Senna

Artist: Other
Format: UK Quad (30"x 40")
Condition: Excellent
Year: 2010

Description

British director Asif Kapadia’s 2010 documentary on the tragic racing legend Ayrton Senna received an abundance of critical acclaim when released. Simply titled “Senna”, the film charts his racing career in Formula One, focusing on his rivalry with fellow driver Alain Prost and also offering an insight into his personal life shown using archive racetrack footage and home video clips provided by the Senna family.

The film was widely praised for its exciting footage and for the moving story which played out like more of a racing drama than documentary tribute. Alain Prost however, was disappointed, finding fault with the film’s admittedly one-dimensional presentation of him as the devious, cold and untrustworthy antagonist. Regardless of how you perceive this, there is no denying that the film clearly succeeds in appealing to a wider audience and not just fans of Formula One.

The stylish photographic Quad poster works well to build on the mystique of the Senna figure. Featuring a large image of his eyes looking out from his helmet, you can almost feel the man’s passion for the sport. Adorning the bottom of the poster are a collection of photographs of Senna, racing, smiling and jet-skiing, demonstrating that the film is not solely interested on the man’s racing achievements but also attempts to provide an insight into his more personal side and why he has this passion for the sport.

This "modern" poster contrasts with older vintage designs which relied on artistic interpretations of films rather than the photographic/computer generated examples we see today. A good vintage comparison with "Senna" is provided by Tom Jung’s artwork for the Steve McQueen drama “Le Mans” which is presented below (image courtesy of www.moviepostermem.com). Many modern posters are criticised for what are seen to be hastily produced designs and layouts which carry little artistic integrity or personality such as that evidently seen in Jung’s almost poetic artwork for “Le Mans”.

Whilst we are somewhat biased in favour of painted vintage posters, we acknowledge that some modern posters do have merit. For another good  modern example see the Quad Advance used for 2004’s “Starsky and Hutch”, (image courtesy www.moviepostermem.com) which presents a simple though undeniably cool and stylish image of the Ford Torino. One can almost smell the burning rubber! The “Senna” Quad is similarly able to provide fitting imagery to one of Formula One’s greatest talents and is certainly a worthwhile addition to the motor racing poster cannon.