The 2010 film documentary on the life of three-times Formula 1 world champion Ayrton Senna made an impression on one of the actors who stars in a new dramatisation of his life.
“It was wall-to-wall Brazilians in that cinema,” recalled Kaya Scodelario in a recent interview. “They were crying and shouting at the screen every time [Alain] Prost came up. It was the most emotional, passionate cinema experience of my life.”The special place Senna occupies in the hearts of many F1 fans, his native Brazilians especially, can hardly be understated. Now, just past the 30-year anniversary of his death, Netflix is seeking to recreate the success of Asif Kapadia’s 2010 movie, right down to the title, albeit in a six-part scripted series.
This is a novel undertaking in one obvious respect. The arrival of Senna in 2010 prompted a rush of motorsport documentaries from ‘1: Life on the Limit’ to Netflix’s hit series ‘Drive to Survive’. But television producers have largely steered clear of attempting to recreate races, leaving that to the makers of films such as ‘Rush’ and ‘Ford vs Ferrari’ (aka ‘Le Mans 66’).
The programme makers have clearly gone to great lengths to recreate the cars, overalls and other period details. They have also worked hard to recreate famous key incidents faithfully, such as Senna’s collisions with Prost or the barrier at Portier in Monaco.
The special effects are not quite up to ‘Rush’ standards, and that bar is likely to rise even higher when the official ‘F1’ film appears next year. But when ‘Senna’s modern footage is spliced with original video from period the gulf in quality between the two can’t help but distract the eye.
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But for all the effort lavished on the race footage, that is arguably not the point of the series. “Senna”, made with the blessing of his family, is intended to “reveal his personality and personal relationships,” say Netflix. We therefore see more of the other Sennas, his romantic life and professional relationships.
Many of the dramatic highs are supplied by actual events. On top of that there are a few creations which turn significant developments into moments of drama. The FIA assembly at which team principals sombrely declare their drivers for the upcoming season is a useful device to tell the will-he-won’t-he story of Senna’s appearance in the 1990 championship. The karaoke bar scene where Senna and McLaren boss Ron Dennis persuade Honda to supply their engines is a more predictable affair.
The retelling of Senna’s racing career and the circumstances which led to his untimely death covers much the same significant points as the 2010 film, with a few differences. The narrative begins five years earlier, with Senna missing out on the 1979 karting world championship to Peter Koene. FISA (now FIA) president Jean-Marie Balestre is identified from the outset as the malevolent force seeking to undermine Senna, though his motives are never really explored beyond, later, wanting Prost to win.
It’s hard to argue with Balestre being cast as the villain of the piece. But the depiction of Prost, a four-times world champion, as a driver of marginal ability who relied on superior cars to win, is harsh and simplistic. Prost is shown taunting Senna with limp threats (‘I can be lucky in Australia’) and readily agreeing with a journalist who diminishes his driving ability. It borders on Senna fan-fiction at times.
Motorsport fans will find other cases of ‘Senna’ pushing the line between reality and dramatisation too far. Special mention must go to the Martin Brundle fans depicted as something close to football hooligans, which is pure pantomime stuff.
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‘Senna’ is a serviceable, polished drama which is noteworthy for its detailed recreations of key moments of racing action. But it sits in the shadow of the 2010 documentary which told largely the same story more efficiently, accurately and even emotionally.
It’s a testament to the enduring appeal of Senna that interest in his life shows little sign of waning three decades after his death. Another new documentary on his earlier years, this time focusing on his kart racing, is now in production.
“Senna” will be available to view on Netflix from November 29th
Senna series: Official trailer
Senna series: Making the cars
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ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
28th November 2024, 13:57
This relentless Senna hagiography has gotten out of hand. Sure, he was a great driver, but kind of a petulant, entitled rich kid too. Prost always seems to get the short end of the stick, but he was a better sportsman, and just as good a driver. (copy/paste from a few days ago, but more relevant here/now)
Dex
28th November 2024, 16:28
Of course, though same goes for any sportsman being idolized by (overly?) passionate fans; the urge I never felt or truly understood. In cases like this we talk about financial exploitation and nothing else. It’s a chance for random investors to make money, as well as the Senna family selling the rights. It’s business. Most non-Brazilian pundits, experts or whatever we call it will have a more balanced approach to Senna, some even more negative than positive when it comes to his persona.
I was too young to watch and understand F1 back then, being 7 when he died, but I’m pretty sure that I would dislike him, mostly for cultural/mentality reasons, not his driving. But would I still enjoy his presence in F1? Oh yes. And if he was in F1 today, I’d probably support him despite what I said, because I’d take a fascinating anti-hero over a boring, generic, spineless average modern F1 driver any day. F1 needs new Sennas, Prosts, Laudas, Mansells, Alonsos… Verstappen is probably the least generic F1 driver (after Alonso) at the moment, but it just doesn’t compare in this sense.
SPArtacus
28th November 2024, 19:21
Prost evil. Senna saint and bestest, most fastest and most relentlessest driver ever with most prettiest girlfriends! Senna portrayals in a nutshell. I originally really enjoyed the Senna doc because it was something people who knew nothing about F1 could enjoy. And I still do like it, but I have really hated how many people consumed it as an objective and accurate account and the absurd views of both Senna and Prost it created as a result.
