![GRAND PRIX (BLU-RAY) - VARIOUS [1966]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71+mKhxP-KL._AC_UL160_SR160,160_.jpg)
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.
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Reviews with images
Faster
As someone who has made a life in racing for the last 45 years, I throughly enjoyed Senna. An interesting look into the mind of one of the best that ever was.
Top reviews from other countries
Angelo M.
Documentario biografico sulla vita di un grandissimo pilota
Reviewed in Italy on March 22, 2023
Fernando G.A.
Un documental que hay que ver cada año
Reviewed in Spain on December 22, 2022TorontoScottish
A documentary so good, you forget how it ended (until it ends)
Reviewed in Canada on February 11, 2013