"Touching the Void" (Documentary) (2003) - Movie Review

Having just finished “Touching the Void” book, I was immensely curious to watch the film. The documentary based on the book by Joe Simpson tells his climb to the summit of Siula Grande in Peru with his fellow climber Simon Yates and how at one point Simpson was left alone with a broken leg in a situation where death appeared tasteful to quench upon. The book while overall a very good one made me tough to understand or picture the crevasse, cliffs, ridge and the moraines. Film is much more visual as it was supposed to and mainly re-enacting the journey (Simpson played by Brendan Mackey and Yates played by Nicholas Aaron) with Yates and Simpson narrating makes it to feel the immense and excruciating ordeal Simpson went with the guilt and pain Yates went through which can only be imagined by us.

In 1985, youth kicking the adrenaline in with 25 year old Simpson and 21 year Simon to literally hit and think sky as the limit. The intense virtue of brutal cold air and fall into depths of abyss in Siula Grande beckoned to conquer it for these two. They did conquer it with a life altering accident and survival. After seventeen years, they go through it again mainly Simpson on those impossible days where he licked death but pulled himself back to fight to stay alive. Making a “based on true events” would have fudged a lot of things and mainly the little possibility of the material being real would have gone to sheepishly entertaining which would be a sin. In the special features of the DVD, the part of “Return of Siula Grande” wherein Simpson and Yates went back, we see Simpson struggling to cope up to the reliving of that dreadful scenario and says, “You do not have even have the slightest idea of what I went through” and we know that, in every emotional accumulation we have had in our lives.

After reaching the summit while descending back, Simpson broke his leg by an unfortunate accident. And at that moment, both of them knew what it means, that is Simpson’s death is fixed and it is just a matter of time. Yates comes up with a thoughtful unbelievable idea of bucket the snow and lowering Simpson sitting in it. It works but situation arises which I would not even dream to be in where Yates was to virtually decide on whose life it is going to be. For years he has been criticized for his action but Joe till date supports him. To even raise a thought of judging Yates is unmerciful and completely off the limits. But it tells a lot of the human instincts in us. What would have happened if Simpson did not crawl through his life to the base camp hours before Yates and their friend Richard? It is unanswerable. Mountain climbing is deadly and both were aware of the fact. Both knew the risk and at the same time thought about the eventualities and consequences of the situation Simpson was in. It can be read in detail in the book from writings of Yates too.

The film is cold and sometimes hard to grasp. The book deals with the mind games and the feeling of completely defeated on Simpson when he was left to the darkness in the midst of unforgiving mountain. Film deals it the same with him giving the narration but the partial re-enactment takes a step further to shake up in the reality of the leg tuning its pain on to Simon while his mind is losing itself. The survival of this man can be looked as hope and never giving up. But it is a psychological and philosophical exploration in to the realms of death. And the honesty both Yates and Simpson along with Richard show unsettles us because it is foreign to many. We sometimes feel how insensitive and detached they can be. But when you enter into the den of dangers that is the mentality one can have to survive. One can try his/her best but when it comes to the decision of deciding on determining whom to live in a fraction of second, it is the human instinct to vouch for oneself.

Simpson opens the doors for every one on a chance to look one’s life. How miniscule and insignificant we can be made and how the drawn up dignity and self esteem goes in thin air. The honesty in writing by Simpson and faithfully making by director Kevin MacDonald gives a glimpse on how utterly vulnerable even the seasoned, trained and toughest can become. It also shows the endurance and determination of the defeated and helpless person to overcome the odds to keep on going in small but life changing steps towards light.