It’s an iconic image — but it was captured by at least four photographers and it looks like two videographers, too. They all show slightly different moment, slightly different angles, but the same powerful concept: a single man, with shopping bags in his hands, seemingly spontaneous as he steps alone in front of a column of tanks.
As the world (except for, you know China) gears up for the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests/massacres (circle your preferred world), I was struck by this in-depth post by the New York Times’ “Lens” blog. They caught up with four photographers who each captured the moment a tad bit differently.
First, they briefly analyze each picture, and then they let the photographer tell the story of how they captured it.
I was engrossed when I read it. But I was truly mesmerized by this video clip on YouTube (blocked in China, no doubt):
I’m not sure if I would have seen any of this on TV 20 years ago. I’m not sure if I ever knew that he climbed on the tank, or that he used such emphatic gestures, waving the tank off. It’s powerful to watch, even today.
Sad to think that we don’t really know who this man was, or what happened to him. I’d like to think he’s enjoying a quiet drink at home, frankly, musing on his fame/anti-fame.
There’s great links from the blog post at the Times, and a really great writeup. It’s a must-read.
Also, you can watch a PBS documentary on the Tank Man (and the Tiananmen legacy) for free online. It works from Canada, by the way, which is odd for US-based video streaming.
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