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Senna - Tow Jockey Five Second Review Senna - Tow Jockey Five Second Review

repoman Written by repoman     July 15, 2012     691     
Senna - Tow Jockey Five Second Review

There was only one Babe Ruth. There was only one Pele. There was only one Gretsky. In that same vein there was only one Aryton Senna. He was a god in the world of Formula 1 Racing and until I watched this documentary I had never heard his name. The best documentaries take us into a world of which we know little or nothing and show us, to a greater or lesser extent, what it is all about. Here we follow the career of Senna from his beginnings in Formula 1 in 1984 until his death in 1994. I don't know if you've ever tried to watch a Formula 1 race where rich men race cars built with budgets larger than the GDP of half the worlds countries but they strike me as high speed  processionals with passes being few and far between. Rather dull affairs.  However, through the miracle of editing we only watch the exciting parts. And they are exciting even if they  were taken on 30 year old video tape and look it. The portrait we get of Senna, on the whole is a positive one as told by clips of interviews he did and comments of his friends and family. His death was a tragedy as it always is when someone dies to young. Broaden your mind and watch this movie and you will gain insight into the most expensive sport in the world that you did not have before. That knowledge will never have any practical application in your life, ever, unless you happen to be drinking in a bar in Brazil and the subject comes up.

Netflix status: currently streaming

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Comments (4)
  • 2012-07-16 07:37:47 | avatarSuperflyTNT

    My dad drove F3 racers in Europe while deployed with the USAF, and so when he came home we were subjected to the Monaco GP, which was by all accounts like Super Bowl Sunday at many Americans' houses. Fanfare, snackss, and whatnot. That and European road races...trips to Laguna Seca in California, watching the 24 hours of Le Mans...all that jazz. I grew up hearing about Jimmy Clark and the old school racers.

    Senna died just before I left home. I rememeber that crash, too; coming into that corner his car smashed into the wall and exploded like a fighter missing a carrier landing. Tough day for F1 fans.

    F1 cars are simply cruise missiles. I don't know of any cars that are faster cornering in the world.

  • 2012-07-17 09:15:52 | avatarDogmatix

    IIRC, he would have made it away from the car exploding were it not to the tire he took to the forehead. That was a very strange crash in a lot of ways. And, yea, Repo, the passes are few and far between--particularly since Ferrari has mostly dominated the circuit for the last 30 freakin' years. Everything is just too fast and the tracks too tight to do much of anything save in certain select points. (Although it's just mind boggling when they add races to the circuit and seem to design the courses to be dead static affairs. I swear they designed Singapore with absolutely nowhere at all to pass. Watching car management activities is not exactly exciting racing...) My folks used to go up to Watkins Glen in the early 70s. I remember walking around the track and the riot of colors (and Jackie Stewart's bizarre 6-wheel Elf racer) as a kid. I treat F1 like basketball and settle in to watch the last 10 laps or so. Other than missing the occaisional spectacular crash, whatever is going to happen, you'll likely see at that point....

  • 2012-07-17 09:30:28 | avatarSuperflyTNT

    Man alive, I remember watching those Banana Republic commercials on wheels...the Elf cars...

  • 2012-07-17 09:57:52 | avatarthe_jake_1973

    When I was just a small lad, my uncle would take me to the Detroit Grand Prix. This was the proper one in the city, not the shit one on Belle Isle, which is an Indy race anyways. His friend was a photog and we would get to the great spots during the time trials. I always liked the John Player Special and Benetton cars.

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