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The Story
The film follows a group of adventurous and experienced mountaineers, who all have aspirations to overcome both mind and mountain when they head for the summit of the world's highest peak. Because of the increasing popularity of mountain climbing among more ordinary people, numerous of extreme climbing enthusiasts view that as an opportunity to earn some money, while helping others to pave the way for their own personal beliefs about success and guide them step by step to conquer the mountain beyond the hills, Mount Everest. Rob Hall is one of many who leads his own event company, called Adventure Consultants, in which he takes people to the top for a payment of dizzying high amounts. I guess you could say, the money fits the measurements with this one...
When Rob finally arrives at Base Camp with his audacious bunch of allies, he discovers that the number of adventurous individuals are higher than ever before. This causes him to get rather anxious about it all, especially because they all plan to make their way up the mountain on the same exact day, which can cause a lack of space on the tightly spaced danger points on the mountainside. They all seem to have their optimism in order and lots of high hopes in their luggage, so with uneven grounds under their feet they begin to head for the top. But Mount Everest is more than just a mountain mixed into the crowd. Before long their high hopes of success will be crushed by crashing glaciers and coldhearted weather conditions; their tailwind will be headwinds and their mental strength will be defeated by the strongest storm seen on the mountain for a long time; their assertive attitudes of reaching the top will plummet to the ground at exactly the same time their body and mentality breaks in half and give up all hope; the kind of hope which seems to be left in the bottom of the mountain by now, out of sight and out of reach – one begins to wonder whether or not they will reach the top alive – but actually, there lies a much larger issue ahead of them… will they ever get back down again before taking their last breath of thin air?
'Everest' is not just the name of the peak where the film takes place, but it also reflects on the straightforwardness and pure simplicity from which the film creates its momentum – whether that means something good or bad. There is nothing new under the sun when it comes to the story-related structure of 'Everest', but in return the film stands in a whole new light once the darkness has settled on the sloping lands. Unfortunately, it takes a while before we get to see the visual response to the title of this film. It is a pity that the story doesn’t peak until very late into the film, which means we have to settle with slow-building and snow-wielding mediocracy for most of the movie. I really wish the story would have spent its time better, especially since a survival story about true events on a deadly mountain provides plenty of opportunities for excitement and empathy – mainly because of the inspiration and localization of the film. But as it is often the case with movies based on true events, the people behind frequently struggle to get a foothold in the story and deliver their story in the most appropriate way. In most cases, these so-called "event films" simply takes too long before we arrive at the actual event and never have enough stuff to say leading up to it. Obviously, all this depends on whether they wish to assign a lot of respect and honor to the real people who inspired the film or whether they want to make a film of pure fiction filled to the brim with action and excitement. Some stories are better off being a bit more of one than the other, while there are some movies that function the best when there is some sort of balance between the two.
Personally, I think 'Everest' is one of the few films that would work better as a more specific portrayal of the dangers that lies within mountaineering, which would also show exactly which kind of extreme conditions true mountaineers need to go through to reach the top. In this way, the film can function as a consistent collaboration between the two narrative techniques, wherein the story of real people will arise as daring and determined individuals – all of whom are struggling with themselves as well as each other when the danger occurs – all the while the intense experiences on the mountainside will appear as a perfect opportunity to give the film tension and action, without having it come across as insulting or unnaturally executed, since it simply puts the story and the dangers of this adrenaline rush in a better and stronger light. Unfortunately, this film chooses to take the bumpy road through the narrative terrain of moviemaking, where the people behind attempt to create a balance that just never succeeds, because neither one of the elements in the film is given enough time to develop on screen. The characters in the film don’t get much time to grow outside all the climbing and disastrous happenings, which kind of removes part of the interpersonal perception and personal empathy that audiences would otherwise have had the pleasure of. As if that wasn’t enough, the film actually spends an extremely long time with the characters before they go to battle with rocky walls and crazy climatic conditions, but the time we spent with these characters is totally unrewarding, since the director rarely dives deep enough in their personality and motivation for climbing the mountain.
