Senna (The Movie)

By far the best movie I have ever seen. I would've watched it 20 times over again had I had the time to drive into manhatten every day. It was great seeing guys with their wives and kids to see it. I know it brought more than just a few tears to mine and my father's eyes along with everyone else in the theater. The post movie debate over who was going to win this season was damn awesome. Just a bunch of f1 fans and not a single person that would be staring in confusion.
 
Spoiler: Only highlight text below if you have already seen the movie!



Don't want to spoil it for those who haven't seen it, but for people wanting to watch part of it again there's an hour-long segment of the movie up on YouTube currently.
 
F1 fan
I was lead to believe that the blu ray version was a few minutes longer. Maybe I'm wrong.
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106 minutes (theatrical)
162 minutes (extended)

The theatrical version has not been released on BD (only on DVD), which is a decision I don't understand.
 
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squirlybmx
By far the best movie I have ever seen. I would've watched it 20 times over again had I had the time to drive into manhatten every day. It was great seeing guys with their wives and kids to see it. I know it brought more than just a few tears to mine and my father's eyes along with everyone else in the theater. The post movie debate over who was going to win this season was damn awesome. Just a bunch of f1 fans and not a single person that would be staring in confusion.
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👍 100% same feeling here man :sly:
 
Sach_F1
Spoiler: Only highlight text below if you have already seen the movie!



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1. How can there possibly be a spoiler in the most well known racing story of all time?
2. That wasn't a spoiler, I'm sure people can make the decision for themselves.
 
Paulie Walnuts
106 minutes (theatrical)
162 minutes (extended)

The theatrical version has not been released on BD (only on DVD), which is a decision I don't understand.
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What do you think I is? More clips? I hope so!
 
Paulie Walnuts
106 minutes (theatrical)
162 minutes (extended)

The theatrical version has not been released on BD (only on DVD), which is a decision I don't understand.
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I wouldn't understand it either however it doesn't matter because the theatrical version is on Blu-Ray, along with everything else.
 
boiltheocean
I wouldn't understand it either however it doesn't matter because the theatrical version is on Blu-Ray, along with everything else.
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You must talking about the recent UK (and soon US) release(s) then? I didn't know about it. 105 is the length in couple of places and if that is correct, then great. But afaik the earlier international BD release was extended-only.

Mac K
Any word on a North American release date?
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20 Dec (?): http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Senna-Blu-ray/34073/
 
Paulie Walnuts
You must talking about the recent UK (and soon US) release(s) then? I didn't know about it. 105 is the length in couple of places and if that is correct, then great. But afaik the earlier international BD release was extended-only.
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Ahhh I was unaware of the international releases, I am indeed talking of the UK Blu-Ray.
 
Got the extended version on blu ray for Christmas, brilliant. SENNA is one of the most touching and revealing pieces of cinema I have ever seen.

It's fascinating inside the driver briefings before the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix when Senna walks out in anger as Balestre tries to keep control, the interviews with Prost are a fascinating insight and Imola 1994 is documented in a very human perspective.

Showing the garage's and drivers reactions as Barrichello and Ratzenberger have their accidents is powerful, really puts you in their shoes. Though for me the most chilling moment is the pictures of Martin Donnelly's crash at Jerez in 1990. Seeing him motionless middle of the track, cars driving around him... it's a miracle he survived and it makes for painful viewing. Overall it's an amazing piece of Cinema, gut-wrenching yet captivating.
 
Paulie Walnuts
Basically just interviews interrupting the flow of the film. Less is sometimes more. But that's just my opinion.
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This. I already had the dvd, but picked up the blu ray just recently. The flow of the film is destroyed. If anyone else is thinking of picking up the blu ray, watch the theatrical version first (assuming you haven't seen it already) then you can watch the extended version. It'll probably be the only time you ever watch it though.
 
F1 fan
This. I already had the dvd, but picked up the blu ray just recently. The flow of the film is destroyed. If anyone else is thinking of picking up the blu ray, watch the theatrical version first (assuming you haven't seen it already) then you can watch the extended version. It'll probably be the only time you ever watch it though.
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The Blu-ray is just extra interviews?
 
I like the extra interviews. Granted they maybe could have cut them in better, but I think it added more depth to the whole thing.
 
