Senna (The Movie)

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In regards to Imola 1989, I remember reading about this in that years Autocar season review. This is what happened according to that magazine.

Prost and Senna made that agreement not to pass in turn one first lap in front of McLaren witnesses. When Prost accused Senna of going back on his word, Senna denied making the agreement. Then one of the witnesses confirmed the agreement and Senna burst into tears and ran away.

Hardly suitable material for a film trying to show off Senna's good points.
 
But the article makes it pretty clear that there is no existing footage of Senna's reactions. If there was footage, it would doubtless be included - but there isn't any.
 
I'm going to see this (Senna, not Inoue) on Sunday afternoon at the GFT.
 
Hun200kmh
misplaced smilie, no?
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No.

I think it's reasonable to joke about the fact that a docu-film about a driver whose story is as famous as Ayrton Senna's life is going to have an ultimately predictable ending.

I hope that doesn't show any lack of respect or imply that I'm not in awe of his talents and achievements.... because I very much am. Do I tiptoe around raw memories? No. This film is a celebration of the man and we should be happy that we have had the opportunity to see him employing his immense gifts on the racetrack.

I'm sure I'm not alone in wishing that Imola 1994 hadn't happened - but we can't change that.
 
Is this only now at the cinemas in UK? I've watched it on my birthday last December. I think the DVD version was released recently.

Great film, must watch it again.
 
The cinema version was released here on the 3rd of June.
 
im 27 so im old enough to remember Senna on the track. He was absolutely ruthless. He was really my first introduction to racing an have been hooked ever since. Probably the most talented driver to ever live. I remember Brands Hatch(?) in the rain where he passed 5 cars on the first lap like it was yesterday and unfortunately Imola in 94. I also remember when he stopped on the track to check on another driver who had crashed risking his life basically, I also remember him crashing Prost to win the title. Senna was a damn engineer in the cockpit. Just a joy to watch everytime he was in the car and i cried like a baby when he passed.
 
One of the last cuts made to the film removed a sequence about Senna’s death. Producer James Gay-Rees said: “We have footage of Senna standing at the corner at Imola a month before he died, during testing, and he is saying, ‘Somebody is going to die at this corner this year.’”

Pandey explained: “In the original treatment it had this section at Imola about Tamburello, explaining that in ’87 [Nelson] Piquet had an accident and walked away, and in ’89 Berger had an accident, had minor burns, and walked away.

“In ’94 Senna was testing there and we had footage of him there, pointing to Tamburello. And we had this cut with Senna pointing out that he wasn’t completely happy and Gerhard talking about how they’d decided they should try to modify it but couldn’t because of the river.

Wow.
 
Watched this afternoon. Oh man, what a sad film and a sad story. Gave me a lump in my throat at the end. I've always been a big admirer of Ayrton, to see the unseen footage was brilliant.

9/10
 
Going to watch the movie tommorow afternoon with a couple of mates from karting.

Really looking forward to it.
 
Looking forward to seeing the film - BBC Radio 5 Live's film review programme picked it as the best film of the week, because apparantly it works for movie fans as well as for motor racing fans. Haven't got anyone to take with me though :indiff:

livemusic
Donington.

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Not to take anything away from Senna's achievements that day, the thing that noone ever mentions about the first lap of the Donington is that whilst Ayrton was busy passing 4 cars in one lap, Rubens Barrichello passed 8 - starting 12th, he was 4th by the end of the first lap, and was running in 3rd when a fuel pressure problem caused his retirement 6 laps from the end... in a Jordan that had a best result that year of 5th.
 
Roo
Not to take anything away from Senna's achievements that day, the thing that noone ever mentions about the first lap of the Donington is that whilst Ayrton was busy passing 4 cars in one lap, Rubens Barrichello passed 8 - starting 12th, he was 4th by the end of the first lap, and was running in 3rd when a fuel pressure problem caused his retirement 6 laps from the end... in a Jordan that had a best result that year of 5th.
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The narrator does mention it at the end of the video.
 
Watched the movie this afternoon. Amazing. I went with a mate of mine from karting. It is just facisinating. Loved it. Lots for words. A great insight into the world and mind of Senna.

