"Senna" the movie - thoughts or opinions?

For those that have watched the movie, what are your impressions? Admittedly, I was a touch disappointed. They really didn't go into much that wasn't already known. I kind of wish they would have at least covered some of the time before F1. They sort of made it look like he went straight from karts right into F1. The movie also made Prost look like a real jerk and did a good job showing the politics of F1.

As a racing documentary, it's a four-star movie. Really good...maybe best ever.

As a biographical documentary, it's a two-star movie. Not much mention of him outside the racing. Did he have kids? A wife? What about his development work on the NSX? What's with that fruity hair? These are things I left the movie wishing that I knew.

I think it was great, about as much as you could fit into the time available. It was obviously very pro Senna in it's point of view, but what do you expect from a film called 'Senna' that had been given the go ahead by his family and God (AKA Bernie)? There were a couple of places where they may not have lied, but at the least mislead by omission.

First the animosity betwen Senna and Prost relly flaired up when they had an agreement that whoever got to the first corner first had, it and they would not race each other. Senna ignored that and the relationship went down hill from there on.

Second they made it seem that it was a last minute bait and switch on what side Pole Position was at Suzuka. That wasn't really case. The Pole had always been on that side. Senna requested to the stewards that it be swapped which they did without the correct authority. The FIA then reversed it and put it back to where it should have been. The FIA didn't change it, they changed it back, and in that one case were right to do.

That's not to defend JMB. He was a complete tool by any measure and ran F1 in such an arbitary way it makes you think that Bernie, Max Mosley and Jean Todt are calm rational fair minded people. The FIA for a long time was massivily biased towards the French, French teams and drivers.

I loved that it was entirely of period footage. No talking heads in an office somewhere, though there were modern voice-overs. I imagine it would be hard to tell a story with more breadth in that same way.

I agree with Tom's four/two star assessment.

Anyway, it was supremely entertaining. I loved learning the details of the guy my whole family was in love with when I was growing up, and understanding more completely why that red and white Marlboro car was such a big deal. Yes, he really was that big a hero for Brazil.

There is a longer version available, about 3 hours, and it will be on the DVD when it comes out along with the theatrical version.

I found it online via the torrents, but only because I can't buy it, yet.

i loved it. my wife, who does not share my passion for car stuff, also loved it.

i had only started watching F1 in '93, so my knowledge of the sport begins about where the movie ends.

I liked it and thought it was a good documentary, as far as it went. It made me want to know more, but it would probably take reading a book or two to understand all the events.

My wife IS a car/race lover, but I recommended to her that she not see it. It is just too graphic, tragic and sad. Racing is an enjoyable hobby to the two of us, and the movie is a real downer on the sport in several ways.

I bought a copy off eBay, it will be at the challenge

I haven't seen the full-length version yet, but I thoroughly enjoyed the "short" one. Yeah, some of the details are off, but it wasn't really made for "us". As a film buff, I was really impressed by the editing..sometimes a drama, sometimes an action film. I do wish they'd paid a little more attention to the fact that Senna & Prost were beginning to reconcile when Senna died (IIRC, Prost is still on the board of the Senna Foundation).

I've also found the film has a much more profound impact on the non-racers than it has on racers. And Basil's right..the coverage of Imola weekend is pretty graphic..but IMO it's to bring home why Senna's protests about safety were so important.

As someone who wasn't really watching a lot of F1 in Senna heyday (born in '84), I enjoyed it immensely. Though, I too noticed that his family was not mentioned much, and is is VERY anti Prost.

AngryCorvair wrote: i loved it. my wife, who does not share my passion for car stuff, also loved it. i had only started watching F1 in '93, so my knowledge of the sport begins about where the movie ends.

Ditto on both fronts. My wife enjoyed it almost as much as I did.

Also, as someone mentioned, the period footage was great. The in-car camera footage was insane!

My wife loved it, as did I. I took her, my dad and my uncle (both racers at Hallett back when I was little) to see it.

I can wait to see the extended version (didn't know there was one!)

I liked to footage of the drivers meetings. Felt like some of the meetings I've been too. The one toward the end where they made a change to the course on a vote of the drivers was cool.