Triumph included a link to this on their email newsletter, so I gave it a whirl on Vimeo. At nearly $9 it's an expensive (48 hour) video rental compounded by some stuttering even with fibre at home internet. Looking at the code it looks like Vimeo segments the video to prevent copying. Those segments kept stalling on transition, which is pretty frustrating, especially when you just paid a premium price to see it.
I like Charley, but he wasn't the guy to see this through |
When desire conquerors circumstance you get a better story |
Along the way you get to see the Dakar without the money lenses of sponsorship. This purer Dakar hearkens back to the beginnings of the race (a good documentary to watch about this is BBC's Madness in the Desert). But you don't have to suffer through poor footage from amateurs to see this raw Dakar. What you get is video shot by a guy who knows how to shoot video and edited by an expert. The whole thing is then wrapped in an original soundtrack that supports and nurtures the narrative. If you're used to watching half-assed video of motorcycle based adventure, this isn't that.
A teary conclusion is well earned, and stirs up deeper philosophical questions around media dilettantes & the committed racer... |
If you enjoy a quality, motorcycle themed film, this will do it for you. It's well shot and brilliantly edited and musically scored. The filming is such that you get to know Simon and Christophe who are both painfully honest in front of the camera. The narrative (aided by that brilliant editing) takes you from introductions, to desperate attempts to source the money and prepare for the race and then tosses you into the Dakar without the antiseptic third person corporate perspective you usually see it from. By this point you're emotionally invested in both men's journey.
I recommend this film. I only wish I could have ordered the DVD for a few dollars more and been able to watch it without the interruptions and technical headaches.
When a film leverages the Dakar to raise questions around commitment to challenge through skill and determination, and does it well, you've got a winner. |
Christophe riding injured. As long as he is conscious, he isn't going to stop - remarkably sympathetic to his machine as well. |