i'd never before heard of carl boenish but that is no issue
he the chap that 'invented' base-jumping and this is his story
a promise of some spectacular footage and a superb soundtrack
that'll do - bio-pics are always a good way to meet new people too
by way of introduction the man's voice talks over some cliff shots
i don't subscribe to man's laws much - nature's laws are for me
the talking heads are pretty well straight at it describing the main man
significantly his wife jean talking in the present day of her late husband
another colleague describing carl as larger-than-life - basically mad
early footage of his upbringing revealing an early struggle with polio
suggesting his drive to overcome that pushing him higher and further
supremely intelligent too and a career building as an aircraft engineer
drawn to sky-diving and soon combining that with his love of filming
that leading to an offer to film the stunt scenes in the film 'tiger moths'
and no looking back as he abandons his career to be a cameraman
he meets his future wife through a common love of sky-diving
she small, bespectacled and a most unlikely looking dare-devil
but as she admits she loves and trusts carl and follows his dreams
we see some spectacular footage of mass formation sky-diving
and then carl stating a need for a new challenge with his buddies
they head to el capitan in yosemite -leaping off it's 1000 metre peak
carl rigging up a bicycle seat on a ladder out off the peak's ledge
all the better for filming the jumpers running off and free-falling
watching him climb out on to the seat is vertigo-inducing for me
then - a huge tv tower - over a thousand feet high - then a building
this a huge skyscraper under construction in houston with easy access
the term base-jumping coined and a world-wide association is born
building, antenna, span and earth - we see footage of a lot of activity
all quite entralling really - and the soundtrack - well - let's say - dated
the byrds, the sweet, thunderclap newman, america, the kinks, etc
i suppose to match the time when most of the footage was shot
but still - a sense of a grab for audience approval of known tunes
the love story up on the screen is still most compelling though
carl and jean inseparable as they push the boundaries further
carl admitting as a christian scientist nature's laws are what matter
david frost gets in on the act and promotes a world record attempt
1984 - trollveggen in norway - massive cliffs with suitable peaks
carl and jean make a successful double jump for the tv cameras
he is buzzing - she exhausted with lack of sleep in the endless days
next day he insists on another solo jump and sadly his final jump
stunning mock-up footage of 3 climbers at the peak he jumped from
some suggestions he knew of the danger at this point but leapt anyway
2 days later jean makes another jump to honour his spirit and drive
a nice climax to a quite remarkable film about 2 quite special people
but wait - there's more - wing-suits - we see a pilot climbing in norway
suits up, stands on the edge, woo-hoo, and the camera pans skywards
damn - the film is going to end there - but no - he jumps, he falls, he flies
the hollies - the air that i breath - blasting as he flies in this amazing place
my heart absolutely pounding at this sight - man- i wish i could do that
stunning ending really and more historical footage as the credits roll
this to donovan's tune - sunshine superman - ah get it - appropriate...
