Note: During a chance browsing, I bumped into this documentary on Netflix. Easily one of the best documentaries I have watched (more than once). A must watch, even for non-Formula One (F1) fans like me. Strongly recommended!
IMDB entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1424432/
Genre: Documentary, Drama, Sports, Memoir
I am not a Formula One fan. I don't even watch the sport or follow any related news. My only reference to F1 is perhaps a name "Schumacher" and the word "McLaren" inscribed on my boyfriend's bike. So yes, that disclaimer was meant for everyone like me who knows nothing about the sport and doesn't care much about it. So imagine my surprise when I just felt so taken by this documentary on Senna.
Ayrton Senna was a legendary F1 racer from Brazil, who had near mythic status in the world of Formula One. And this is a documentary spun over recorded events and archived footage of his life (I have a dislike for documentaries that are huge portions, reenacted). Parts of this documentary were so intense, it broke my heart. I now have a huge appreciation for F1 racing drivers and the sport.
The opening lines of the documentary nails the mood and story that is going to unfold as Senna's voice booms in the background:
"1978 I came to Europe the first time to compete outside Brazil in the world championship. It was pure driving, pure racing. There wasn't any politics. No money involved either. It was real racing."
It follows the struggles of Senna in the world of Formula One championships. From a young passionate driver to a cult figure, battling his arch nemesis Alain Prost, riding high on emotions and spirituality as an individual, fighting for the safety of drivers and yet fiercely competitive on the track purely out of love and passion for driving. The documentary with its haunting background score makes it a thrilling ride (ya pun intended but true to the word). You get a glimpse of behind the scenes of F1, as seen and experienced by Senna.
It is exciting to watch the rivalry between Senna and Prost and heartbreaking to watch the tragic climax. But what caught my attention (and will surely draw yours too) was his spirit. His raw passion and spirit to ride above controversies and hold his home country Brazil so close to his heart (he was deeply concerned and involved with finding hope for Brazil's poverty and economic instability), even though a large part of his life was spent living in Europe and pursuing a racing profession.
The scene that nearly made my eyes wet was the one from 1991 Brazil Grand Prix. (I was eating at the time and stopped chewing the food in my mouth). This was the first time he had won in his home country. And that, after beating all odds of driving a broken car and triumphantly waving the Brazilian flag on the win.
This movie is a perfect tribute to the icon that is Senna. And kudos to the director for not including re-enactments or third person interviews on Senna - they just break the narrative in a documentary. This is one of the major reasons why people who like movies (commercial ones) hate documentaries - because they are made boring by such distractions. The documentary is so well put together (thanks to its deft editing) that it is part sublime and part fascinating at times.
This is also a movie that will teach you a thing or two along the way. That nothing comes easy. That, come what may, you should never give up. That a sport can truly be a form of art or passion (because all he ever wanted to do was to race). That nothing can break a human spirit, so pure that it leaves behind a legacy called Senna.