There are many different characters throughout the film and only about two of them are being awarded with an adequate amount of dramatic strength. We are talking about the characters of Rob Hall (Jason Clarke) and Beck Weathers (Josh Brolin), both of which have a nervous wife at home waiting, but none of these relationships really moves themselves out of a poorly drawn outline. Both remain more or less in the presentation phase, so to speak, where we know who is who and where they are, in their lives, at the moment, but that’s about it. Kiera Knightley is probably the most interesting of the two wives, presumably because she is the wife of the most prominent character in the movie, while Robin Wright and her phenomenal acting capacity is completely wasted in this film, as the wife of Beck Weathers. Ultimately, we simply can’t help but be disappointed when spending so much time with the main characters without ever really getting close to them. These people are neither astrophysicists or highly acclaimed personalities, therefore I see no reason to spend over an hour introducing them – especially not when the time is used so incredibly unwell, that we never really get to know anything about them anyway. It is more or less ordinary people who are portrayed in this film, which means that all you really need is twenty minutes of properly paced character development before one would have a clear understanding of who they are and why they are that way. It really is a shame that the director only picks a little in the outer layer of his characters, since the talent among the actors shows that there is plenty of possibility for a more prominent progression of their characters in the film.
You could say, that ‘Everest’ more or less has its priorities in place, because even if the wait is a little too long, the director definitely gets to show where he put in all of his efforts. The one character, who we actually should spend the most time with, doesn’t have a worrying wife at home or possesses any form of human consideration or compassionate kindliness – I’m talking about non other than the mountain itself, Mount Everest. Here is a character with plenty of pitch-black depth and great personality, which can control the film and its direction, providing for unexpected twists and exciting changes in the story. The mountain kind of works like this three-dimensional element, which can support the two-dimensional characters, while lifting the one-dimensional script out of extreme mediocrity and into a story that holds a lot more edge and appeal. Because as it is the case with this film, the human characters simply aren’t alive enough and the dialogue lacks gravity. It may very well be the case, that these characters are all played by competent actors and actresses, but that doesn’t make their personality any less flat-faced or their dialogue any livelier – even though you often forget both of these aspects when all hell breaks lose on the mountain. But unfortunately, the emotions of the film are often caught in their own snowstorm, while it sometimes comes across as a bit tiring and forced in its delivery. When you are dealing with true-to-life events, it is often very easy to have the audience shed a tear or two and 'Everest' also makes every little effort to achieve this – but it often comes off as too easy or too lazy. The audience just get blasted with this great tragedy and its tragic consequences, with the hope that we bow under during the avalanche of low-supplied emotional manipulation – and we definitely do break at times, but it is certainly not with the help of great cinema, that’s for sure. 'Everest' is perhaps nothing dramatically wonderful, but as a sheer technological tour de force the film has hit a high mark in the subarctic subgenre.
Fortunately, the film begins to blast forward when we are finally on the mountainside and at this point we almost don’t care about what lies behind the mind of these characters; it is only what lies ahead of them that we want to focus on. It is the simple struggle between mountain and mountaineer that is the most interesting, creating this climatic conflict within the dramatic climate, which then creates the entire fundament for the film and its narrative. You can’t really calculate it, but merely throw yourself straight into it and hope for the best, which the film depicts very well. At this point, 'Everest' is actually not just a typical "mountain climber film" that looks like any other out there, since it is neither about the human conflicts or the way towards the top, believe it or not. It is a pure adrenaline rush, but the rush doesn’t actually come when you are highest up on the mountain. As you know by now, 'Everest' is based on actual events, and I promise you that I neither spoiler the film nor the actual story by saying that most men and woman actually do reach the top of Mount Everest. But then you will probably wonder, how a movie about climbing the world's highest mountain can still keep things exciting and surprising when it isn’t a spoiler to say whether or not they reach the top. But if you ask a professional mountaineer, he or she will tell you that it is actually not about the way up ... but rather the way back. Most deaths and diverse accidents actually happens on the way down, which the film presents surprisingly well. You sit for a while and wonder why it was so "easy" for them to reach the top, but soon after you will know why ... it actually wasn’t easy at all.
