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23/06/2011
REVIEW By EWAN KENNEDY
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I have to admit shedding a gentle tear in the early hours of May 2, 1994. The news that Ayrton Senna was dead stunned me, and I know from speaking to many male friends afterwards that they had exactly the same emotions. When I tell you that two of these Australian guys had already named their sons Ayrton you will get some idea of the deep respect that car racing enthusiasts felt towards the Brazilian driver. Possibly the greatest driver of the modern era, perhaps the greatest of all time.
Watching TV late the previous evening, I witnessed Senna’s crash at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. My immediate reaction was that it looked like ‘just another’ F1 crash. Sure it happened at high speed, but the Williams racing car hit the crash barrier at a favourable angle and I full expected Senna to climb out of the wreckage, wave to the crowd and climb onto the back of an official’s motor scooter for a lift back to the pits. No one realised that a horrible twist of fate had pushed a suspension component into just the wrong area at the top of the car’s cockpit…
I’ve just been to at preview of a documentary movie, simply called ‘Senna’ - the makers knew the name was enough and there was no need to expand the title beyond that.
Grand Prix enthusiasts around the globe still lament the fact that three-time F1 World Champion Ayrton Senna had not lived to battle against the likes of Nigel Mansell and Michael Schumacher. Even today, 17 years after Senna’s death, F1 followers still get involved in “what-if…” conversations at races, during barbies, or over a wine at dinner.
I don’t believe you need to love cars and racing to appreciate this brilliantly produced documentary of a fascinating man. I recommend the movie ‘Senna’ to everyone who enjoys a superb human interest documentary. The Brazilian was good-looking, passionate, full of life and planned to win every time he got into a race car.
He was also a complex man and many were sceptical when Senna described how he saw God when he had a car screaming at its limit on the ragged edge of being out of control.
‘Senna’ begins with the early days of his karting career, but soon moves into Formula One. Obviously there’s a huge amount of video material on Senna’s racing days, but the makers of the movie also had access to previously unseen family videos during his childhood and later when he achieved celebrity status.
Ayrton Senna is shown enjoying the beach, flirting with gorgeous women, joking during TV interviews, and spending time with his family. He did a lot of charity work during the latter years of his turbulent life, work that continues to this day through Instituto Ayrton Senna which has helped millions of street children in Brazil escape grinding poverty.
There’s also footage of an angry Senna having disputes with F1 and FIA officials, as well as disagreeing violently with his arch-rival, Frenchman Alain Prost, on track and off.
‘Senna’ will be introduced to a star-studded audience at a special preview on July 20, hosted by the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, with Universal Pictures, at the Crown Complex in Melbourne. The national release will be on August 11 and special events may be held in other major population centres to introduce this stunning docu-drama. |
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