Touching the Void (2003)

Touching the Void is a Sports Documentary that is told by three men, two of which suffered disastrous consequences while climbing Siula Grande. The incidence is a real life recorded the event from a book of the same name and the actual climbers themselves. Joe Simpson's and Simon Yates and experienced climbers and in 1985 decided upon ascending the previously unclimbed West Cliff of Silua Grande. They became successful at climb to the top, but the descent is where the problems begin. In consideration that this film is retelling the consequence of Joe Simpson's and Simon Yates, it is cleverly reconstructed. The whole setup and situations in which occur in the movie are so accurate and believable. You almost feel as if it's was physically documented on location and at the precise moment of the situation. The film format is that of a flashback or retelling even though this had occurred years beforehand it's accurate to a fault. When Simon or Joe talks about a specific moment it cuts to footage of actors in place of them at the same time, and every detail is very accurate. No detail was missed out even accurate description such as deep depth of black was shown in clear concept. It look like the actor portraying the recreation went through the ordeal themselves. The suffering was exhibited clearly in the actors themselves. The visuals also capture both aspects the location. There is a shot at the begin in which the camera is capturing a wide shot of the landscape. Within the shot, you can see the location but in an entirely different concept. As for panning it's peaceful and calms down the bottom of the mount in which it reaches the top we there's a clear switch of rough and harsh weather. These two clear visuals are captured in a tangent and to me has a meaning. Even though the location seems peaceful at a drop of the dime, it can suddenly become hell. The film physically makes you feel for the characters that you sometimes forget things. One such example is with Joe when a predicament happens later on in the, you being to hope that he survives. Although you remember that Joe Simpson's that went through the ordeal is narrating the scene. It's so staggering that your brain doesn't take into the consideration of the voice over narration, you're just lost in the actions of the film. Overall I think the film was brilliant, it's stunning footage recaptures the important situation that these men went through, and the emotion they must of have. I would personally recommend this film to others.