Ayrton Senna de Silva, is immortalised in one of the most exhilarating films of the summer – Senna. He was a motor racing phenomenon and forced to be reckoned with, taking speed, power, flippant charm and arrogance to a new level. Ultimately his exaggerated sense of his own mortality was his own demise and his life was cut short in a terrible crash making him a legend of the track and a representative of how self destructive being driven by our own success and ego can be. An Incurs for the 20th Century.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers of all time he was a three time Formula One world champion until the 1994 San Marino Grand Pix and the crash that killed him. This did not just make him the last driver to ever die at the wheel of a Formula One racer but set his name in stone as a bastion of the sport as well as one of the great tragedies of racing, dying at only 34.
But what was it that gave Senna his edge and what was commonly seem as unstoppable charm and supper human ability to win and why should he appear on TSK’s Icon list?
Brazilian born Senna came to Europe to drive professionally in 1978, for filling a childhood passion of racing and speed. In the end though, this passion soon became an obsession. His goal was to drive fast and beat everyone with an over riding desire to be number one. Like a man possessed he put everything into his career, to the point were winning wasn’t enough and even in pole position he pushed himself and his car the limits. It was as if the man was blinded by success but this obvious passion, energy and contempt wasn’t just a personal struggle Senna had with himself but something so intoxicating and breathtaking to witness he became iconic, as the man who cheated death and relished in the glories of winning.
He was a living incarnation of some of Hollywood’s great and good on screen like Steve McQueen in The Great Escape or The Thomas Crown Affair; dashing, masculine and a dare devil who was blinded by his own success. Rarely seen out of his red McLaren racing suit and baseball cap he’s not famous for being a follower of fashion or a trendsetter, but with heavy set, stormy features like another TSK’s icons James Franco and the charisma and charm of a born winner his style and status didn’t need to be dependant on what he wore or how he dressed.
Full of bravado and living for speed he wore his helmet and moved his car with such pride, precision and determination he was a sensation.
The feature-length documentary is about speed, danger, tension and masculine aggression and a heartthrob full on youthful energy and a complete disregard for life. This combined with Senna’s remarkable story, pieced together by director Mr Kapadi make it a cinematic triumph. And if this year’s Sundance Film Festival is anything to do by it already is.
Released last Friday – 3rd of June it’s this months must have movie.
By Sam Outing
