It’s a powerful image for sure, but that power comes from a narrative that is only possible with the single frame, deprived of context, because it allows (and requires) the viewer to infer a lot of things that aren’t actually true.
The implication of the image is that the tanks are on their way to crush a student protest, and a single man bravely stands up to them and (momentarily) delays the violence. The viewer might be led to believe he was run over for this act.
However, the less-famous video shows the (by all appearances clean) tanks leaving the square, stopping and steering to try and avoid hitting the man. They even allow him to crawl on top and talk with the driver for a while.
It’s a powerful image for sure, but that power comes from a narrative that is only possible with the single frame, deprived of context, because it allows (and requires) the viewer to infer a lot of things that aren’t actually true.
The implication of the image is that the tanks are on their way to crush a student protest, and a single man bravely stands up to them and (momentarily) delays the violence. The viewer might be led to believe he was run over for this act.
However, the less-famous video shows the (by all appearances clean) tanks leaving the square, stopping and steering to try and avoid hitting the man. They even allow him to crawl on top and talk with the driver for a while.
It’s a classic lie by omission.