Synopsis
People said that it would fall and that a poorly funded project would leave the nation with a half finished monument. In the end, it would become an international symbol of the United States. It is an architectural and design masterpiece that has touched everyone who has touched it. From the individuals who worked tirelessly to champion funding, to the Steel Workers who dangled 630 feet in the air during construction, it is a triumph that will forever mark the lives of those involved with it. It is... The Gateway Arch. The Gateway Arch: A Reflection of America chronicles for the first time the complete story of this great American symbol... From Thomas Jefferson, Lewis and Clark, and St. Louis' role in westward expansion; to the eventual construction of the largest stainless steel structure in history. The film is narrated by academy award-winner and St. Louis native Kevin Kline and produced by Civil Pictures, producers of the international award-winning documentary The World's Greatest Fair. Extensive research was conducted at archives across the United States to produce this documentary. Over 10,000 documents and images were examined, including Eero Saarinen's private papers and earliest conceptual drawings held at Yale University. The production team spent months tracking down long lost construction footage; transferred and seen here for the first time in digital cinema. The production team conducted countless behind-the-scenes interviews and 24 on-camera interviews over the course of two years. This process brought to light information previously unknown to the general public; including the fact that engineers feared the Arch would buckle when placing the final piece resulting in a catastrophic failure. Interviews with World Trade Center Memorial architect Daniel Libeskind, New York-based architecture critic Jayne Merkel, and Eero Saarinen's daughter Susan, give new insight into the genius of Saarinen's design as well as the fact that the technology to build his "ribbon of steel" did not exist in 1947 when he submitted his winning design. More than just a dry historical record, this movie presents a message of optimism, the human capacity to pursue dreams and America's ability to achieve great things.