Sunday, October 13, 2013

'The Summit' A Review

The Summit is a documentary about the ill-fated 2008 expedition to scale K2. The film is a series of interviews, actual footage from the expedition, and reenactments. A number of different international teams, national teams, and solo climbers converge to make an attempt at K2.

Eleven climbers died on the attempt and it was reported as irresponsible and ill planned. Through the course of the film the reality is shown to be something much more complex. Many different elements come in to play when climbing the second tallest and most dangerous mountain on the planet- preparation, planning, skill, provisions etc. As the film progresses strong personalities and characters are revealed and an unlucky series of events unravel that ultimately result in the tragic and untimely death of 11 souls.

The film conveys the formidable cruel beauty of nature and the courageous and obsessive drive of the human spirit. It details how extreme nature can be, how precarious life is, how a matter of inches or seconds can mean eternity, how when extreme danger presents itself we instinctually protect ourselves and only some people can risk it all to try to save another's life.

A somber elucidating telling of a tragedy relegated to headline blurbs.

See It.

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