Everest is one of those movies that has to be seen on the big screen. In fact, the harrowing true tale needs to be experienced in the largest screens around, IMAX 3D. The Jon Krakauer book Into Thin Air chronicled the tragic Mt. Everest climb of the late ’90s that would result in eight people’s deaths and one man losing his hands and nose. To this day Krakauer (who survived the journey) says that he wishes he had never embarked on that journey and after seeing Everest, it is easy to see why he feels that way.
Everest is not necessarily a big screen version of Into Thin Air (that was made into a TV movie a few years ago). But it does use much of the information gathered from Krakauer’s book to paint a picture of an Everest climbing world where companies have arisen that charge loads of money to take thrill seekers to the top of one of the most challenging and dangerous mountains in the entire world. One of those was Rob Hall (played masterfully by Jason Clarke). His business specialized in getting you to the top of the mountain and most importantly, “getting you back down.”
Unfortunately for Hall, he didn’t listen to his years of training and experience and he would wind up one of those who perished during that fateful trip. Also lost was another expedition leader, Jake Gyllenhaal’s Scott Fischer. He too would have danger signs come at him like neon lights and still trudge ahead when he should have turned around.
See, that is one of the frustrating things about watching Everest. These people know better. But then again, how many films have we seen where supposed “experts” do something in a moment of weakness or lack of clarity and they end up paying for it? It happens in real life, as documented in the film The Perfect Storm. That’s why it may be hard for some to witness Everest. These are people who have it all and yet still insist on risking everything to make it to the peak of Everest.
Josh Brolin’s Beck Weathers would pay dearly during that trip. He wrote a book about the harrowing experience too and although his wife doesn’t allow him to climb mountains anymore, he does fly jets (as told to us in our Josh Brolin Everest interview). See, that’s the thing. Weathers had a wife and kids at home and yet he still risked his life to get closer to the stars than any human was built to do. The film may be frustrating for some to watch because they cannot understand that desire to risk it all, but then again, it is a very human feeling. From explorers centuries ago to the men and women who push the boundaries of space at NASA, it is human nature to see how far the envelope can be stretched. It’s just these folks gambled and lost.
Capturing this story with equal parts tribute and tenacity is director Baltasar Kormákur (2 Guns). He turned down Furious 7 to make Everest and The Movie Mensch could not be more thankful he did. Even though it was filmed in the Alps between Switzerland and Italy, Kormákur manages to put us on the mountain. It feels like Everest. As we see these characters gasping for air where there is hardly any, we too feel the lack of oxygen in our lungs. It is a visual stunner that is all the more astounding in IMAX and in 3D.
The ensemble cast pays tribute to those who lost their lives and those who survived with great care and power. Brolin, Gyllenhaal, Clarke, John Hawkes, Keira Knightley, Emily Watson, Sam Worthington and Robin Wright all contribute to the ensemble where not one is truly the star getting the spotlight. The true star here is the mountain, and after witnessing Everest, our respect for her is ever higher.
Grade: B+