon of high quality for a good number of years now and Asif Kapadia and Manish Pandey's film, Senna, is a welcome addition to the pack. Most documentary films have a tough time at the box office (though this is counter-balanced by the relatively low production costs) but I’d expect Senna to make back some decent coin as not only is it about one of the most famous racing drivers of all time, it’s also a cracking film. Where documentaries usually fall down is when they have a slow build up. This is fine if you’ve already got a built in audience (which Senna already has anyway), but this will usually turn off the floating viewer. The film makers realise this and are smart enough to gloss over Senna’s upbringing and within minutes we are into Senna’s Formula One career and his feud with Alain Prost. I’m an F1 fan so giving a balanced review is a bit tricky, but this is still a film all can enjoy, as it’s a story of triumph and despair played out against the back drop of burnt tyres and oil changes, and in this film the disasters are real. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is a documentary about Senna as a driver though. This is about Senna the man. There’s a few clips of the relevant racing action, but this is a quest to understand Senna’s determined and, at times, conflicted personality. What will have petrol heads drooling the most though is the incredible behind the scenes footage taken at the time, particularly the pre-race drivers meetings. There is also some hilarious moments in the film including Senna’s appearance on a bizarre Brazilian Christmas show and some mirth inducing off the cuff quotes from the various racing team personnel (“He missed the chicane....Fucking Hell…..Do you want a cup of tea?”). Quibbles? The feud with Prost clearly casts the Frenchman has the villain of the piece and isn’t balanced enough to appreciate that he was also a masterful driver and that Senna himself could also be a mean bastard if needed. Also the investigation into the aftermath of Senna’s crash is barely touched on, which is a shame as you want at least a small explanation as to why such a tragedy occurred. Speaking of that, you’ll have to have a heart of stone not to have watery eyes at the films denouement and the moment when F1 Doctor Professor Sid Watkins asks him why doesn’t he quit racing (reply “I can’t quit”) a mere 24 hours before he was gone forever is the type of tragic moment only real life can produce. I saw the 2 hour version of the film, but there is also a 2 hour 40 minute cut out there which I believe has more racing action and great footage of Senna’s friendly feud with Gerhard Berger. It’s hard to believe most people won’t seek this longer version out after seeing this masterpiece.

The OC Film Sting Final Verdict

Not only a great film, but the perfect example of making a documentary that will appeal to a wider audience than what the subject matter pertains too. Rating: 8/10.