On the way up the mountainside all oxygen is about to run out; all forces have been deployed to reach the top and all small chances of returning, either due to weather or other problems on the mountain, has been ignored one by one. You are now alone and helpless on the top and the only thing that can get you back down again, is none other than yourself and your skill to press the human physique to the max – both your mind and your body. But at this point, there is no one else than the mountain itself, which is currently operating at its highest point; both the psyche and physical strength have been broken down, bit by bit, over the time it took you to reach the top. You fight furiously against the biting cold, blinding snowstorm and tough terrain. Up on the mountainside, there is no loving Mother to hold your hand, only the merciless Mother Nature with the upper hand, handing out slap after slap to the face, holding you tight in this hopeless situation you now face and are unable to flee from. This suddenly creates a completely new image of actual mountain climbing – It is not about how close you are to the top, but how far you are from the bottom. As soon as these characters begin to realize this it is too late, since a few climbers let their conceit shine a little too long when they were at the top, while others dropped from the pack on the way there and therefore arrives at the top outside of the recommended timeframe. This leaves the company of climbers spread out over the entire mountain exactly at the point where the worst storm hits them – some made it to the more secure points, while others see themselves "frozen in place” at the most dangerous parts of the mountain – both in figurative and literal sense.
At this point, the tension on the titular mountain is sky-high and one begins to wonder about the survival chances of these characters. ‘Everest’ slowly climbs towards a climatic and emotional climax, but despite the otherwise calm and quiet ascension, suddenly the film finds a need to speed forward and rush away to bind together all loose ends, while downscaling the whole scenario way too quickly. It is sad that the end appears so cold and pale when it arrives, opposite the otherwise blistering battle for survival in the mountain blizzard, which we had just witnessed. The people behind this movie simply don’t bother much with their characters, which is clear as daylight towards the very end, where they don’t seem to follow through with them. It ends up feeling like a cheap fix instead, which tries to cover up all the holes in both plot and characters, which they obviously don’t bother to fill out themselves. Instead they drown their characters in emotional muddle, desperately trying to tie the story together with the reality of it, in just a few short minutes. In all honesty, it just seems so lazy, rushed and haphazardly hard-hearted – especially because I had hoped that the film wasn’t one of those plain white tales, inspired by a true story, which all too often takes the easy way out. ‘Everest’ certainly has a great mass to it once we are on the mountainside, with a proper sense of pace and drama too, but I can easily see the film work just as well, if not better, if it wasn’t based on real events. This film is definitely at its strongest and most penetrating, when the wind and weather is as well, which can only mean that the mountain is the true winner of this film – not the characters of which the film is actually based on.
The Acting
As I mentioned earlier, the characters are mostly flat and presented poorly, while wearing the outermost layer of a thin personality, but in return, the acting has a lot of depth to compensate for the characters’ lack of abilities. Jason Clarke delivers one of his best performances in the role of Rob Hall – but only when the movie allows him to unfold properly – where he really manages to make his character this warm and calm person, who builds his superior knowledge and pitch-perfect perception upon caution, but he does so with a great big heart, which sometimes produces an internal conflict with himself, in which he is unsure if he should listen to his brain or his heart? Clarke is incredibly convincing when he is up close and personal with those fateful decisions, especially when he forsakes the chance to make a difference. His character is certainly the most human and honest person on this expedition.
Jake Gyllenhaal as Scott Fischer is the direct opposite of Jason Clarke's character, where his attitude is more cool, calm and collected, where his whole mindset is about running forward and putting all problems behind – the thing is though, that his problems are placed ahead of him as far as the eye can see, which should make it a little harder just skipping over it all. This mentality also allows him some resistance on the mountain and maybe he isn’t as overly confident once he faces off against the highest mountain in the world. Gyllenhaal has some phenomenal acting capabilities, which also contains an incredible diversity and ability to disappear behind the facades of his confidently-created characters. Unfortunately, though, he is completely wasted in the film, where he seems more like a last-minute decision rather than the driving force to this film, which he could have been. His character is hardly in the film, which disappointed me greatly. Scott Fischer seems like a strong reckless force, filled with both style and substance – well, at least that is how Gyllenhaal chose to portray this man and it works really well. There is certainly lots of personality to play around with, but his character never really catches on or takes off in the film.
