9/11: the Falling Man
- Thread starter cymatty
- Start date
in a world full of justification and reason, that photo just made me take a step back and think about the relatively simple yet soul breaking choice that man has made - which way do i want to die? - that to me is what makes that photo among the best ive seen for sheer power, almost sereal in its simplicity
This will open in media player classic 7mb very moving. 
Still brings a tear.
http://www.twobeds.com/upload/userfiles/cymatty/attack.swf
Still brings a tear.
http://www.twobeds.com/upload/userfiles/cymatty/attack.swf
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It's horrific how humans can do such things to each others.
Just looking at those two towers knowing they are full of people like you and I and imagining what people had to go through. Burned alive, blown to pieces, jumping to their deaths from 109 floors up.
The most shocking image from 'The Falling Man' documentry was when the first tower is on fire and the news cameras are showing it burning and you see another plane fly in shot, it all goes quiet and then...
That was a very interesting and thought provoking documentry that showed some footage of a day that will stay in people memories for ever.
Just looking at those two towers knowing they are full of people like you and I and imagining what people had to go through. Burned alive, blown to pieces, jumping to their deaths from 109 floors up.
The most shocking image from 'The Falling Man' documentry was when the first tower is on fire and the news cameras are showing it burning and you see another plane fly in shot, it all goes quiet and then...
That was a very interesting and thought provoking documentry that showed some footage of a day that will stay in people memories for ever.
I wouldnt call someone who jumped from that building a "jumper" or say they commited suicide.
It just goes to show how different populations view the act of dying. Whereas to some in conjunction with a terrorist attack its seen as martyrdom, then the rest frown upon it. There were some Indigenous Indians who were relatives of one who jumped, who viewed suicide as something where your soul is trapped in damnation as opposed to being set free.
It just goes to show how different populations view the act of dying. Whereas to some in conjunction with a terrorist attack its seen as martyrdom, then the rest frown upon it. There were some Indigenous Indians who were relatives of one who jumped, who viewed suicide as something where your soul is trapped in damnation as opposed to being set free.
It was a very thought provoking and at times moving documentary. The parts about the 'cover up' about the people that took the impossible decision to jump rather than die of heat exposure/burns/smoke inhalation (a decision that, faced with that situation, I would have probably done too but that's another subject) were particularly interesting, saying a lot about the defensive attitude that the US took after 11/09/2001 - especially the coroner's office saying that no-one jumped from the building
The guy that took the photos in the first place had every right to do so. He was/is a press photographer, that is his job - to record the news and current affairs photographically. It would have been remiss of him NOT to record it - he would've been self-censoring himself & one can only imagine what other situations photographers could/should (subjectively) have self-censored themselves - such as the liberation of the concentration/death camps after WW2 - & then we would not have known the full horrors of what happened there.
What is up for debate is whether the photographs should have been used by the newspaper editors and publishers as they were indeed very shocking and likely to provoke widespread adverse reaction (as proved to be the case). That is a editorial decision & there is a definite argument (which I have some sympathy towards) for publishing them as to do otherwise would be also be censorship.
I'll finish by saying that the guy that took the photos must have gone through feelings not dissimilar to those of the photographer Kevin Carter - link
The guy that took the photos in the first place had every right to do so. He was/is a press photographer, that is his job - to record the news and current affairs photographically. It would have been remiss of him NOT to record it - he would've been self-censoring himself & one can only imagine what other situations photographers could/should (subjectively) have self-censored themselves - such as the liberation of the concentration/death camps after WW2 - & then we would not have known the full horrors of what happened there.
What is up for debate is whether the photographs should have been used by the newspaper editors and publishers as they were indeed very shocking and likely to provoke widespread adverse reaction (as proved to be the case). That is a editorial decision & there is a definite argument (which I have some sympathy towards) for publishing them as to do otherwise would be also be censorship.
I'll finish by saying that the guy that took the photos must have gone through feelings not dissimilar to those of the photographer Kevin Carter - link
Soldato
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It's so strange that this happened 5 years ago, any time I see something related to 9/11 it obviously sets your mind in motion back to the day it happened, it still seems like it was yesterday.
It's also strange how you can become desensitised to the images, on the day I was as horrified as anyone else, I remember watching the news on the day and seeing the camera pan to someone falling who had jumped, I had such a chilling feeling that stayed with me for a long time after that. But now I think you have to try and accept what happened, and treat it as an eye opener as to how the world really is.
