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Touching the Void

This documentary-style film is based on the book written by Joe Simpson whose ascent of the Siula Grande's west face in 1985 with Simon Yates has become the stuff of mountain climbing legend.

The photography of this film is breataking and despite the flashback style of the narrative, it is easy to forget that you aren't watching actual footage of the climb. Having begun the climb with the arrogance and recklessness of youth (both were in their early twenties), Simpson and Yates each had to deal with the harsh reality that any accident at 20,000 feet almost certainly means disaster. When they find that the tether connecting them becomes a threat to their combined survival, one has to make the decision to sever that bond, a virtual death sentence for his partner.

If you can look past the view of the people sitting in the row behind us ("Those guys are just nuts.") the film becomes an investigation of the human bonds of trust, loyalty, and sacrifice. In any case, the film is a testament to the strength of human will and the desire to survive.

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