Everest
13/10/15 Filed in: Cinema
Today's film was Everest. Based on a true story it reveals how Everest tourism can go badly wrong.
The cinematography is absolutely stunning. At times you can forget that you're watching a drama and believe that it's a real expedition, as it was of course back in 1996. The business of taking tourists up Everest had moved on from a single specialist company to the point where competing commercial interests had a finger in the pie. This introduced additional dangers, as bottlenecks caused delays, and when you are constrained by brief windows in unpredictable weather patterns, these delays can escalate the risks.
The back stories to the characters are of course the essence of the film. The reasons why people pay large sums of money and take such risks. The 'must reach the summit' mentality that is itself a risk factor, and can lead to even seasoned professionals pushing the boundaries.
The cinematography is absolutely stunning. At times you can forget that you're watching a drama and believe that it's a real expedition, as it was of course back in 1996. The business of taking tourists up Everest had moved on from a single specialist company to the point where competing commercial interests had a finger in the pie. This introduced additional dangers, as bottlenecks caused delays, and when you are constrained by brief windows in unpredictable weather patterns, these delays can escalate the risks.
The back stories to the characters are of course the essence of the film. The reasons why people pay large sums of money and take such risks. The 'must reach the summit' mentality that is itself a risk factor, and can lead to even seasoned professionals pushing the boundaries.
According to the credits, the filming took place in Nepal and Italy, so I guess that in addition to the spectacular scenes on Everest itself, some of the sequences may well have been filmed on a 'lesser' mountain. Whether that's the case or not, it doesn't detract from the realism that this film achieves. It's absolutely believable and you feel for these people as they are engulfed by a vicious storm while trapped on what is perhaps the most inhospitable mountain on Earth.
Some of the reviews suggest that the film lacks that 'edge of your seat' tension. Well, all I can say is that they must have been watching a different film.
Some of the reviews suggest that the film lacks that 'edge of your seat' tension. Well, all I can say is that they must have been watching a different film.