Just make sure you have a good view of the bottom of the screen, lots of subtitles.
 
lbsf1
A great insight into the world and mind of Senna.
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Half of the mind of Senna, it barely touches his ruthlessness, he was willing to do anything to win, and the film only makes this seem like "do anything" means "push harder"...when in reality it meant pushing opponents off the track.

I can quickly see I'm going to partly hate this film for adding to the false legend of Senna where he did no wrong. Its like there are two Ayrton Senna's these days. The one everyone seems to know and the one who pushed dirty driving to new limits.

I hate it when "tributes" only praise their subject, this is no tribute, its a fictional story of a man who did not exist. To focus only on the good side is to miss what really made Senna so different to everyone else, the impact he made on and off track and honestly, its more disrespectful than simply only criticising him would be.

But I'm just repeating myself again really - so I may as well once again say that it is a good film and worth watching. But it is horribly flawed and sadly its popularising the legend of the "good" Senna.
 
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Truth. The Senna I watched race makes Michael Schumacher look like a saint.
 
MrMulsanne
Any idea if this will be shown at Vue Cinema's in the UK?
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I watched it at a large vue cinema today.

My local vue is only showing it once on 21st of june. (that seems to be the same date for all the small ones.)
 
Your best bet is to find a small theatre. The 2 main cinemas near me (Odeon and Cineworld) are not showing it. Had to go to a tiny picturehouse next to a fire station. Quirky place.

Loved the film, very moving story with some superb footage. As has been said the unseen stuff is incredible.
 
Sadly the film doesn't seem to have made the General Release list in the UK. When you look at the kak that's on at the moment that's a travesty really :(
 
Does anybody know when the DVD releases? The only time my Vue cinema is showing it is a day I have to work >:[
 
Ardius
Half of the mind of Senna, it barely touches his ruthlessness, he was willing to do anything to win, and the film only makes this seem like "do anything" means "push harder"...when in reality it meant pushing opponents off the track.

I can quickly see I'm going to partly hate this film for adding to the false legend of Senna where he did no wrong. Its like there are two Ayrton Senna's these days. The one everyone seems to know and the one who pushed dirty driving to new limits.

I hate it when "tributes" only praise their subject, this is no tribute, its a fictional story of a man who did not exist. To focus only on the good side is to miss what really made Senna so different to everyone else, the impact he made on and off track and honestly, its more disrespectful than simply only criticising him would be.

But I'm just repeating myself again really - so I may as well once again say that it is a good film and worth watching. But it is horribly flawed and sadly its popularising the legend of the "good" Senna.
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Yeah I agree. Some of the film feels a bit false if you know some of the background events that aren't mentioned, such as the agreement that Senna and Prost had about first corners that Senna broke for instance.

Also for the people who didn't have Senna on at their local. If this film picks up a bit of steam like the excellent Isle Of Man TT documentary then we should see the number of cinemas showing it double.

Plus when I went to see it to my amazement the cinema was full even though there had been multiple showings the same day earlier.
 
That's true... no-one should be under the illusion that this is a warts-and-all representation of Senna the Man, but in only 2 and a half hours that would be a tall order.

The bias is towards Senna as a God-fearing victim of political intrigue and injustice. That's all true, of course, but it's presented as a rather one-sided argument.

That said; it's still an excellent film and a must-see.
 
I disagree, they could have easily presented the true Senna in 90 minutes. But this isn't the purpose of this film - its not a documentary, its been designed as a story.
This is why I say its a good film and I recommend it, because it does a good job of presenting a story with some very vivid imagery.
But people shouldn't be taking this film as some accurate depiction of Senna, as I said earlier in this thread, if you really want to know about the real Senna watch the BBC documentary or the Top Gear tribute.

I personally feel its a shame though that they went for the rather simple story of the fallen hero rather than the perculiar duality that Senna was. You could easily make a great film about Senna being such a strange mix of personality traits. But perhaps it wouldn't be as popular or perhaps people would take the negative side the wrong way.
 
My local cinema is showing 'Fast and Furious 5' rather than the Senna Movie - to quote comic book guy off the Simpsons - Worst. Decision. Ever
 

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