Icarus Guided Reflection

    

Icarus is a documentary about amateur cyclist Bryan Fogel attempting to see the effect that performance enhancing drugs have on his performance in one of the most challenging amateur cycling races in the world. For me the scene which resonated the most strongly with me was very early in the film. It came when Bryan Fogel was talking about what brought him in to the world of cycling.

    It flashes back to 1986. This is the year that Greg LeMond would win the Tour de France, the biggest cycling competition in the world. Greg LeMond would be the first American to accomplish this great feat. The tone of this section is very joyous and uplifting. You can really feel the positive emotions that Fogel has towards this time.

    Then the tone shifts even further upward as Fogel goes on to talk about Lance Armstrong. Lance Armstrong was one of the most dominant cyclists ever and consecutively won 7 Tour de Frances. Fogel begins talking about him with the words "Later Armstrong came along and that was a whole other ball of wax". You can feel the reverence Fogel holds for Armstrong in these few words and it really makes you feel a sense of awe, like you are watching someone go beyond human limits to be the greatest at something. Then you learn that Armstrong conquered cancer before this stretch of dominance and the respect you fell towards him grows. Fogel then interrupts the old film and says that Lance was his hero. And suddenly the uplifting music stops and it fades to an interview in which Armstrong admits to having used performance enhancing drugs. The reason this scene sticks out so much to me is how well Fogel conveys his sadness at the downfall of his personal hero. It plays on a fear that all of us have, that the people we respect will let us down.