Discussion
ukzz4iroc said:
I was disappointted by it. This is probably becuase I have watched many documentaries on the great man in the past and the 'film' is really just that.
Still worth a watch but ignore the gushing, sycophantic people that go on about how amazing it is.
I have to agree. I mean it's a 'good' film, but by no means this piece of Wellesian cinematic brilliance. It's a collection of video snippets taken from here and there, and actually the BBC had a far more interesting documentary about him from around 16/17 years ago IIRC. Much more 'insightful'.Still worth a watch but ignore the gushing, sycophantic people that go on about how amazing it is.
Frankly, unless someone is breaking through their teenage years, or never had much an interest in the pinnacle of Motorsport, then I always find it surprising when they show utter incredulity at having had revealed to them other aspects of his personality, aside from this apoplectic attitude to winning at all costs.
He's literally one of the most storied sportsmen who's lived, alongwith the likes of Ali, Jordan etc, that the film offers little that people who can read should not have already long discovered.
It's good, but all this adulation for the film is a touch OTT.
He was certainly a fascinating man. No doubt. I think you could take a Prost, a Piquet Sr, a Mansell, an Alan Jones, a Reutemann, a Fittipaldi, an Andretti, a Clark, a Stewart...and they all show levels of almost savant-like dedication to the job in hand, the innate brainpower to numbercrunch mentally so much tangible information to allow themselves to beat those around them in a pretty deadly pursuit, that they could be successes in most fields. Senna was just a much more emotionally visible character than most.
tigerkoi said:
Senna was just a much more emotionally visible character than most.
The film/docu is an interesting watch to say the least. Wasn't sure whether I would like it or not but having seen it a few times now, it's growing on me.Ayrton was totally different off track. Quite a humble man in many ways, very big on family: the Senna Foundation gave away millions to charity. I knew him on a business/personal level and he alwys made me feel welcome. Whenever we met he was very friendly and open and always asked after my family. He once got me tickets for Silverstone, pit passes the works but I had to go away on business so I gave them to a colleague who had the day of his life.
RIP my friend
Watched this at the weekend on Sky Atlantic HD as I had previously refused to pay to see it as I was a bit of a Senna "hater".
It is a very good documentary and is obviously the world as told through Senna's eyes but I thought it kept the bias to a minimum (let's face Balestre was out to get him so that's hardly a stretch of the truth is it?).
I still don't see Senna as a God, he was the best of his time but his time was between Prost's and Schuey's.
I didn't see any of the mystical "he knew it was coming" BS that is attributed the the Imola weekend either.
He did some good back in Brazil which is very creditable as not everyone with money likes to dole it out to the less fortunate.
Overall I'd recommend it as a good racing doc but it didn't change my view of him: Fast, relentless, probably unnecessarily so in some instances.
It is a very good documentary and is obviously the world as told through Senna's eyes but I thought it kept the bias to a minimum (let's face Balestre was out to get him so that's hardly a stretch of the truth is it?).
I still don't see Senna as a God, he was the best of his time but his time was between Prost's and Schuey's.
I didn't see any of the mystical "he knew it was coming" BS that is attributed the the Imola weekend either.
He did some good back in Brazil which is very creditable as not everyone with money likes to dole it out to the less fortunate.
Overall I'd recommend it as a good racing doc but it didn't change my view of him: Fast, relentless, probably unnecessarily so in some instances.
Eric Mc said:
It is interesting that as more and more people see this film, how less overawed the response has been.
When it was in the cinema anyone who criticed it was liable to attack (go back to the relevant thread on PH last summer and you'll see what I mean).
I just think it's the way of the world these days...everything is subject to hyberbole, and there's little gradation when valuing what constitutes quality in output. Everything is either the best thing "ever ever ever" or it's "XXXX".When it was in the cinema anyone who criticed it was liable to attack (go back to the relevant thread on PH last summer and you'll see what I mean).
Some of it's down to the greater ability of people to espouse a view to the masses. Take teenagers, or a 21 year old. They may not be stupid in the IQ sense. But they'll by and large not have the currency of knowledge accumulation. And give them all internet connections, and before you know it 'Shawshank Redemption is the best film ever made lolz!!!', when you know that person has never even heard of Wilder, Whale, Griffith, Lean....how could they possibly have the breadth of knowledge to compare?
It's [Senna] good, but for those who've seen documentaries, followed the scene from the late 80's onwards....there's not much new here. Just an aggregate of some lesser pronounced details.
David87 said:
I've only seen the extended version on the Blu-ray, but - from someone who's never followed Senna or F1 particularly closely - I thought it was an absolute triumph and the three hours (!) flew by.
And that is why it isn't that great.If you know little about the man and his times, it SEEMS like a decent film.
If you already know quite a lot about the period in which he competed and actually lived through the events as they unfolded, it doesn't seem that great a movie at all.
I loved it, even being fully versed with the era it was set in I felt it offered a valuable insight to the working mind of a focused sportsman, who's views are replicated by certain people in every sport.
It showed how a man can become so fixated with his goals that his mistakes are often as great as his achievements.
Yes there are countless videos that have been seen before in the film but the way the film starts and ends is a thing of beauty, scale and understanding of Senna's outlook on life and his racing.
The fact I watched it in the Electric in Birmingham with a glass of red and a home made cake added to this theatrical story.
It showed how a man can become so fixated with his goals that his mistakes are often as great as his achievements.
Yes there are countless videos that have been seen before in the film but the way the film starts and ends is a thing of beauty, scale and understanding of Senna's outlook on life and his racing.
The fact I watched it in the Electric in Birmingham with a glass of red and a home made cake added to this theatrical story.
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