33 Days

source: 33 Days

I don't know why this got a cinema release, the quality of editing and production standards are barely up to what you can watch on TV. The documentary contains quite interesting interviews and some new footage but the final half of it resembles an instruction video about F1 safety technology that ads nothing to the story of Lauda. The editing and chapter breaks make it hard to follow the timeline of events. The film also delves into too much of the history of F1 racing. In all the director spends far too little time telling the story of Lauda and frequently goes of on tangents that have little to do with Lauda's story. The film is also regularly inter-sped with an unnecessary narrated voice-over and loud music. The director should watch Senna for a masterclass in documentary making as his film pales in comparison. watch it on TV and don't waste your money on this.

I've seen the film at the premiere in the cinema and later again on iTunes. It's clearly a great film and perfect documentary about a F1 racing legend Niki Lauda and the time when motor sport was killing people. I saw lots of Lauda footage absolutely for the first time ever, since normally all F1 documentaries use the same footage over and over again. Also the great interviews with Sir Jackie or Jochen Mass, or Hans Joachim Stuck are giving unheard insights of the time. The good thing is - you see Niki Laudas recovery from the fire accident, how it really was, not how it was shown in Rush. What I found also pretty cool was the part with Rosberg and Hamilton, which was especially showing a lot about the modern F1 technology and the big difference to the past. I can highly recommend this film to everyone.

I was fortunate enough to be in the audience at the live event cinema launch for this film and witness the subsequent Q&A session with a panel of experienced Formula 1 and motor racing dignitaries. The atmosphere around the event was tremendous and it was clear to see that Lauda earned the respect and admiration of not only his peers but every subsequent generation of drivers and fans. The film itself is superbly made and delivered with a passion and yet neutrality that perfectly compliments the subject matter. Lauda's amazing survival and comeback are put in context not only of the man but also the wider implications for the improvements in safety and changes to the sport it directly influenced. I would highly recommend this as one of the best documentaries I've seen about Formula 1 and an inspiring and universal story.