The Struggle to Survive; Docudrama Recreates a Harrowing, Near Fatal Mountain Climb
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Summary
In Kevin Macdonald's docudrama Touching the Void, based on [Joe Simpson]'s 1988 memoir of the same name, we get to see just how much "fun" that expedition was. The film is narrated in the present day by Simpson and Simon Yates, his climbing partner. Actors (Brendan Mackey as Simpson, and Nicholas Aaron as Yates) reenact the adventure, which was filmed partly on Siula Grande and partly in the Swiss Alps. Even though we know that both men get out alive, the movie is filled with knuckle-chewing suspense.
It's on the descent that the two get into trouble. Joe falls and breaks his leg, the shinbone driving up through the kneecap. They decide that Simon will lower Joe down the almost vertical face by rope. Then Joe drops over a rock lip and is left dangling, out of Simon's sight. Only the continued tension on the rope tells Simon that something is wrong. Finally, Simon, feeling himself slipping off his perch, does the only thing he can to save himself: He cuts the rope, leaving Joe for dead.See the full content of this document
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The Struggle to Survive; Docudrama Recreates a Harrowing, Near Fatal Mountain Climb
Why do people expose themselves to the risk of agonizing misery or even death by climbing mountains of 15,000 feet, 20,000 feet or more? Precisely because it restores the element o...
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