It’s superb.
In the sporting world, the greatest rivalries have the ability to transcend their sport.
Borg and McEnroe was the perfect example of this because their temperaments and styles couldn’t have been any more different. On one side of the court, you had Borg and his cool and emotionless demeanor. Facing him was McEnroe , a pitbull that fought for every ball and was famous for his court-side tantrums.
Their clashes weren’t just about sport, there was something more to them, a human aspect that gripped everyone that was watching.
There are endless examples like this in sport, but one documentary encapsulates this idea better than most, Asif Kapadia’s superb Bafta-winning film, Senna, which is now on Netflix UK.
This being said, the documentary is not just about cars.
Senna explores the life and work of triple world champion Ayrton Senna, his physical and spiritual achievements on the track, his quest for perfection and the mythical status he has since attained.
Far more than a film for F1 fans, the documentary unfolds a remarkable story in a remarkable manner, eschewing many standard documentary techniques in favor of a more cinematic approach that makes full use of astounding footage, much of which is drawn from F1 archives and previously unseen.
Simply put, Senna was a maverick.
During his career on the track, the Brazilian driver was a risk taker that did things his own way. In the world of Formula 1, he was the closest thing to a rock star.
In the other lane was Alain Prost, a remarkably gifted French driver that became a four-time Formula One Drivers’ champion. On the track, the two men enjoyed some epic races, but away from the grid, their personalities couldn’t have been any more different.
The documentary features rare footage from the F1 archives and contributions from fellow racing stars that knew Senna best.
Again, if you think that this documentary is just about sport, you’re wrong.
In their review of the film, the LA Times said that “Senna is a documentary with the pace of a thriller, a story of motors and machines that is beyond compelling because of the intensely human story it tells.” Empire had similar praise when they said that it’s “ambitiously constructed, deeply compelling, thrilling and in no way only for those who like watching cars drive in circles.”
The Sydney Morning Herald really did describe it perfectly by saying that “this is documentary filmmaking quite unlike any other: a tale of triumph over adversity, of victory and tragedy, visually presented as riveting, explosive drama. Senna is essential viewing.