Paul McCune
30th November 2024, 20:17
Rubbish Prost was mates with balestri. Plus he was always jump starting and never published. He did drive Into senna in 89. For sure .pre medicated act. I was at those races prost was ruthless. Senna was a victim. But I am glad they reconnected. And I am proud prost carried Ayrton s coffin. He died too soon for sure and still the greatest ever.
StephenH
28th November 2024, 14:12
I really wish they wouldn’t demean Alain Prost so much. He’s a very intelligent man, an outstanding driver and one of the sport’s best.
anon
28th November 2024, 14:25
StephenH, it does seem that many of the more recent Senna documentaries have reduced Prost into a generic “bad guy” stock character, perhaps in part because it makes the narrative so much easier and avoids some of the darker elements of Senna’s career that might spoil the image that has been created for him.
Patrick (@paeschli)
28th November 2024, 14:45
At some point we’ll need a Prost documentary/series to set the record straight. It has the potential to be more interesting, since it isn’t a story that has been told and retold thousand times over.
anon
28th November 2024, 17:07
@paeschli Canal+ did announce last year that they were working on a documentary series about Prost, with the first episode due to be broadcast this December.
However, that series does seem to be directed very much towards the French domestic audience – so it’s perhaps not surprising that few seem to be aware that there is such a series planned, and I suspect that it’s also rather unlikely to get the same sort of attention that the films and documentaries about Senna have received.
SPArtacus
28th November 2024, 19:16
I doubt we’ll get any. It seems the F1 media is solely obsessed with Senna and Lewis when it comes to hagiography and docs in general. The F1 TV channel has about 15 different docs about Lewis. It has zero about Alonso. I think it may have one about Max.
Keith Campbell (@keithedin)
28th November 2024, 15:05
@paeschli A neutral documentary about the careers of both of them and their rivalry, accepting that neither are saints and acknowledging things they did which were underhand would also be appreciated by fans I’m sure. But also, there are so many Senna focused documentaries and dramas now that I think fans would also appreciate if some of the less celebrated drivers and rivalries over the years were explored a bit more.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
28th November 2024, 15:28
I don’t really care about the show but I’m just happy the Crespi family got to do something which the whole world will see, because they are a fantastic race car manufacturer from Argentina.
Maciek (@maciek)
28th November 2024, 19:36
I’m old enough to have ben a big fan of Senna’s since the 80s, but I have just about zero interest in watching the netflixization of his life, or pretty much anyone’s for that matter.
SPArtacus
28th November 2024, 20:31
+1
SpaFrancorchamps (@spafrancorchamps)
28th November 2024, 22:21
I’ve had enough with films and documentaries about Senna. He’s a great driver and that has been well documented already. Leave it behind and move on.
Alan Dove
29th November 2024, 13:08
Awful disservice to the first ever Dutch FIA World Champion – Peter Keone – in the first episode, borderline disgraceful. The tie-breaker didn’t go down to the ‘second final’ result but to the order after the heats. Keone knew he was champion when he finished the third final. Senna was mistaken, yes, but no rules were changed.
Alan Walker
30th November 2024, 17:49
Interesting to see the craggy hills of “Norfolk” featured at the only race circuit and the omnipresent metallic bronze MK1 Escort in the early street scenes
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
29th November 2024, 13:57
I hope a Brundle hooligan or two from back in the day comes on here to set the record straight.
I’ll give this a miss, judging by this review and others (the Times gets stuck into the wooden script)
Tyrrell Forever
30th November 2024, 9:51
People keep seeming to claim this demonizes Prost, which clearly reveals they’ve never seen it or are deluding themselves from the outset. He’s portrayed as a skilled competitor. Then gets justifiably upset over the Tosa corner thing. And afterwards they’re distant and tense, but there’s no crazy drama about Prost being some kind of scumbag. Only a professional. By the end they’re on good terms. But of course, the haters have already made up their minds. As someone who equally loves both drivers, it’s sad to see.
Also it’s worth mentioning that the show isn’t about their rivalry. Which is all anybody seems to care about. It’s only a smaller part of a much wider narrative that seems to focus on the man behind the wheel and his career as a whole. Not just 1988-1990. Although even if you are an egregious hater, I’d say watch it anyways for the immersive atmosphere of retro F1 alone.
NJ
1st December 2024, 11:21
It’s certainly an ode to Senna, as opposed to a neutral take on his career. I would add that the portrayal of Prost is not as bad as being made out though. Prost is softly spoken and well mannered throughout which I guess can be interpreted as ‘meek’ at times perhaps which I’m sure he wasn’t.
Ogden
3rd December 2024, 10:30
Keith, buddy, generally love your race reporting, but not so sure movie reviews are your forte’.
Penultimate paragraph was pretty much the only assessment of the nature and quality of the film’s structure and content, the rest could have really come from a press release.
Sorry, man.
But still, your F1 news coverage is the best. Factual, unbiased, complete and explicatory. Real classic newspaper work which is nearly impossible to find in this day of the pundit. Thanks.
Tom