Schumacher is a recently released Netflix documentary covering the career of Micheal Schumacher and his rise to fame and domination in sports racing. Micheal Schumacher is a former racing driver, hailing from Germany. During the nineties, he was on the pinnacle of fame and perhaps one of the most influential names in the racing sphere.
The film release date, 15th September 2021, coincides with the entry of the racer into the F1 leagues. The documentary aims at unveiling what went on behind the scenes as Schumacher rose to fame at a young age and against all odds.
The documentary tries to cover Schumacher’s rise to fame and his approach to the sport, while also delving into the controversies the racer ultimately becomes a part of, as he reaches his very peak in the racing world. The documentary is constructed with archival footage, interviews, and a series of unseen and old pictures that show us who the man was, on and off the race track.
The film is co-directed by Hanns-Bruno Kammertöns, Vanessa Nöcker, and Michael Welch. It features interviews with Micheal’s wife, his colleagues, his rivals, and other big names from the sport. The documentary is a total of one hour and 52 minutes long, starting from Schumacher’s very first race to the end of his career and everything in between.
Netflix describes it as:
The ultimate documentary of Formula 1 icon Michael Schumacher. SCHUMACHER features rare interviews and previously unreleased archive footage and traces a very sensitive and critical portrait of the seven-time world champion. This is the only film supported by his family.
Via the Netflix Official Site
– SCHUMACHER review does not contain spoilers –
The recently released documentary is a treat for lovers of sports car racing and Formula 1. During the nineties, even people who did not follow the sport knew who the man was. The documentary does well to remind us of how much the sport progressed with him as a part of it.
The sequence is striking, especially so because of its non-linear format. The documentary moves from giving a short insight into what made the driver as famous as he was, shifted to a little bit of childhood background, and then dived into Micheal’s years with Ferrari and the ultimate controversies that followed when he was competing for the Championships. It’s a well-structured film, with the makers shifting from archival footage to interviews and pictures with voiceovers almost seamlessly.
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Matching a narrative with visuals is often difficult, more so because just listening to someone talk to a camera can get monotonous. But the filmmakers seem intent on doing the exact opposite of this and succeed to a certain degree. This makes the documentary interesting even for those who aren’t particularly into the world of racing.
Although there is certain racing terminology that you might find yourself struggling with, it shouldn’t be a huge impediment. The story of Micheal Schumacher is a striking one, whether you are into F1 or not.
Final Verdict: Schumacher
A documentary that almost feels like a biopic, Schumacher is a riveting tale of the F1 world. If you are into racing, you have probably already seen the movie, and if you aren’t, you will be after the film. The man was a legend and will continue to be so, even after the tragic end of his career. The film provides us two different versions of himself, one on the race track and who he was outside of the world and it is interesting to see the juxtaposition of the two.
The documentary is now streaming on Netflix.
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