Touching The Void details
| Formats: | 15 DVD, Blu-ray |
|---|---|
| Starring: | Richard Hawkins, Nicholas Aaron, Simon Yates, Joe Simpson, Brendan Mackey |
| Director: | Kevin Macdonald |
| Genres: | Action/Adventure, Documentary - Music |
| Studio: | CHANNEL 4 |
| Name | Discs | |
|---|---|---|
Touching The Void |
15 Feature |
DVD Information
| Run time: | 1 hour 46 minutes |
|---|---|
| Rental release: | 24 Sep 2007 |
| Main languages: | English |
Write your own review
Most helpful review
Tired of standard Hollywood fare? don't despair
By Colgy from Antrim , 19 Jul 2004[Highly rated reviewer]
In today’s mass-market movie industry the consumer must be satisfied. Unfortunately the majority of films are made to provide an experience akin to a visit to a fast food restaurant. The industry has become homogenised, providing a comfortable, but ultimately forgettable movie-going experience. Sometimes though, if you ignore the hype and marketing blitz of the Hollywood machine, there are movie culinary treats made to a different recipe. Touching the Void is one of them.
There exists a certain group of people who take huge risks in the pursuit of adventure. People that do not procrastinate over the realisation of their dreams, rather they are driven to explore the limits of their capabilities. Such people have forced the development of the human race. Two of these special breed are Joe Simpson and Simon Yates. In 1985 the duo set out to climb the unconquered west face of Siula Grande, and disaster ensues. This is not a film in the conventional sense, it is a drama-documentary that blends reconstructions and interviews from both Joe and Simon. The climbing scenes are truly magnificent, climbers scaling near vertical rock and ice with dizzying, sweeping camera angles highlighting the perils they face.
Both climbers recount their stories with sensitivity and understatement. The telling of their struggle to save themselves demonstrates their strength of character. Their story of survival is inspiring, showing us that we can achieve the seemingly impossible with a slice of luck and no small measure of heart and perseverance.- Was this review helpful to you?
- (82) Yes |
- No (18)
All reviews
(515)The Pain is Visceral.
By a customer , 27 Mar 2013I'm no film critic so I can't tell you how the acting is derived from the French New Wave, or that the subtext takes Othello as its' theme, but what I can say is that this is a great film that shows how thin the thread of life can be, and that decisions, no matter how small can have life changing consequences. The thing I took away from this film is that friendship is precious, guilt can't easily be assuaged and that life is worth the fight. Finally, it's so much more gripping for being based on real events.- Was this review helpful to you?
- (0) Yes |
- No (0)
High Drama
By buffyrules (335 reviews) from southend on sea , 15 Jun 2012Amazing story well told and far better than any other docu drama that I've seen. Although I felt little sympathy for the climber's gung ho attitude and lack of excitement when they reached the summit, I still had empathy with what they endured. Well worth watching.- Was this review helpful to you?
- (0) Yes |
- No (0)
Mountain fear factor!
By Scooper (17 reviews) from Altrincham , 05 Jun 2012You have to see this film because you are with the adventurous pair all the way as their climb gets more and more off track until in the end you cannot believe anyone will survive this.
Real life events are more gripping than any contrivance despite the best efforts of script writers.
The actual locations are used to recreate the dramatic events in the Andes, so the whole thing has an authentic feel to it. I am seriously NOT going mountain climbing after seeing this!- Was this review helpful to you?
- (0) Yes |
- No (0)
Just Armless Fun
By Rigamortis (95 reviews) from South London , 26 Apr 2012There's not much to say about this film in a review. You really need to watch it. It tells an amazing tale of bad luck and survival. You are presented it in such a way that you feel like your watching it live, but you also experience some of the delirium of Joe Simpson during his ordeal. The authenticity is guaranteed by Joe Simpson and Simon Yates playing themselves in scenes they considered too dangerous for someone else to film. This is one of the documentaries you must see before you get trapped in a cravasse. Ink - Red - Dibble!- Was this review helpful to you?
- (0) Yes |
- No (0)
Gripping stuff
By a customer , 13 Apr 2012I originally thought this was going to be a film rather than a documentary, narrated by Joe and Simon. This threw me a bit initially but, after a while, the tense drama and action of what actually happened to Joe Simpson took over and the commentary by Joe and Simon actually added to the tension.- Was this review helpful to you?
- (0) Yes |
- No (0)
