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Ayrton Senna, Reginaldo Leme, Richard Williams, John Bisignano, Pierre van Vliet ... see more see more... , Alain Prost , Ron Dennis , Frank Williams , Neyde Senna , Viviane Senna , Sid Watkins , Jackie Stewart , Milton da Silva , Neide Senna

Spanning his years as a Formula One racing driver from 1984 to his untimely death a decade later, Senna explores the life and work of the triple world champion, his physical and spiritual achievements... read more read more... on the track, his quest for perfection and the mythical status he has since attained. -- (C) Official Site

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96% liked it

13,555 ratings

Critics

92% liked it

115 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 44 min.

Directed by: Asif Kapadia

Release Date: August 12, 2011

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DVD Release Date: March 6, 2012

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Flixster Reviews (1,502)

  • kiriyamakazou
    May 23, 2012
    kiriyamakazou
    Senna tells the tragic tale of Ayrton Senna. Often considered the greatest F1 driver of his generation, Senna was successful at his chosen sport, as well as raising the profile thanks to media coverage. This documentary is compiled of only archive footage with voice overs from th... read moreose involved. This successfully captures the time period. Kapadia, manages to compile the footage so that he actually tells a fairly straight forward narrative.This makes it exciting, even for those with no interest in the sport. He has the rise and fall, conflict, and an antagonist in Prost. What he doesn't do is vilify Prost, nor does he make Senna out to be some kind of saint. Prost's frustration is completely understandable, as Senna begins to make a few too many risks. The film builds to its obvious emotional climax, but some how avoids being completely predictable. Informative, passionate, and entertaining, this does more than a documentary needs to.
  • fb1672039553
    May 19, 2012
    fb1672039553
    It is the overall access with video footage that makes this an extraordinary documentary of a man against the "darker forces." We see Senna take a stand against the president of the racing organization and win, once with fellow racers on his side and another time with the public.... read more He couldn't help but strive for what is best. Though I'm not a follower of the sport, this was more about the man than the talent, and he leaves a lasting impression.
  • blacksheepboy
    April 27, 2012
    blacksheepboy
    An enthralling, heartbreaking documentary using only archive material and old interviews with the pilot and people who knew him. It is quite revealing and fascinating to see the human side of an admirable man who was the greatest idol of a nation facing a major economical and pol... read moreitical crisis back then.
  • aquateen2
    March 31, 2012
    aquateen2
    [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img]

    It's just utterly unforgivable that Senna did not win the Oscar for best documentary at the 84th Academy Awards, let alone even recieve a nomination in the category. That goes to show how bad these award... read more shows are put together when they overlook a film as good as this. Senna is a brilliantly told tale about one of the greatest F1 racers of all time and is both emotional and powerful. Although I have little interest in formula one racing, I found this film completely awe inspiring.
  • fb1378820053
    March 14, 2012
    fb1378820053
    Fantastic Documentary on the life of F1 Legend Aryton Senna, whether your a Race fan or not (Which i'm not) you will still enjoy this film, with it's Full Throttle thrills and emotions. One of the best sporting Documentary's for a long time..
  • axadntpron
    February 1, 2012
    axadntpron
    For someone who has little to no interest in Formula 1 racing, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this film. How the filmmaker sorted through all of that footage to create such a tightly structured film is quite a feat. So don't let the plot synopsis turn you away from checkin... read moreg this film out. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
  • fb7018436
    January 10, 2012
    fb7018436
    Using a mixture of historical footage and recent interviews with the people involved it captures the spirit of and what made him so great. By the end you will most likely be in tears for the legend that was taken from the world well before his time.
  • mrbungle7821
    December 30, 2011
    mrbungle7821
    I have never been a fan of racing of any sorts, be it horse or NASCAR or Formula One, the subject of the biographical documentary, Senna. So naturally I never felt like I'd been interested in a documentary about Ayrto Senna, the brilliant Brazilian driver who was the head of the ... read morepack. I was wrong. Even non-fans like myself can get enjoy Senna, a lean doc that doesn't waste a second. In fact, never do talking heads, interviews, or reenactments enter the frame. The movie is completely made up of archival footage, some of it astonishing like Senna's dashboard recordings that immerse you into his world of speed. The vintage race footage is thrilling. The film ably portrays the driver's life, his passion, his controversies with league officials who disliked the young man's style, his competition with rivals, and his impact on the sport. Here's an instance where being completely ignorant of the subject and its sport will come in handy, since you don't know what befalls Senna, though most will be able to pick up the ominous tones and markings of tragedy. This is a doc that just flies by with skill, precision, and enthusiasm, much like its charismatic and confounding subject.

    Nate's Grade: B+
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    September 7, 2011
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "No Fear. No Limits. No Equal."

    A documentary on Brazilian Formula One racing driver Ayrton Senna, who won the F1 world championship three times before his death at age 34

    REVIEW

    It tells the s... read moretory of Brazilian Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna's time in the sport. He arrived in Europe as an unknown go-karter but his talent was obvious and he soon joined Formula 1. He graduated from the small Toleman team to the more prestigious Lotus and finally to McLaren where he was a team mate of Alain Prost. They were the two best drivers at the time and their rivalry was so intense that they eventually stopped speaking to one another after many racing incidents between them.

    The best parts of the movie are the brilliant race footage and the many interviews with Senna at various stages of his career. Senna was remarkably frank in describing his feelings about the internal politics of Formula 1. There is also great footage of pre-race drivers meetings. At these Senna wasn't slow in expressing his feelings at what he saw as the favouritism of the FIA authorities towards Prost. All commentary and interviews are included as voice-over or sub-titles. There are no "talking heads".

