By Paco McCullough
Aryton Senna was a madman. The Formula One driver pushed himself and his vehicles to limits that no one had reached before. The excellent documentary named for him does not exceed convention in the way that Senna did, but it was still an incredibly powerful film. Powerful enough for even a person who has no interest in car racing to be completely blown away.
SENNA begins at the start of Aryton's career. We watch as within a matter of two or three years he has risen from a nobody to one of the top stars of the league. He could control his car in a way no other drivers could, particularly when driving in the rain. The majority of scenes with him driving are impressive, if fairly conventional. There are incredible exceptions to this though, such as footage from a race where Senna drove the last 7 laps stuck in 6th gear and the impact that had on his body.
Where SENNA really takes off though, is in it's examination of Senna's life off the track. A majority of the film is about his competition with sometime teammate Alain Prost. Their rivalry grows over the course of the film, and the dynamic between these two men is one of the most intriguing elements of the film.
There are many other elements that also take up portions of the film- Senna's refusal to submit to the politics of the sport, his status as a national hero of Brazil, his desire to help the community. These all help to give the viewer a better understanding of Ayrton Senna, which makes his untimely death all the more tragic. The film includes the actual footage of Senna's crash, which is incredibly powerful after really becoming invested in this man and his story. I would not be surprised if this gets the Best Documentary Oscar. Check it out.
4.5 out of 5 stars
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