Yet another wasted actor is the lovely Robin Wright in the role of Peach Weathers, who only seems important to the story when her husband, Beck Weathers, demands a little counteraction. Josh Brolin plays her husband, but despite of the fact that his character has a lot more screen time than many others, he still falls flat to the ground – not as an actor, but his character is simply so cliché it hurts. Despite the fact that he shows a few shadows of depth, he never really gets to act beyond the edge. Kiera Knightley plays the wife of Rob Hall, who unfortunately also emerges as a thinly drawn character, but with a little more screen time and therefore with a little more emotional empathy in the story. If there is an actor or actress who should be given a lot of attention for a stunning performance, it is without a doubt Emily Watson in the role of Helen Wilton – a base camp supervisor, who always has to make sure that everything is in order around her, while she finds it extremely difficult to handle when certain problems lies beyond her control. She is a fragile and forceful woman, who actually reminds me of something real that I can reach out for, which makes me all the more invested for it.
The Technical Aspect
There is no doubt about the fact that 'Everest' is visually wonderful in so many ways, especially from a technical and technological perspective, where all action and excitement is delivered in an almost exclusive kind of way, which makes it all appear like being done with total ease. It is admirable to look at, when the director traps his audience inside a massive snowstorm, after which he keeps us until we feel the cold coming through the canvas. You can really feel a shock inside the seats when the wind crashes over the mountainside, which once again demonstrates the dominant and ultra-authentic approach that the director has for this film.
It is just too bad that the film appears way too neutral once the excitement has cooled down. There is really a lack of personality behind the camera and especially the many close-ups during the dramatic scenes were slightly forgotten during the more intense ones. The best way to describe it would be that the film is best when the weather is worst. On the other hand, I have great respect for Baltasar Kormákur's decision to film on real mountainsides and in actual snowstorms, which only reinforces the audiences’ beliefs. And as far as I could see, it was virtually impossible to visually spot the computer-generated imagery in 'Everest', which in itself is a huge accomplishment. Well, if you look hard enough it is definitely possible to spot the weak spots, but the eventful elements in the film have an unmatched amount of pure authenticity, which makes you believe the movie when everything else fails.
The Soundscape
The sound mixing in 'Everest' is just as impressive as the visual aspect – if not even better. The film has lots of shaking and breaking coming through the speakers, which can challenge and push any sound system past its peak. But also the cleaner and clearer pitches on the peak, like when ice and snow comes flying directly at the camera, is incredibly compelling and adds several thousand microscopic layers to the film. In my opinion, without such an impressive sound mix, I doubt I had been blown backwards in the same way as it was the case in the final result. The musical soundtrack is a little bland and boring, but fortunately there is not much use for it throughout the film, since the story works the best when the sound of biting cold and thundering avalanches comes crashing down right beside the ears of the audience.
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SHORT SUMMARY // 'Everest' is a slow climber captured in headwind and doesn’t quite capture our attention from the start. But when we finally begin to climb the actual mountain, up above the peaks, the air begins to feel seriously thin and even the audience has difficulty breathing when the movie hits its highest point. The film contains a ground-breaking visualization of the mountaineering concept, which is realized through dynamic effects and solid acting performances. It is especially the ultra-realistic soundscape, which can be felt all the way into the bone with lots of hard-hitting noises, while the bitter cold and substantial snow storm can be felt through the sound as well. ‘Everest’ is a film that is all about the experience and the empathy – both for the characters and the audience. By the way, if you choose to go hiking and climb this cinematic beast, I recommend you check it out in the IMAX format – it was practically made for it.
FINAL RATING //
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— MOVIEMEDITATION PRESENTS —
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It is not about how close you are to the top
but how far you are from the bottom
______________________________________________
'Everest' is directed by Icelandic Baltasar Kormákur and includes a star-studded line-up of sublime actors and actresses, who all have the opportunity to show their dramatic worth in the drastic weather conditions depicted in this film. But actually, it isn’t just Everest that has some light shining upon it in during this production, since the film depicts the tale of the terrible disaster back in 1996, where eight people died tragically when an extreme blizzard unexpectedly tumbled onto the mountainside.
A mountain like Mount Everest should be treated with the deepest form of respect and caution, especially because of the wild weather and the crazy unpredictable changes on the mountainsides, which may come tumbling down upon you out of the thin air. The terrible end to the expedition in 1996 is a crystal clear example of the physical as well as psychological challenges of extreme mountaineering, but the big question is whether the cinematic narrative can capture Mother Nature at its most merciless, while simultaneously showing exactly what happened with all these people back in May, 1996. Is this a work of respectful or repulsive fiction – perhaps even with an unexpected and underlying realism hidden underneath, which comes colliding with the courage of these people, bringing the events even closer than we thought possible?
