On May 10, 1996, Rob Hall (Jason Clarke), the safety-conscious and leader of climbers Adventure Consultants, and Scott Fischer (Jake Gyllenhaal) leader of another group of climbers, Mountain Madness, led their teams on an ascent toward the highest point on Earth: the summit of Everest, 29,029 ft. above sea level. This is essentially the cruising altitude of a 747. Joining them are Beck Weathers (Josh Brolin), a Texas pathologist; Doug Hansen, a mailman and adventure enthusiast who failed to summit the previous year; Jon Krakauer, a journalist from Outside magazine embedded with Hall’s team; Guy Cotter, a fellow guide and close friend of Hall. The film also introduces the wives of Hall and Weathers who are back home in Texas and New Zealand respectively. The teams spend two months working their way up the mountain as they get their bodies used to the bitter cold and the thin air at high altitudes, dealing with oxygen levels so low that the simple act of walking can be a huge task. Some of the climbers mange to reach the summit but with little warning, an unexpected violent storm the equivalent of hurricane moves in and engulfs the adventurers as they were descending on the mountain.
It is rare that I am in awe of images I see at the cinema and the last time this occurred was with 2013’s GRAVITY. What both films have in common are stunning visual effects and camerawork and more “wow” moments than I can count. This is the type of film that deserves to be seen on the big screen and in IMAX. If you have ever seen those old nature type IMAX films of the past you will experience a sense of familiarity. There were moments that I could not believe what I was seeing in front of me. You may get a feeling of vertigo from time to time in the film. I used to be deathly afraid of heights, had I seen this when I was younger it would not have helped that condition. I am not aware of how much of the actual film was shot at the actual location but it is obvious that the majority of the outdoor footage was shot on location and not on a soundstage.
Despite being based on a true story I was not familiar with the events and I was surprised at the outcome of the film. There are some big names in the film but this is more of an ensemble film versus a star vehicle for anyone. There are good performances in the film but with this cast, especially Gyllenhaal, I expect that to be the case. The effects and the locations are the star of this film yet that is not a bad thing. The film should receive multiple nominations on the technical aspects of the film. Effects aside the film is still an incredible story of man against nature and survival. As I sat there watching the film a question that kept popping in my head was “why”? Why would anyone do this? Why would anyone risk their life to climb Everest? There is a scene in the film that addresses this exact question and the answer was simple. Because it is there.
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