When I watched this movie, it made me realise why he was greater than Schumacher or Prost or Lauda or Hamilton or Vettel or Alonso. The movie captivates so much relevant material to F1 - the politics, the drivers and the money which is something that is kept behind closed doors nowadays.

The movie also made me angry with how F1 is run with how Senna was cheated out of a championship and how inconsistent F1 can be. I love F1 especially this year's season but the movie made me realise that this season was nothing compared to the Senna era and the late 80s and early 90s glory days.

The movie made me even more angry with how F1 is nowadays with how 'unpure' it is with DRS, KERS and inconsistent penalties. The days of raw racing with turbo, frequent passing and raw driving skill to control cars seem long gone. It seems that mechanical grip is long gone and how everything seems too gimmicky.

Further to this, we are all in favour safety and how much safety has evolved. Tech Pro barriers at Monaco +1 but the level of safety they employ for rain races seems far too high. For example at the Canada Race this year, the race was started and restarted on rolling starts. I know safety is paramount but in fact with a rolling start - its not justified in its safety as they actually heading into turn one with a higher speed, bigger spray and more of a chance of aquaplaning. F1 needs to put give fans what they want and not just the new fans who have been excited with F1 this year but the long term fans who have seen the days of the old and the days of new and can only feel disappointed. For example, Nascar has risen in ratings hugely this year with less frequent and trivial penalties, the 'overdrive rule' and double file restarts. Nascar like F1 has not had a death fortunately for over ten years - testament to their respective safety advances. For sure we can look at MotoGP and IndyCar and say how can we relax our safety procedures in F1 but the risk is always there especially to the head and in 200 mph racing, you cannot deny that someone will unfortunately perish.

Nascar has put racing back into the fans' hands after they have done their bit with the COT: its time for F1 to do the same.
 
pezzarinho17
Ironically, this is what i respected the most about the film. You have between 90 and 120 minutes to showcase senna, so most people would just show all of his greatest drives. But i think this films strongest aspect is that they understand most people watching the film are already very aware of senna's talents at the wheel and have probably already seen the drives already. The races that were shown were the important landmark drives that meant the most to senna or in any f1 drivers career with insight into the race, usually from senna himself and aided by the american journalist (williams). For a younger admirer of senna who was not around to actually see him race, it was great to see all of the private footage and media appearances he made which show his character far more than shots of him driving cars ever could. This is all missed when spending hours watching old videos of his races, youtube clips or bbc highlights every now and again.
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👍

pezzarinho17
i always just thought they were as bad as one another in trying to swing things their own way and winning at the expense of each other... Ultimately it was unfortunately a death that ended that rivalry. You'd hope that years later once senna retired that they'd have settled the disputes and embraced the rivalry as being finished, though never exactly best friends.
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They did settle their differences before his death (sort of). During the 1993 season the last time they both were on the podium (last for each) Senna pulled Prost and Berger up onto the top step with him. Prost was also one of Senna's pall bearers at his funeral. So while they didn't exactly become buddies the coldness(?) toward each other had passed.

hun200kmh
xuxa -she was gorgeous, and that litle moment on live tv showed a don juanesque senna i didn't know. Found it funny. And a bit creepy that she gave him good-wish kisses for all years to come, stopping in the 1993 kiss.
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A bit creepy? When I saw it I thought "That B***h just cursed him" :(

ardius
Nothing is said through the entire film about senna's ruthless methods on track, particularly crowding other cars off track and turning into other cars when they try to overtake. A good deal of the film dicusses the rivalry with prost but crucially neglects to mention the infamous incident at estoril in 1988 where senna crowded prost towards the pitwall to try and prevent him passing!
This makes the suzuka 1989 collision appear to be the first time they come together and in so doing begins to paint prost in a very negative light. It doesn't setup any sense of wrong doing from senna and so to me suggests that prost had no reason to turn in and go that far in preventing him passing. It basically suggest prost started it all in 1989.
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It was the first time they had collided. What I thought it showed was Prost panicking, turning in early when he was all but passed.

chqr
For example at the canada race this year, the race was started and restarted on rolling starts. I know safety is paramount but in fact with a rolling start - its not justified in its safety as they actually heading into turn one with a higher speed, bigger spray and more of a chance of aquaplaning.
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Yes higher speed, Yes bigger spray, Yes a higher chance of aquaplaning.
I think what you are missing is that they are all traveling at similar speeds and if someone has mechanical problems they have momentum to move off to the side. With a standing start if someone has those same issues they become stuck on the grid. By the time the backmarkers are reaching the fromt off the grid they are doing 100+ MPH and a collision with a stationary car that most likely will be unseen is a lot more dangerous than hitting a slightly slower mobile car.