    Senna comes across as an unusual character in Formula 1. People such as McLaren boss Ron Dennis and chief F1 doctor Sid Watkins speak of what a great man he was, as well as being a great driver. There is plenty of footage of Senna's personal life, including his charitable work in Brazil and a fascinating clip from a Brazilian TV show where the blonde presenter unashamedly chats him up! Unfortunately most people watching the movie will be aware of how tragically it ends. The fatal weekend at Imola is covered in depth from the death of Roland Ratzenberger in practice to on board footage of Senna's final lap during the race. The scenes in Brazil on the return of his body and during his funeral make it clear how important he was to ordinary Brazilians, at a time when they had few reasons to be proud of their country.

    Senna is most definitely the "hero" of this movie and the story is told from his point of view. Perhaps the filmmakers could be accused of some bias of their own. However given the character of the man and his life story they can be forgiven for this. A great movie for followers of motor sport as well as anyone with an interest in fascinating life stories.
  • hobster1
    September 3, 2011
    hobster1
    Riveting documentary on the life and career of Brazilian Formula One racecar driver Ayrton Senna. We are presented with an organized and interesting story, easily enjoyed by the fanatic as well as the casual fan. Filmmaker Asif Kapadia uses archival footage to show what it's lik... read moree to race from the driver's perspective. These scenes are exhilarating. Formula One cars race at speeds of up to 220 mph (360 km/h). I, not knowing anything about Formula One Racing, gained a real appreciation for the talent and skill needed to be successful. You have to essentially memorize the racetrack because the twists and turns come so fast, it's impossible to navigate without having some prior knowledge of what's coming.

    Where the picture truly shines is in the narrative which is built entirely from existing footage from Senna's life. Director Asif Kapadia pored through thousands of hours of film to assemble the brilliantly edited piece of filmmaking here. Senna initially began his career with racing go-karts as a teenager. It clearly was a pivotal time in his life because it laid the groundwork for his life's passion. He refers to kart racing as the purest form of the sport where politics played no part. He wistfully recalls those days a couple times during the story. We get to know the man directly and his own words largely form the structure of his story. Where the picture falls short is in director Kapadia's respectful almost fawning reverence for Senna that sometimes gets in the way of an impartial depiction. But overall, it's absorbing from beginning to end. The tension climaxes to a momentous event at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. It's an emotional conclusion, one you won't soon forget.

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Critic Reviews

Roger Moore
September 19, 2011
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

"Senna" makes a fascinating subject in a pretty entertaining film about a sport that isn't followed that closely by most Americans. But our very ignorance of that subject helps the film and adds to it... Full Review

Christine Champ
September 9, 2011
Christine Champ, Film.com

Captivating, chilling, and surprisingly sublime. Full Review

Lisa Kennedy
August 26, 2011
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

A psychologically intriguing if at times too hagiographic portrait of a man who often held pole position in his profession and felt nearer to God because of it. Full Review

Colin Covert
August 25, 2011
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

There's not an ounce of fat or a wasted shot throughout. Full Review

Bill Goodykoontz
August 25, 2011
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic

You don't have to know anything about car racing at all. Instead, you simply have to like a great story, one that has all the elements: drama, inspiration, competition, victory, defeat, betrayal and, ... Full Review

Anthony Lane
August 22, 2011
Anthony Lane, New Yorker

It's stripped of narration, talking heads, and anything else that might threaten to slow it down. Full Review

Tom Long
August 19, 2011
Tom Long, Detroit News

Even if you can't tell Formula One from Grecian Formula, Senna is pretty exciting stuff. Full Review

Ben Sachs
August 19, 2011
Ben Sachs, Chicago Reader

Most interesting for the way its construction builds on the inherent austerity of auto racing. Full Review

Bruce Demara
August 19, 2011
Bruce Demara, Toronto Star

Real life eclipses fiction in delivering a tale that combines heroism, villainy, suspense and a surprising amount of emotional resonance. Full Review

Ann Hornaday
August 19, 2011
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

What makes "Senna" essential viewing is the propulsive education it provides in one of the world's most popular sports, and the introduction it provides to an extraordinary athlete and human being. Full Review

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Facts

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    • Sid Watkins: [just after Ratzenburger's death] You know Ayrton, you've been 3 times world champion, you're the fastest man in the world, and you like fishing, so, why don't you quit, and i'll quit and we'll just go fishing.
    • Ayrton Senna: Sid. I can't quit.
    • John Bisignano: There's only one word that describes Ayrton's style, and that is: fast. He would take the car beyond it's design capabilities. He would brake later, fly into these corners where the car was just over the edge, and somehow, he could dance and dance with that car, to where it stayed on track.
    • Jackie Stewart: Okay, let me ask you another difficult question: If I were to count back all the world champions, the number of times that they had made contact with other drivers, that you in the last 36 months or 48 months, have been in contact with more other cars and drivers than they might have done in total.
    • Ayrton Senna: I find (it) amazing for you to make such a question Stewart, because you are very expirienced-
    • Jackie Stewart: Hmm...Very.
    • Ayrton Senna: ...And you know a lot about racing. And you should know that by being a racing driver, you are under risks all the time. By being a racing driver means you are racing with other people. And if you no longer go for a gap that exists, you're no longer a racing driver, because we are competing. We are competing to win, and the main motivation to all of us is to compete for victory; it's not to come 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th.
    • Ayrton Senna: Pure driving, pure racing, that's what makes me happy.
    • Ayrton Senna: If you have God on your side, everything becomes clear.
    • Ayrton Senna: Fear is exciting for me.
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