The Isle Of Man TT is arguably the last real road race left in the world for motorcyclists. Since 1907 the TT has been held on the Isle and responsible for attracting racers and fans every year. With stunningly beautiful landscapes and an irresistible race loop that takes years of hard work to conquer, it is little wonder the island is on the top of every motorcycle racer's List Of Things To Accomplish. Attending the race is certainly on my list.
While a series of films have been made regarding the yearly race results, the movie Closer To The Edge: TT3D set out to shoot the 2010 season in 3D. The movie has not yet been officially released in the States, and only recently came out in the UK after a series of frustrating delays. Thanks to a bloke on the local bike forum I was able to get my grubby hands on the film. Obviously this version is not viewable in 3D. But the good news is that copies are...ahem...circulating. Thanks, internet!
Without the motorcycle races, the Isle Of Man (also known as Manx) would still be an alluring place. Geographically, it is an island situated between the coasts of Ireland and Britain. The Isle is self-governing; not directly under the United Kingdom but in deference to it. The island has its own language, unique cultural attributes, and even animals specific to the island; the Manx Cat and the Manx Loaghtan.
While a series of films have been made regarding the yearly race results, the movie Closer To The Edge: TT3D set out to shoot the 2010 season in 3D. The movie has not yet been officially released in the States, and only recently came out in the UK after a series of frustrating delays. Thanks to a bloke on the local bike forum I was able to get my grubby hands on the film. Obviously this version is not viewable in 3D. But the good news is that copies are...ahem...circulating. Thanks, internet!
Without the motorcycle races, the Isle Of Man (also known as Manx) would still be an alluring place. Geographically, it is an island situated between the coasts of Ireland and Britain. The Isle is self-governing; not directly under the United Kingdom but in deference to it. The island has its own language, unique cultural attributes, and even animals specific to the island; the Manx Cat and the Manx Loaghtan.
Beginning in the late 1800s, Motorcycle racers from England made the trek to the Isle to test their machines since there were no speed limits on the island. By 1907, the Tourist Trophy (TT) was created to accommodate the racers flocking to the island. For two weeks in the summer, motorcycle enthusiasts world over make the pilgrimage to the Isle.
The race course is a 37-mile loop of public roads with over 200 corners. By comparison, the more well known Nurburgring Nordschleife public-road racetrack is only 14 miles long. The current Isle Of Man lap-time records hover around the 17 minute mark, which equates to speeds of over 130 miles per hour! With the exception of a few slow corners, the entire course can be run as fast as memory and bravery allow. Joey Dunlop is the current record holder for overall wins, with a massive 26 wins. As with most extremely fast race courses, the TT has over 200 fatalities and myriad brutal crashes accompanying it's fame. It is a testament to the allure of the track that so many of the injured simply return the next year to race again.
The film focuses primarily on Guy Martin, a homegrown racer whose reputation as a wild card has garnered equal admiration among fans and annoyance among race officials. His accent is so thick that I often had to rewind a scene to understand him. Plagued with inconsistent sponsorship woes and no Manx wins to his name, Martin is the underdog favorite of the film. While other riders travel to the island with RV's and sponsor accommodations, Martin lives out of the back of a work van.
The film also gives camera time to riders Michael Dunlop (Joey's son), John McGuinness, Conor Cummins and Iain Hutchinson along with a handful of others. Most of these riders have entered the race for multiple years and hold one or more track records. As expected, each of these racers have endured injury and breakdown in their quest to be “king of the mountain” but still return every year; so strong is the allure of the island. As further testament to the magnetic pull of the island: almost every one of the competitor's fathers were also TT entrants during their own moto-racing career.
The filmmakers make a half-hearted attempt to convey a rivalry between the top riders but the reality is that the only fight is between man, machine, and track; not a man-to-man dispute. Any rider attempting to race the TT will invariably encounter a series of obstacles during the event. Blown engines, mechanical failures of all sorts and physical injury are all commonplace, to say nothing of the competition regulations. This is the norm for the Manx race.
It is no surprise that Martin butts heads with race officials at multiple points during the film. A rebellious individual with a distinctive, unruly mop of hair that reflects his attitude, Martin insists on doing things his way. During bike inspection, Guy is absent from the proceedings. To the exasperation of the staff, he shows up at the last minute possible. During one of the first races of the event, Guy exits pit lane over the speed limit. This violation nets him a 30-second addition to his lap time, costing him a podium finish. It is later revealed that he went over the speed limit by only a mere fraction; not even a half of one mile per hour. While it is certainly true that pit lane rules are designed for the safety of everyone involved and should be adhered-to, it does appear that race officials derive a certain joy in giving Martin a penalty for what amounts to a pittance (and appears to be an honest mistake, not a flagrant disregard for the rules).
There are numerous races held over the two week period; sidecar-rig races, classes sorted by engine size, and more recently, electric-bike races to name a few. The film's featured riders are each in several of the races. I will not spoil the race results for those of you who have not yet seen the movie or do not follow moto-news but suffice it to say that there are yet again injuries and heartbreak in 2010.
The film devotes time to Manx racing history, the race teams preparing during the weeks leading up to the race, the race itself, and how each of the racers fare. Adding to the tension is the somber reality that the race is quite possibly the last thing a racer ever does. Relatives of deceased riders are interviewed, in addition to the relatives of current competitors. Each has come to terms with the fact that the pull of the race is so strong that there is no denying attendance to those obsessed with it.
The footage is addicting. Watching the race bikes coming over a crest, gaining air, and landing into a near-tankslapper is mesmerizing. The cinematography left me awestruck. The film utilizes everything from on-board cameras to helicopter views capturing a stunning view of the island along with the race. Notably absent from the feature film is an on-board view of the entire race loop. This is something I certainly want to watch and I doubt I am alone in that desire. To be fair, the loop footage would take up 17+ minutes of the film that could be devoted to other issues. I can understand why it is not included in the film. It appears that the special-features section includes more race footage in addition to more attention given to the sidecar and electric bike races. There are also a plethora of clips available for viewing on youtube and other streaming sites.
Given that my copy is a burned disc of mediocre quality, I find myself still looking forward to the official American release. I consider this copy yet another teaser for the actual product. The money will be flying out of my wallet as soon as it is released. As stated above, the film has been released in the UK and is available on AmazonUK. If you have a DVD Player that supports the region format, order away!
The footage is addicting. Watching the race bikes coming over a crest, gaining air, and landing into a near-tankslapper is mesmerizing. The cinematography left me awestruck. The film utilizes everything from on-board cameras to helicopter views capturing a stunning view of the island along with the race. Notably absent from the feature film is an on-board view of the entire race loop. This is something I certainly want to watch and I doubt I am alone in that desire. To be fair, the loop footage would take up 17+ minutes of the film that could be devoted to other issues. I can understand why it is not included in the film. It appears that the special-features section includes more race footage in addition to more attention given to the sidecar and electric bike races. There are also a plethora of clips available for viewing on youtube and other streaming sites.
Given that my copy is a burned disc of mediocre quality, I find myself still looking forward to the official American release. I consider this copy yet another teaser for the actual product. The money will be flying out of my wallet as soon as it is released. As stated above, the film has been released in the UK and is available on AmazonUK. If you have a DVD Player that supports the region format, order away!
The official preview can be viewed here:
No comments:
Post a Comment