Anyway I loved the movie and have seen the first 3/4 of it many many times (can't bring myself to watch the end often).
 
Such an amazing movie, just so well done in virtually all areas. Perhaps the protrayal of the Prost rivalry was overly biased, but in a movie telling Senna's story that's to be expected imo. There's only one real complaint I have, that it only leaves you begging for more footage.................the fact that the directors had the privalege of seeing so much content up at Biggin Hill, a good chunk of which will never, ever be seen by the regular viewer.........and less than 2 hours of it all gets on the big screen :guilty: This isn't the directors' faults of course, the blame lies squarely with Bernie Ecclestone, his OCD and his charging of ridiculous sums of money...........le sigh. Still, even then there was some real gems of footage in there, especially the driver/Balestre meetings - they blew me away more than the racing footage, haha.
 
TRGTspecialist
Such an amazing movie, just so well done in virtually all areas. Perhaps the protrayal of the Prost rivalry was overly biased, but in a movie telling Senna's story that's to be expected imo. There's only one real complaint I have, that it only leaves you begging for more footage.................the fact that the directors had the privalege of seeing so much content up at Biggin Hill, a good chunk of which will never, ever be seen by the regular viewer.........and less than 2 hours of it all gets on the big screen :guilty: This isn't the directors' faults of course, the blame lies squarely with Bernie Ecclestone, his OCD and his charging of ridiculous sums of money...........le sigh. Still, even then there was some real gems of footage in there, especially the driver/Balestre meetings - they blew me away more than the racing footage, haha.
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Pretty much this, exactly. 👍
 
I just watched this tonight, so I am a bit late to the party.

I get it was portrayed from a specific perspective, so I don't take it to be a complete picture of the man. Nevertheless, I found it very fluent and insightful into what made him tick, and how philosophical he was about racing. It also brought back a flood of memories from GP back in that era; the leery slides, the ridiculously open cockpits and the fine line walked between beauty and tragedy.

I couldn't help getting choked up seeing the footage of Ratzenburger's and then Senna's crashes. It took me back to when I was watching quali and the race live....

A very emotional movie, but beautifully put together.
 
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TRGTspecialist
Such an amazing movie, just so well done in virtually all areas. Perhaps the protrayal of the Prost rivalry was overly biased, but in a movie telling Senna's story that's to be expected imo. There's only one real complaint I have, that it only leaves you begging for more footage.................the fact that the directors had the privalege of seeing so much content up at Biggin Hill, a good chunk of which will never, ever be seen by the regular viewer.........and less than 2 hours of it all gets on the big screen :guilty: This isn't the directors' faults of course, the blame lies squarely with Bernie Ecclestone, his OCD and his charging of ridiculous sums of money...........le sigh. Still, even then there was some real gems of footage in there, especially the driver/Balestre meetings - they blew me away more than the racing footage, haha.
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I think only the couple of extra angles and footage at Imola I hadn't seen before - especially the bits with Sid Watkins and Roland Ratzenberger. Those driver meetings have been on youtube before. To be honest, the film doesn't show that much new footage.

The problem isn't that the footage isn't released, its more that its not collected together in one public place and easily viewable. You either have to attempt to collect it all yourself through torrents or whatever or try to catch glimpses on youtube.
 
Ardius
The problem isn't that the footage isn't released, its more that its not collected together in one public place and easily viewable. You either have to attempt to collect it all yourself through torrents or whatever or try to catch glimpses on youtube.
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Even then though, it's rumoured that Bernie has not only had the world feeds for all sessions from the past 3 decades stored up at Biggin Hill, but also all the footage from every camera, for every single session. So there's bound to be a LOT of stuff that hasn't been seen by the wider public. Not that any of this would show anything radical or groundbreaking, but still...........to get access to all of that would be mesmerising.
 
Endless-Wilso
Yes i can confirm it is up on Netflix 1:45 min's accordingly for those needing to see it $8.99 (last ive seen) subscription or free trial
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It's on Google too... and it's in my computer's memory. Guess how much I paid!
 
I'm currently watching it on my TV it's incredible the sound the engine makes when onboard of Sennas Mclaren is brutal....
 

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