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
It is not about how close you are to the top
but how far you are from the bottom
______________________________________________
'Everest' is directed by Icelandic Baltasar Kormákur and includes a star-studded line-up of sublime actors and actresses, who all have the opportunity to show their dramatic worth in the drastic weather conditions depicted in this film. But actually, it isn’t just Everest that has some light shining upon it in during this production, since the film depicts the tale of the terrible disaster back in 1996, where eight people died tragically when an extreme blizzard unexpectedly tumbled onto the mountainside.
A mountain like Mount Everest should be treated with the deepest form of respect and caution, especially because of the wild weather and the crazy unpredictable changes on the mountainsides, which may come tumbling down upon you out of the thin air. The terrible end to the expedition in 1996 is a crystal clear example of the physical as well as psychological challenges of extreme mountaineering, but the big question is whether the cinematic narrative can capture Mother Nature at its most merciless, while simultaneously showing exactly what happened with all these people back in May, 1996. Is this a work of respectful or repulsive fiction – perhaps even with an unexpected and underlying realism hidden underneath, which comes colliding with the courage of these people, bringing the events even closer than we thought possible?
______________________________________________
The Story
The film follows a group of adventurous and experienced mountaineers, who all have aspirations to overcome both mind and mountain when they head for the summit of the world's highest peak. Because of the increasing popularity of mountain climbing among more ordinary people, numerous of extreme climbing enthusiasts view that as an opportunity to earn some money, while helping others to pave the way for their own personal beliefs about success and guide them step by step to conquer the mountain beyond the hills, Mount Everest. Rob Hall is one of many who leads his own event company, called Adventure Consultants, in which he takes people to the top for a payment of dizzying high amounts. I guess you could say, the money fits the measurements with this one...
When Rob finally arrives at Base Camp with his audacious bunch of allies, he discovers that the number of adventurous individuals are higher than ever before. This causes him to get rather anxious about it all, especially because they all plan to make their way up the mountain on the same exact day, which can cause a lack of space on the tightly spaced danger points on the mountainside. They all seem to have their optimism in order and lots of high hopes in their luggage, so with uneven grounds under their feet they begin to head for the top. But Mount Everest is more than just a mountain mixed into the crowd. Before long their high hopes of success will be crushed by crashing glaciers and coldhearted weather conditions; their tailwind will be headwinds and their mental strength will be defeated by the strongest storm seen on the mountain for a long time; their assertive attitudes of reaching the top will plummet to the ground at exactly the same time their body and mentality breaks in half and give up all hope; the kind of hope which seems to be left in the bottom of the mountain by now, out of sight and out of reach – one begins to wonder whether or not they will reach the top alive – but actually, there lies a much larger issue ahead of them… will they ever get back down again before taking their last breath of thin air?
'Everest' is not just the name of the peak where the film takes place, but it also reflects on the straightforwardness and pure simplicity from which the film creates its momentum – whether that means something good or bad. There is nothing new under the sun when it comes to the story-related structure of 'Everest', but in return the film stands in a whole new light once the darkness has settled on the sloping lands. Unfortunately, it takes a while before we get to see the visual response to the title of this film. It is a pity that the story doesn’t peak until very late into the film, which means we have to settle with slow-building and snow-wielding mediocracy for most of the movie. I really wish the story would have spent its time better, especially since a survival story about true events on a deadly mountain provides plenty of opportunities for excitement and empathy – mainly because of the inspiration and localization of the film. But as it is often the case with movies based on true events, the people behind frequently struggle to get a foothold in the story and deliver their story in the most appropriate way. In most cases, these so-called "event films" simply takes too long before we arrive at the actual event and never have enough stuff to say leading up to it. Obviously, all this depends on whether they wish to assign a lot of respect and honor to the real people who inspired the film or whether they want to make a film of pure fiction filled to the brim with action and excitement. Some stories are better off being a bit more of one than the other, while there are some movies that function the best when there is some sort of balance between the two.
