Note: Because of the film's nature, I don't think I reveal anything you won't know is coming while watching, but I do tell you a number of major plot points, so be forewarned.

About a decade ago, the best-seller Touching the Void tore through the climbing community, and also garnered significant mainstream attention, because of a controversial decision made by one climber when stuck in a highly perilous situation. The short version is that while climbing Siula Grande, an icy 21,000-foot peak in the Peruvian Andes, a man cut the rope connecting himself and his climbing partner, which left both of them damaged, one physically and one emotionally.

Based on that 1988 non-fiction book, the film Touching the Void tells the story of those two climbers, Joe Simpson (who wrote the book) and Simon Yates, in a unique manner more often seen in retrospectives on The History Channel. Call it a docu-drama, as the movie blends recent interviews with an excellent reenactment of the nearly 20-year old event. In one sense, this method somewhat deprives the story of its dramatic effect, because you know that the two narrators obviously survive whatever disasters may befall them. But the story is not about if, but rather about how and why. As you gain a new respect for climbing, you will ask yourself what you would do in a similar situation, and that circumstance-less mental agony will be torturous enough.

Because you know the ultimate outcome, the power of the tale is all the more amazing. Although the crucial decision is often the focus of the story, the reactions to the circumstances are the high point of the movie. Better than most any film, Touching the Void bares the souls of the key characters. At the top of a mountain, things are pretty simple: life and death. With decision stripped down to such a minimum, those choices are magnified to an almost painful extreme, taking viewers to places and extremes they will never experience. This mental transportation is where Touching the Void excels most.

In exploring the powerful pain, both physical and emotional, of Simpson and Yates, Touching the Void could easily have lapsed into melodrama, but thanks in part to minimal music and an understated narrative, the film accurately explores raw human emotion at its strongest. In the process, the film may have produced the movie moment of the year: a reunion scene that, like the rest of the movie, is as wrought with pure emotion as any in recent memory.

Audio & Video

The digital transfer is excellent, resulting in a sparkling and spotless picture, made all the more impressive by the color scheme that primarily features pristine whites and blues. With crystal clear shots of the vividly beautiful but deadly scenery, the stark and breathtaking natural vistas match the human drama fabulously.

The sound is mostly natural, wind whistling, snow drifting, and the like. The Dolby Digital 5.1 track effectively but not overwhelmingly works these noise through the speakers, and eventually nature is a character in itself, building tension and adding to the drama.

DVD Extras

In addition to the usual assortment of trailers, there are three featurettes, which aren't all that different from the main feature, and seamlessly continue the flow of the story and characters, furthering an understanding of the mental states involved. One short, What Happened Next... picks up right where the film leaves off, telling...well...what immediately followed. Another doc, The Return to Siula Grande covers the often revelatory events that happen when the the pair return to the site with the filmmakers. The other, a 23-minute Independent Film Channel making of contains behind the scenes interviews and clips from Simpson's video diary, which is the most enlightening feature. He goes through emotions ranging from fear to anger to acceptance, and his process is absolutely fascinating. All of these featurettes extend the story and are definitely worth a viewing.


P.S. Touching the Void has recently been announced as one of the twelve films that have made the preliminary cut for the 2005 Best Documentary Oscar.


This is my second entry in Tom's Lean-N-Mean III write-off for concise yet informative reviews.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD