Touching the Void
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Climber Joe Simpson, describes one of the most extraordinary true stories of adventure and survival of our time. The book recounts a climb Simpson and climbing partner, Simon Yates, undertook in the Peruvian Andes in 1985. The two young and ambitious mountaineers set off to scale the unclimbed west face of Siula Grande, a remote and treacherous 21,000 ft peak. However, as they began their descent through a blizzard, Simpson fell, shattering his leg, and an hectic battle for survival unfolded in which both men make life or death decisions. Simpson and Yates return to Siula Grande together for the first time to retell their story for the camera. (Pathé Distribution UK)
(more)Reviews (5)
As a lover of mountains, I expected something big and got something even bigger. With its simple documentary structure, Touching the Void is more absorbing than a star-studded and sophisticated feature film. Brilliant.
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An emotional and edifying story about how a strong will is one of the greatest attributes a person can have, and that fighting to the last of your strength sometimes pays off. Show me another film in the last five years that communicates this idea with even more intensity and I'll pay you a trip to the Peruvian Andes :)
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A pseudo-documentary that wouldn’t work much if it weren’t narrated by Simpson and Yates in the flesh. Thanks to this fact, this picture about events that happened in 1985 has huge informational value. It starts off as a classic story about climbing. About a peak that has never been conquered and the climb. Where this achievement becomes exceptional is during the descent, which turns into hell on earth. The stubborn desire to survive versus absolute despair, injuries, dehydration, hunger, waning physical and mental strength and primarily absolute isolation in the middle of the Andes. And their plight presented them with several fundamental moral dilemmas which both of the climbers answer completely candidly, not trying to make themselves look better than they are. This movie has simply everything and leaves you with a feeling admiration not just for Simon and Yates, but for the climbing actors too.
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Touching the Void is all about the strength of the human spirit and mind. The climbing scenes are superbly filmed and you feel together with the characters every inch of the uneven surface.
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I don't understand mountaineers. In my opinion, and with all due respect, they can't be completely right in the head when they climb a perpendicular cliff 6000 meters above sea level using two iron crampons. But this goes hand in hand with immense admiration, because I would never dare to do something like that. And what Joe Simpson had to deal with is, from my perspective, one of the strongest demonstrations of courage and desire for life that I have ever heard of. I could almost feel all that suffering on my own flesh, and in the end I had to do a lot to control myself. Joe, you are awesome! 4 and 1/2*
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