Personally, I think 'Everest' is one of the few films that would work better as a more specific portrayal of the dangers that lies within mountaineering, which would also show exactly which kind of extreme conditions true mountaineers need to go through to reach the top. In this way, the film can function as a consistent collaboration between the two narrative techniques, wherein the story of real people will arise as daring and determined individuals – all of whom are struggling with themselves as well as each other when the danger occurs – all the while the intense experiences on the mountainside will appear as a perfect opportunity to give the film tension and action, without having it come across as insulting or unnaturally executed, since it simply puts the story and the dangers of this adrenaline rush in a better and stronger light. Unfortunately, this film chooses to take the bumpy road through the narrative terrain of moviemaking, where the people behind attempt to create a balance that just never succeeds, because neither one of the elements in the film is given enough time to develop on screen. The characters in the film don’t get much time to grow outside all the climbing and disastrous happenings, which kind of removes part of the interpersonal perception and personal empathy that audiences would otherwise have had the pleasure of. As if that wasn’t enough, the film actually spends an extremely long time with the characters before they go to battle with rocky walls and crazy climatic conditions, but the time we spent with these characters is totally unrewarding, since the director rarely dives deep enough in their personality and motivation for climbing the mountain.
There are many different characters throughout the film and only about two of them are being awarded with an adequate amount of dramatic strength. We are talking about the characters of Rob Hall (Jason Clarke) and Beck Weathers (Josh Brolin), both of which have a nervous wife at home waiting, but none of these relationships really moves themselves out of a poorly drawn outline. Both remain more or less in the presentation phase, so to speak, where we know who is who and where they are, in their lives, at the moment, but that’s about it. Kiera Knightley is probably the most interesting of the two wives, presumably because she is the wife of the most prominent character in the movie, while Robin Wright and her phenomenal acting capacity is completely wasted in this film, as the wife of Beck Weathers. Ultimately, we simply can’t help but be disappointed when spending so much time with the main characters without ever really getting close to them. These people are neither astrophysicists or highly acclaimed personalities, therefore I see no reason to spend over an hour introducing them – especially not when the time is used so incredibly unwell, that we never really get to know anything about them anyway. It is more or less ordinary people who are portrayed in this film, which means that all you really need is twenty minutes of properly paced character development before one would have a clear understanding of who they are and why they are that way. It really is a shame that the director only picks a little in the outer layer of his characters, since the talent among the actors shows that there is plenty of possibility for a more prominent progression of their characters in the film.
You could say, that ‘Everest’ more or less has its priorities in place, because even if the wait is a little too long, the director definitely gets to show where he put in all of his efforts. The one character, who we actually should spend the most time with, doesn’t have a worrying wife at home or possesses any form of human consideration or compassionate kindliness – I’m talking about non other than the mountain itself, Mount Everest. Here is a character with plenty of pitch-black depth and great personality, which can control the film and its direction, providing for unexpected twists and exciting changes in the story. The mountain kind of works like this three-dimensional element, which can support the two-dimensional characters, while lifting the one-dimensional script out of extreme mediocrity and into a story that holds a lot more edge and appeal. Because as it is the case with this film, the human characters simply aren’t alive enough and the dialogue lacks gravity. It may very well be the case, that these characters are all played by competent actors and actresses, but that doesn’t make their personality any less flat-faced or their dialogue any livelier – even though you often forget both of these aspects when all hell breaks lose on the mountain. But unfortunately, the emotions of the film are often caught in their own snowstorm, while it sometimes comes across as a bit tiring and forced in its delivery. When you are dealing with true-to-life events, it is often very easy to have the audience shed a tear or two and 'Everest' also makes every little effort to achieve this – but it often comes off as too easy or too lazy. The audience just get blasted with this great tragedy and its tragic consequences, with the hope that we bow under during the avalanche of low-supplied emotional manipulation – and we definitely do break at times, but it is certainly not with the help of great cinema, that’s for sure. 'Everest' is perhaps nothing dramatically wonderful, but as a sheer technological tour de force the film has hit a high mark in the subarctic subgenre.
