From Triumph to Tragedy: 'Closer to the Edge' Dives Deep into the Isle of Man TT
Few sporting events are literally astonishing, but the Isle of Man TT is one of them. The documentary TT3D Closer to the Edge did a great job of visualising the event’s glorious insanity
Isle Of Man Film/Cinemanx/Kobal/Shutterstock
If a 21st century Formula 1 luminary like Toto Wolff thinks the world’s most anachronistic motor sport contest is worth visiting personally, then surely the event has a story worth telling.
A decade ago director Richard De Aragues tried telling that story in TT3D Closer to the Edge. The 104-minute film (ignore the fact that it was filmed in 3D) was seen in cinemas throughout Britain, becoming one of the country’s biggest-grossing documentaries at the time.
The Isle of Man TT certainly has a story, but it’s not an easy tale to tell. Already half a century ago the British media had christened the event’s home ‘Blood Island’, due to the frequent fatalities, sometimes as many as four or five during two weeks of practice and racing.