Touching the Void
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Movie Reviews of Touching the Void
Movie Review: The DVD Extras perfectly compliment this outstanding documentary
Summary: 5 Stars
This is an outstanding DVD documenting the events and the aftermath of an assault 2 climbers made upon the unscaled face of Sula Grande in the Peruvian Andes. I'm going to concentrate my comments upon the extras included in the DVD because I emphatically believe they make this an outstanding film set.
Your given a running commentary of both climbers during the film but the DVD really shines when you see the "Making of" segment included as an extra. What the viewer may not know is that all the filming of "Touching" was done on site and all 3 main characters were present during the filming. They added context, preserved the story's integrity and helped the production crew understand the amount of respect that the mountain deserved.
As many people who have gone through traumatic experiences of this grade know, you have little desire to relive them but sometime later one is led back to the scene... to recapture a piece of themselves that has been stolen. The DVD extras examine Joe and Simon's separate but joint quest. The intra\interpersonal emotional conflicts are evidenced in their dialogue and the interaction with the film crew. The strain, stress and consequences of uncontrollable events as well as their actions are laid bare before you to see. It helps the viewer understand the context upon which these choices were made, the weight that was shouldered then and the impact it has upon them on a daily basis.
It's amazing that both have survived, not just the events on Sula but the aftermath and all the armchair criticism that has been uttered since. This DVD set in its' entirety is a tribute to the capacity of man to survive and overcome incredible odds. Both Simon and Joe are to be commended at their miraculous survival against nature.
Any veteran, survivor, adventurer or would be outdoor enthusiast will be hard-pressed to find a better film depicting one,s survival against the overwhelming forces of nature, uncontrollable events and one's self.
Buy it and OWN IT
Movie Review: True harrowing and scary mountain climbing story.
Summary: 5 Stars
This 2003 film is docu-drama about a real incident. In 1985, two young British mountain climbers attempted to climb a very dangerous mountain in the Andes. One of them broke a leg. The other one was supposed to bring his partner back to safety. But something happened. And this is their story.
First of all, we all know they made it back because they are now in their forties and narrating the story. The climbing part is re-enacted by actors who managed to make it seem absolutely authentic and happening right before my eyes.
All the viewer has to do is sit back and relax and watch the adventure. Right?
Wrong.
There is nothing relaxing about watching this film. It is harrowing, scary and frustrating. I had two thoughts: (1) that they were stupid for attempting this mountain the first place, and (2) that I was right there with them even though I found the tension almost unbearable. The film seemed too slow because I wanted to know what happened next. And yet I understand that every excruciating detail was important in order for me to really understand their ordeal. So every time it showed the two men today, calmly discussing the incident, I was relieved they were still alive, but I burned with curiosity about how they survived.
This film totally involved me and left no room for thinking about anything else during the long 107 minutes it took to watch it. And then, when it was over, I watched all the special features ? such as how it was filmed, what happened to the two men after the film ended, and further interviews. It was an entire evening of sharing that mountain with them.
I did enjoy the film and do recommend it. But just be prepared for nail-biting anxiety as well as an inspiring story of man?s will to survive. Recommended.
Movie Review: Harrowing Just to Watch
Summary: 5 Stars
My son and I came out of the theater exhausted just by watching this quasi-documentary reenactment of the 1985 ascent up an unclimbed route on the Siula Grande glacier in Peru. The film's impact is heightened by the excellent cutting between the actor/climbers and Simon Yates and Joe Simpson, who recall their actions, reactions, and feelings nearly 20 years later. Disaster strikes on the descent, where -- as one of them notes -- "80 percent of accidents happen." After Simpson breaks his leg in a fall, Yates -- against impossible odds -- continues to try and get him down. Finally, Simpson falls again, off the edge of the mountain. After hours of hanging on to what feels like dead weight, Yates cuts the rope to prevent himself from being gradually pulled into the void. Simpson's survival and return to base camp is nothing short of miraculous, suggesting that man is never more tenacious about life than when he is closest to losing it. Though far different in its circumstances, his story rivals that of Shackleton and the Endurance in Antartica three quarters of a century before. An underlying issue, addressed briefly in the film, is whether Yates should have cut the rope. Apparently some other climbers criticized him for doing so, but Simpson always defended his action. I have no idea how well the technical aspects of Touching the Void are done, but to this mostly earthboard amateur, they looked brilliantly and truly shot. Danger and beauty are scarcely separable in Touching the Void. When you are not immersed in the terror of Yates' and, especially, Simpson's plight, the frigid beauty of the glacier, the colors within its crevasses are glorious. A story of recklessness and great determination, superbly told, filled with many "how did they ever shoot that?" moments, Touching the Void must be seen.Movie Review: The most gripping 'talking heads' documentary ever
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the story of two young Brits who scaled a particularly treacherous mountain, the Siula Grande, in the Peruvian Andes in 1985. Not anticipating the difficulty of the summit climb, the ordeal of inclement weather, and even greater difficulty of the descent, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, then in their early twenties, undertook to make their ascent in one push, carrying on their backs all the supplies they expected to need. Wholely dependent upon each other for success and survival, Joe Simpson falls during their descent and suffers a particularly nasty, life-threatening broken leg. Yates then undertakes to lower Simpson on a hundred meter line through blizzard conditions until there comes that dreaded moment when he can no longer feel Simpson's tug on the line and, to save his own life, must sever it. Miraculously, Simpson survives the fall. Then each must make his way down the mountain on his own. Though it seems to doubtful that this will be possible with such a severe injury, Simpson musters enormous physical and emotional reserves to manage to survive. It's a haunting tale, and much of it is told by each man facing a camera narrating his story in nearly deadpan style. Joe Simpson wrote a book about his experience, and has gone on to become a writer. Simon Yates meanwhile has become an adventurer. To make the film, each man has to return to Siula Grande, and that turns out to be a difficult emotional journey. Filmmaker Kevin MacDonald's interweaving of the men's narratives with careful reenactments makes for a sumptuous, beautifully filmed, and riveting viewing experience. In addition, there are terrific special features telling more details of the return to civilization and what life has been like for each man since.Movie Review: Words escape me.
Summary: 5 Stars
Have you ever watched a film and afterwards somebody asks you, "Was it any good?" I had a co-worker ask me that very question after I saw this film in the theater. I just nodded. He laughed, "It's so good that words escape you?" I nodded again. This film is easily, without a doubt, with no competition whatsoever, the best film released this year. Bar none. The film itself is a true-life survival story, visceral and incredible, with fine acting from the two climber/actors that were cast for the two leads and some breathtaking cinematography. I actually pity anyone who did not see this film in the theater. However, those with huge television sets are in for an amazing experience. What makes this docu-drama stand head and shoulders over most documentaries and/or docu-dramas are the absolutely honest interviews with those involved in the incident. There were two climbers and another man left behind to watch their base-camp. All three men convey very truthful, often "brutally" truthful accounts of the event. When I first heard about this film and that both climbers survive I thought, "How intense could it really be knowing that?" I am not ruining anything by saying they survive because within the first few scenes of this film it is shown through interviews with the actual climbers. By no means does this diminish the film or the story in any way. I have this personal habit of writing down, throughout the year, all the 5-star films that I have seen in the theater. The film's title sits all alone at the top of the page. I seriously doubt I will see a better film this year. Perhaps one nearly its equal, but by no means, better. I highly recommend buying this fantastic film. Thank you.