Fortunately, the film begins to blast forward when we are finally on the mountainside and at this point we almost don’t care about what lies behind the mind of these characters; it is only what lies ahead of them that we want to focus on. It is the simple struggle between mountain and mountaineer that is the most interesting, creating this climatic conflict within the dramatic climate, which then creates the entire fundament for the film and its narrative. You can’t really calculate it, but merely throw yourself straight into it and hope for the best, which the film depicts very well. At this point, 'Everest' is actually not just a typical "mountain climber film" that looks like any other out there, since it is neither about the human conflicts or the way towards the top, believe it or not. It is a pure adrenaline rush, but the rush doesn’t actually come when you are highest up on the mountain. As you know by now, 'Everest' is based on actual events, and I promise you that I neither spoiler the film nor the actual story by saying that most men and woman actually do reach the top of Mount Everest. But then you will probably wonder, how a movie about climbing the world's highest mountain can still keep things exciting and surprising when it isn’t a spoiler to say whether or not they reach the top. But if you ask a professional mountaineer, he or she will tell you that it is actually not about the way up ... but rather the way back. Most deaths and diverse accidents actually happens on the way down, which the film presents surprisingly well. You sit for a while and wonder why it was so "easy" for them to reach the top, but soon after you will know why ... it actually wasn’t easy at all.
On the way up the mountainside all oxygen is about to run out; all forces have been deployed to reach the top and all small chances of returning, either due to weather or other problems on the mountain, has been ignored one by one. You are now alone and helpless on the top and the only thing that can get you back down again, is none other than yourself and your skill to press the human physique to the max – both your mind and your body. But at this point, there is no one else than the mountain itself, which is currently operating at its highest point; both the psyche and physical strength have been broken down, bit by bit, over the time it took you to reach the top. You fight furiously against the biting cold, blinding snowstorm and tough terrain. Up on the mountainside, there is no loving Mother to hold your hand, only the merciless Mother Nature with the upper hand, handing out slap after slap to the face, holding you tight in this hopeless situation you now face and are unable to flee from. This suddenly creates a completely new image of actual mountain climbing – It is not about how close you are to the top, but how far you are from the bottom. As soon as these characters begin to realize this it is too late, since a few climbers let their conceit shine a little too long when they were at the top, while others dropped from the pack on the way there and therefore arrives at the top outside of the recommended timeframe. This leaves the company of climbers spread out over the entire mountain exactly at the point where the worst storm hits them – some made it to the more secure points, while others see themselves "frozen in place” at the most dangerous parts of the mountain – both in figurative and literal sense.
At this point, the tension on the titular mountain is sky-high and one begins to wonder about the survival chances of these characters. ‘Everest’ slowly climbs towards a climatic and emotional climax, but despite the otherwise calm and quiet ascension, suddenly the film finds a need to speed forward and rush away to bind together all loose ends, while downscaling the whole scenario way too quickly. It is sad that the end appears so cold and pale when it arrives, opposite the otherwise blistering battle for survival in the mountain blizzard, which we had just witnessed. The people behind this movie simply don’t bother much with their characters, which is clear as daylight towards the very end, where they don’t seem to follow through with them. It ends up feeling like a cheap fix instead, which tries to cover up all the holes in both plot and characters, which they obviously don’t bother to fill out themselves. Instead they drown their characters in emotional muddle, desperately trying to tie the story together with the reality of it, in just a few short minutes. In all honesty, it just seems so lazy, rushed and haphazardly hard-hearted – especially because I had hoped that the film wasn’t one of those plain white tales, inspired by a true story, which all too often takes the easy way out. ‘Everest’ certainly has a great mass to it once we are on the mountainside, with a proper sense of pace and drama too, but I can easily see the film work just as well, if not better, if it wasn’t based on real events. This film is definitely at its strongest and most penetrating, when the wind and weather is as well, which can only mean that the mountain is the true winner of this film – not the characters of which the film is actually based on.
The Acting
As I mentioned earlier, the characters are mostly flat and presented poorly, while wearing the outermost layer of a thin personality, but in return, the acting has a lot of depth to compensate for the characters’ lack of abilities. Jason Clarke delivers one of his best performances in the role of Rob Hall – but only when the movie allows him to unfold properly – where he really manages to make his character this warm and calm person, who builds his superior knowledge and pitch-perfect perception upon caution, but he does so with a great big heart, which sometimes produces an internal conflict with himself, in which he is unsure if he should listen to his brain or his heart? Clarke is incredibly convincing when he is up close and personal with those fateful decisions, especially when he forsakes the chance to make a difference. His character is certainly the most human and honest person on this expedition.
