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HondaReport.com Movie Review
Title: Touching the Void
Pupule’s Rating: * * * 1/2 stars

MPAA Rating: None
Viewing Time: 106 minutes
Date of Viewing: March 2, 2004
Location: Dole Cannery, Hawai’i International Film Festival Spring Fling

By Paul Honda
March 3, 2004

Reality entertainment meets National Geographic meets not-your-standard dramatization in Touching the Void, a unique retelling of two mountain climbers who face imminent danger in the Andes Mountains.

The story happens in 1985, and Joe Simpson and Simon Yates are a pair of gung-ho 20-somethings who hunger to conquer every major mountain peak in the world. The Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes is the one peak that had not been conquered.

From a storytelling perspective, this film is as simple and focused as it gets. From a world view, however, there are questions that the film inspires, some that are extremely skeptical.

The Hype: Thought this film is part of the Hawai’i Film Festival’s “Spring Fling,” I walked in completely unaware of what I was about to see. That’s what picking up a free ticket from a friend 15 minutes before showtime can do.

Strengths: Director Kevin McDonald allows us to absorb, embrace and fear the sheer depth of the Andes peaks. By giving the film a documentary feel with interspaced first-person narrative from the real Simpson and Yates, there is a level of authenticity that adds to the stark reality of their disaster. The cinematography is purely amazing, from the highest peaks, down the horribly vertical slopes, to the deepest crevasse of a place that has no animal life to be seen or heard.

Weaknesses: The film is reliant on tremendous footage of the two making their ascent, and ultimately, a descent that becomes the focal point of the film. Simpson and Yates, both Brits, narrate with honesty and occasional humor. But there were a few bits of narrative by Simpson that droned on and could have been snipped out. The other 97 percent of his recollection is brutally frank and introspective.

Best Scene: Simpson, who suffers a shattered leg on the way down the mountain, is inevitably split from Yates in the midst of a snowstorm. For days upon days, he faces obstacles that are seemingly impossible to overcome. Minus-80 degree weather, no fuel, a broken leg. Worse yet, no food or water, since the two climb Alpine style, meaning they go with one thrust up the mountain rather than stop to camp at different stages. That sets up my favorite scene. Simpson is nearly back to base camp, but can barely move 20 feet in 20 minutes over a series of boulders. Dying of thirst, he confesses that he didn’t care about dying anymore. He just didn’t want to die alone.

Worst Scene: This is not a film of bad scenes. The only one I didn’t like was a shot of Simpson (the real one) talking about his state of danger after we’ve watched at length the fact that he is facing death. It was the only scene where McDonald tells us rather than shows us a predicament.

Summary: This story is based on a book, but no written word can completely bring the beauty and danger of the Andes to life like film. As a movie, this is a gripping, magnetic piece of work.

It succeeds even in its failure. Yes, there is a negative. Why on earth any person would willingly subject himself to possible death is beyond me. And then to retell it and glamorize it is absurd. There are battles worth dying for, but climbing snow-capped mountains with sheer cliffs and slopes is not one of them.

It is an exercise in self-glorification, particularly in cultures that thrive on competition and, inevitably, capitalism. I’m no Commie, but the truth is Western civilization glorifies risk. From reality-based TV shows that force contestants to eat raw worms to celebrity-based practical jokes, it’s often about pushing the envelope as far as possible.

To the credit of Simpson and Yates, there is no self-appointed hero mentality. Simpson continues to come to the defense of Yates, who was figuratively flogged back in England for his actions in the Andes. (That, I’ll leave to your viewing and judgment.)

While I have no tolerance for the world of modern gross-and-crazy reality TV, Touching the Void leaps over that hurdle. From the moment Simpson realizes he has shattered his right leg, the film takes on an entirely different flavor, and from the wincing and cries of empathy in the theater audience, I knew I wasn’t alone.

I felt Simpson’s pain, even as I find the concept of endangering oneself to be preposterous. And as Simpson struggles with his pain and fear, his will to live strikes a chord through any cultural barriers. This is a film of universal ownership, and that in itself is a mountain overcome.

Discretionary notes: Occasional profanity. Extreme situation. Probably best for teens and above.

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