SENNA Review

Ayrton Senna was one of the great Formula One racers of modern times. That's something I did not know prior to seeing this film. One thing I did know prior to seeing it is that "Senna" is one of the great sports documentaries of modern times. Great in reputation, anyhow - the sufficient handful of reviews that I happened to glance upon paint the film as nothing short of roaringly excellent. And so, with expectations solidly raised, I approached the starting line.
Comprised mainly of grainy archival footage spanning Senna's spectacular career (1984-1994), and valiantly not relying on talking head interviews (although there is minimal narration), "Senna" is a terrifically crafted piece of work that is easily recommendable to all. Notice I did not say that it is one of the greats. It may've fallen slightly short of my heightened expectations, but don't misunderstand, it is still very, very good.

Hailing from impoverished Brazil, Ayrton Senna is depicted as a racer pure of heart, uncomfortably a part of an industry that is driven not by full-throttle talent on the track, but by politics and money. Senna loves his home of Brazil, proudly proclaiming his heritage when most would shun it. Likewise, when Senna publicly proclaims his thanks to God, it does not play as the usual interpreted platitudes of wealthy professional athletes looking to save face by tipping their hats to the Almighty. Senna started a charitable organization to help the children of his country, but more importantly, he drove very fast and very well, bringing joy and hope to his hometown people. That, at least, is the Senna of director Asif Kapadia's film - and I'm not inclined to doubt any of it.

"Senna" works to play up the increasing antagonism between fellow racer Alain Prost, a French champion dubbed "the professor", due to his proven method of winning via exploiting the politics and points system of Formula One. Prost is the Apollo Creed of the piece, even if Senna, hailing from a background of privilege, can never be Rocky. This key relationship is where the film warrants a yellow flag from me. The film hinges far too much upon the Senna/Prost rivalry to relegate "the professor" to the role of the real life "villain" (even if he has no mustache to twirl), particularly when it leaves us with an eleventh hour demonstration of character complexity. Perhaps an equal-time Senna/Prost documentary would've been the better approach to true sports documentary greatness. Perhaps, but that's not "Senna". "Senna" is, at the finish line, a film that deserves to celebrated for what it is, and not criticized for what it could've been, nor uselessly inflated through hyperbole.

It's true that, in my estimation, other critics have descended upon "Senna" like an overly anxious pit crew, rushing to crown the film a champion. On one hand that's fine - I'm glad they liked it - but on the other hand, despite the project's breathtaking onboard camera footage (zipping us along at 300 kph) and its satisfying portrayal of Brazil's racing hero, the truth is that "Senna", in its construction, is utilizing formula number one of such documentaries. It comfortably travels from humble beginnings to the climb to glory, to the time at the top to the legacy of the subject without breaking a sweat. And again, that's fine; just don't expect a high-octane shift change in the world of documentaries. "Senna" is plenty satisfying as it is.

- Jim Tudor