Jake Gyllenhaal as Scott Fischer is the direct opposite of Jason Clarke's character, where his attitude is more cool, calm and collected, where his whole mindset is about running forward and putting all problems behind – the thing is though, that his problems are placed ahead of him as far as the eye can see, which should make it a little harder just skipping over it all. This mentality also allows him some resistance on the mountain and maybe he isn’t as overly confident once he faces off against the highest mountain in the world. Gyllenhaal has some phenomenal acting capabilities, which also contains an incredible diversity and ability to disappear behind the facades of his confidently-created characters. Unfortunately, though, he is completely wasted in the film, where he seems more like a last-minute decision rather than the driving force to this film, which he could have been. His character is hardly in the film, which disappointed me greatly. Scott Fischer seems like a strong reckless force, filled with both style and substance – well, at least that is how Gyllenhaal chose to portray this man and it works really well. There is certainly lots of personality to play around with, but his character never really catches on or takes off in the film.
Yet another wasted actor is the lovely Robin Wright in the role of Peach Weathers, who only seems important to the story when her husband, Beck Weathers, demands a little counteraction. Josh Brolin plays her husband, but despite of the fact that his character has a lot more screen time than many others, he still falls flat to the ground – not as an actor, but his character is simply so cliché it hurts. Despite the fact that he shows a few shadows of depth, he never really gets to act beyond the edge. Kiera Knightley plays the wife of Rob Hall, who unfortunately also emerges as a thinly drawn character, but with a little more screen time and therefore with a little more emotional empathy in the story. If there is an actor or actress who should be given a lot of attention for a stunning performance, it is without a doubt Emily Watson in the role of Helen Wilton – a base camp supervisor, who always has to make sure that everything is in order around her, while she finds it extremely difficult to handle when certain problems lies beyond her control. She is a fragile and forceful woman, who actually reminds me of something real that I can reach out for, which makes me all the more invested for it.
The Technical Aspect
There is no doubt about the fact that 'Everest' is visually wonderful in so many ways, especially from a technical and technological perspective, where all action and excitement is delivered in an almost exclusive kind of way, which makes it all appear like being done with total ease. It is admirable to look at, when the director traps his audience inside a massive snowstorm, after which he keeps us until we feel the cold coming through the canvas. You can really feel a shock inside the seats when the wind crashes over the mountainside, which once again demonstrates the dominant and ultra-authentic approach that the director has for this film.
It is just too bad that the film appears way too neutral once the excitement has cooled down. There is really a lack of personality behind the camera and especially the many close-ups during the dramatic scenes were slightly forgotten during the more intense ones. The best way to describe it would be that the film is best when the weather is worst. On the other hand, I have great respect for Baltasar Kormákur's decision to film on real mountainsides and in actual snowstorms, which only reinforces the audiences’ beliefs. And as far as I could see, it was virtually impossible to visually spot the computer-generated imagery in 'Everest', which in itself is a huge accomplishment. Well, if you look hard enough it is definitely possible to spot the weak spots, but the eventful elements in the film have an unmatched amount of pure authenticity, which makes you believe the movie when everything else fails.
The Soundscape
The sound mixing in 'Everest' is just as impressive as the visual aspect – if not even better. The film has lots of shaking and breaking coming through the speakers, which can challenge and push any sound system past its peak. But also the cleaner and clearer pitches on the peak, like when ice and snow comes flying directly at the camera, is incredibly compelling and adds several thousand microscopic layers to the film. In my opinion, without such an impressive sound mix, I doubt I had been blown backwards in the same way as it was the case in the final result. The musical soundtrack is a little bland and boring, but fortunately there is not much use for it throughout the film, since the story works the best when the sound of biting cold and thundering avalanches comes crashing down right beside the ears of the audience.
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SHORT SUMMARY // 'Everest' is a slow climber captured in headwind and doesn’t quite capture our attention from the start. But when we finally begin to climb the actual mountain, up above the peaks, the air begins to feel seriously thin and even the audience has difficulty breathing when the movie hits its highest point. The film contains a ground-breaking visualization of the mountaineering concept, which is realized through dynamic effects and solid acting performances. It is especially the ultra-realistic soundscape, which can be felt all the way into the bone with lots of hard-hitting noises, while the bitter cold and substantial snow storm can be felt through the sound as well. ‘Everest’ is a film that is all about the experience and the empathy – both for the characters and the audience. By the way, if you choose to go hiking and climb this cinematic beast, I recommend you check it out in the IMAX format – it was practically made for it.
FINAL RATING //
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