It's also strange how you can become desensitised to the images, on the day I was as horrified as anyone else, I remember watching the news on the day and seeing the camera pan to someone falling who had jumped, I had such a chilling feeling that stayed with me for a long time after that. But now I think you have to try and accept what happened, and treat it as an eye opener as to how the world really is.
I was in New York last easter standing at ground zero. It only ever hits me how big the attack was when I watch the tapes over again.
Edit: Did anyone ever see the correspondence program on BBC a few months after the event. It showed nothing but footage from people at and around the attack. Really gave you a sense of what it was like being 100 meters or so from the towers.
Edit: Did anyone ever see the correspondence program on BBC a few months after the event. It showed nothing but footage from people at and around the attack. Really gave you a sense of what it was like being 100 meters or so from the towers.
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Soldato
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w
I dont think people had a choice wether to jump or not -
Imagine being in a red hot room with toxic smoke - you'll hanging out of a window cramed with 10 others - to stay inside would mean death to go out would mean death....
Think of the pain of the heat... I dont think the people that jumped really knew what they where doing - in pain trying to get away.
I dont think people had a choice wether to jump or not -
Imagine being in a red hot room with toxic smoke - you'll hanging out of a window cramed with 10 others - to stay inside would mean death to go out would mean death....
Think of the pain of the heat... I dont think the people that jumped really knew what they where doing - in pain trying to get away.
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JonnyT said:It was a very thought provoking and at times moving documentary. The parts about the 'cover up' about the people that took the impossible decision to jump rather than die of heat exposure/burns/smoke inhalation (a decision that, faced with that situation, I would have probably done too but that's another subject) were particularly interesting, saying a lot about the defensive attitude that the US took after 11/09/2001 - especially the coroner's office saying that no-one jumped from the building
The guy that took the photos in the first place had every right to do so. He was/is a press photographer, that is his job - to record the news and current affairs photographically. It would have been remiss of him NOT to record it - he would've been self-censoring himself & one can only imagine what other situations photographers could/should (subjectively) have self-censored themselves - such as the liberation of the concentration/death camps after WW2 - & then we would not have known the full horrors of what happened there.
What is up for debate is whether the photographs should have been used by the newspaper editors and publishers as they were indeed very shocking and likely to provoke widespread adverse reaction (as proved to be the case). That is a editorial decision & there is a definite argument (which I have some sympathy towards) for publishing them as to do otherwise would be also be censorship.
I'll finish by saying that the guy that took the photos must have gone through feelings not dissimilar to those of the photographer Kevin Carter - link
IMO excellent post. There's a huge moral debate about it, and one that will never be settled. Do they record or interfere?
Soldato
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I didn't really want to watch it as I thought it would bring back the horrible feelings of the day itself. However, in the end I thought it was a very good program, telling the story and facing the truths that no-one else in America wanted to.
Scores of people fell to their deaths from the twin towers, whether they jumped or not. I think it's important not to erase images like this from history as it was probably the most horrific sights of that day.
I remember watching the film shot by the two French brothers who were with one of the firecrews. You could hear these irregular thuds of the bodies hitting the street. If I recall right, one fireman was killed by one!
On a side note; the picture they kept showing of rescue crews gathered round a hole in the rubble, being lit by something in that hole, is one of the most amazing images I've seen of 9/11. Looks almost like one of those oil paintings depicting some religious scene. Truly stunning.
Scores of people fell to their deaths from the twin towers, whether they jumped or not. I think it's important not to erase images like this from history as it was probably the most horrific sights of that day.
I remember watching the film shot by the two French brothers who were with one of the firecrews. You could hear these irregular thuds of the bodies hitting the street. If I recall right, one fireman was killed by one!
On a side note; the picture they kept showing of rescue crews gathered round a hole in the rubble, being lit by something in that hole, is one of the most amazing images I've seen of 9/11. Looks almost like one of those oil paintings depicting some religious scene. Truly stunning.
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megatron said:
A lot can happen in 3 mins...
cymatty said:Still shocking even now.
Yeah, I had blanked out what happened from my mind and desenitised it almost. But seeing all the footage of it just brought the reality back to home. I was actually close to tears just watching it.
