TT3D: Closer to the Edge.

This terrifyingly beautiful documentary follows Guy Martin - lorry mechanic and motorcycle enthusiast, as he prepares to compete in the infamous TT races of the Isle of Man. For those of you, alike myself, who are unfamiliar with the TT races and super bike mania in general it is best described by one race spectator as “Hard Bikes being driven by Hard Men!” But it is Martin himself who provides the central, and perplexing, narration on the sport and its community which is supported, or sometimes conflicted, by other racers.

The opening scene has viewers roaring through the streets of the Isle of Man, from the perspective of the riders. This is very effective at two things: evoking empathy from the audience, providing a accessibility to the in-the-moment emotions of the riders as well as a literal rider’s point-of-view and  successfully making me a little travel sick from the comfort from my, very stationary, sofa. Though I refused to permit my churning stomach make any impact on my enjoyment of this film.

Exploring this, somewhat, niche sport through the very individual character of Martin is an unlikely success. Myself being, as Martin describes, a “Southern Fairy” I am not familiar with the dialect of North Lincolnshire, and to be both brutally and shamefully honest, I found him a little difficult to... interpret. Initially! His character also seemed a little alien to me: he is depicted as an almost singular character, and by his own admission, he holds little to no interest in anything but bikes and the TT.

However, Guy’s character is very easy to warm to and it is quickly realised that it is not necessarily about the passion for bikes but passion itself that allows the viewer to connect with Guy. As the story develops Guy’s character splits both aesthetically and physically. When in his home county, or in the comfort of his van, he is the oil-covered bike patriot, but when he is immersed into TT world he becomes the mysterious anti-hero. With a succession of slow motion caption, and the mystery that is itself evoked by motorcycle attire, it is very easy to forget the Lincolnshire boy that hides within it. The motorcyclists’ outfit is very good a dehumanising its incumbent, and this itself sexualises Guy.

However, the dehumanisation of bikers by their costumes are most apparent in the presentation of the racer’s fatalities. As the inevitable happens and the accidents begin, shamefully, it is somewhat easier to watch a masked figure being thrown about than an unmasked figure. Yet, when the pictures of those lost in their quest for TT success follow, it is difficult to hold back the tears. Many critics believing this documentary’s release was a direct response to the success of Senna, and I see the similarities in Senna and Martin’s personalities and their passions, but I also see it in many other people – Passion is universal.