Documentary Review: Senna

Ayrton Senna was arguably one of the most capable and instinctive Formula 1 racing drivers since the sport began in 1950. It’s actually quite amazing that it has taken this long for someone to make such a comprehensive documentary of his life since his tragic death at the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994. Finally, with the blessing of Senna’s family, director Asif Kapadia has taken up the challenge and created a captivating piece about a spiritual yet fiercely competitive man and his love of speed. Critically acclaimed, Senna has won prizes at Sundance, the Melbourne International film festival and both the Los Angeles and Adelaide film festivals.

Mainly using televised footage of his races in the 1980’s and early 90’s, interlaced with various interviews and home videos, the narrative uses very little voice-over, allowing the images and Ayrton himself to tell his own story. What emerges is a deeply compelling look at how a young man with talent and ambition literally drove himself, and his McLaren, to the pinnacle of Formula 1 racing. Ayrton’s confidence and spirituality clearly show through in his interviews, giving insight into his compassionate personality and real desire to help his fellow poverty stricken Brazilians. Senna’s legendary rivalry with teammate Alain Prost (that later devolved into all out hostility) is also explored but not overly dramatised, as the final chapter of Ayrton’s life begins with his move to Williams-Renault in 1994 and ends with the fateful San Marino GP.

For those like me who do not follow F1 but knew of Ayrton Senna as a former driver, Senna does a wonderful job of filling in the blanks of his private life and personal torments. Completely indifferent to the complex politics of the sport, he rarely backed down when faced with the beaurocracy of the governing body. From the archival footage of Ayrton’s arguments over safety with race organisers and his genuine concern for the wellbeing of his fellow drivers, we begin to see that while passionately competitive, he was in no way a selfish achiever. A national hero in the eyes of his Brazilian compatriates, the estimated 3 million people who turned out to line the streets as his body was transported to its final resting place is a pure testament to the love and respect his countrymen had for him.

After watching the footage from the practice and qualifying sessions of the '94 San Marino GP, in which Ayrton is physically shaken by the major crashes of Rubens Barrichello and Roland Ratzenberger (who later died from his injuries), his uneasiness is almost palpable. In the past, even after similar major crashes, his personal confidence never seemed to waiver – so why this particular day does he look so strikingly apprehensive about the upcoming race? You can’t help but feel that somehow, in some tiny superconscious way, he may have felt that his time was almost up. I guess we’ll never know.

Senna is a wonderfully engaging documentary that appeals to F1 and non-racing fans alike. Although it could be considered as a 'hero-worship' piece, the way it is told through raw footage (where very little is recounted through 2nd hand accounts) gives it a level of tangible sincerity that almost all other documentaries find difficult to achieve. Senna's tragic demise definitely leaves the viewer with a lasting feeling of sadness that his time was unfairly short and that he was destined to do so much more for his fellow Brazilians after racing. But as is always the case, the candle that burns twice as bright only burns for half as long.

4 STARS