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Sunday, August 21, 2011
MOVIE REVIEW
Senna
Purity, Innocence, Good Speed And Godspeed
Three-times Formula One Racing World Champion Ayrton Senna, in a moment from
Asif Kapadia's documentary "Senna" .
ESPN/Universal
by
Omar P.L. Moore/PopcornReel.com
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Sunday,
August 21, 2011
"Senna", which expanded its release two days ago in additional U.S. cities,
isn't just about racing.
Asif Kapadia's absorbing, moving documentary is a fascinating look at a man
whose purity and energy were geared (figuratively and literally) to two ultimate
higher powers: the power of winning and the power of God, both of which
three-time world champion Formula 1 racing driver Ayrton Senna had deep,
unambiguous relationships with. Mr. Senna, whose life was a very brief 34
years, was one of the foremost athletes (Muhammad Ali, Kareem Abdul-Jabaar among
others) whose faith and belief in a higher power were sincere and redoubtable.
Composed almost entirely of archival footage from the 1980s and 90s, "Senna" has
the full-bloodied structure of a feature film: its titular protagonist, a
handsome, near-fearless, determined figure revered in his native Brazil; its
suave politicking French antagonist rival Alain Prost; its Darth Vader (Formula
1 President Jean-Marie Balestre); its Yoda-type elder advisor (Mr. Senna's
doctor Sid Watkins); its empires of race-car teams (McLaren, Williams-Renault,
etc.) The film's remaining significant players -- those that
300-mile-an-hour racecar drivers inevitably attract -- are the beautiful women
drawn to Mr. Senna, a ladies' man extraordinaire aka God's vessel.
The multifaceted Ayrton Senna was a relatively naïve fish swimming in the
shark-infested, corrupt waters of Formula 1 after joining the racing powerhouse
of McLaren and butted heads with his nemesis Mr. Prost. Mr. Senna had
amassed miraculous racing victories, coming from nearly dead-last to win races
or narrowly lose them. Mr. Senna, a ruthless competitor with an otherwise
pure heart and spirit, didn't care for the politics of the sport and sought only
its passion. He cared about his fellow man, and "Senna" shows us Mr.
Senna's compassion, drive and a boyish, childlike innocence.
The film shows concrete divisions between Mr. Senna's heart and head. He
is shocked and saddened by the casualties that Formula 1 race driving brings,
yet his steadfast commitment to winning at any and all costs blinds him in a way
akin to hubris. If Icarus flew too close to the sun, Ayrton Senna drove
too fast that he flew to heaven.
You may feel that God was constantly with Mr. Senna on the racetrack as he
describes the aftermath of winning and thriving under incredible circumstances.
The driver wills himself to be the best he can be with such a ferocious,
blinding hunger. A higher power and consciousness takes over. Was it
truly as profound and elementary as that?
Enormously moving and powerful, "Senna" masterfully fuses the engine of
competition via remarkable point-of-view cameras on Mr. Senna's vehicle, with
the unquenchable thirst for justice and the rock-star mega-wattage of a Michael
Jackson or Elvis Presley. "Senna" reveals a charismatic wunderkind ahead
of his time, a figure saintly yet complex, a sportsman fierce but gentle, and a
generous soul who pre-visualized the end but never forgot the less fortunate or
where he came from.
Mr. Kapadia keeps the focus on Mr. Senna, breaking from traditional documentary
talking-head theater, investing many moments with intimate voice-overs that
don't break a stride. Formula 1 racing fans (like myself) will relish
seeing the likes of racing greats Nikki Lauda, Jackie Stewart, Emerson
Fittipaldi, Nigel Mansell and Michael Schumacher, among others. Non-fans
will be riveted by the visceral, dangerous and excitement of thrilling,
death-defying drives from which great suspense and tension arise.
Aside from "When We Were Kings", "Senna" may be the only sports documentary that
covers the bases so thoroughly but in a more balanced manner than any.
Every angle of Mr. Senna's life is captured. There's a
David-versus-Goliath battle here that has many dimensions and an explosive Greek
tragedy. The ending packs one of the most devastating punches I've ever
felt from the big screen. The sobering conclusion and graphic descriptions
are especially tough to stomach. Shattering. I thought about those
final few minutes for two weeks, and still do.
"Senna", one of the year's best films, entertains like a high-wired,
extra-kinetic action movie, hitting hard with all the force and speed of the
electrifying cars that shred the sound barrier, roaring relentlessly like muted,
vibrating primal screams. Mr. Kapadia does superbly well and knows the
heartbeat and moods of his subject so well. He neither deifies nor
demonizes Ayrton Senna. The amazing footage and the man speak loudly for
themselves.
"Senna" is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture
Association Of America for strong language and disturbing content. The film's running time is one hour and
46 minutes.
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