PIC of the Week – Free Solo
Article series by Ray Schillaci
At first, I found myself vexed with the PIC of this week with some high profile contenders, none of which I had caught in their theatrical run. Creed II sounded promising. I loved the first one that felt like the story was taken from the streets. For me, the sequel hit a few emotional marks, but the film in all felt more surface, and almost a slick retread which Ryan Coogler did not write or direct.
Then, there was the multi-Oscar nominated The Favourite. The film proved to be far from a period piece as one could get replete with a bawdy, trashy, and very nasty tale of hedonism, lesbianism along with several other “isms” I will not get into. Definitely not for everybody, but in many ways high art, a marriage of Kubrick and Ken Russell.
National Geographic’s presentation of Free Solo (not to be mistaken for the sequel to Solo: A Star Wars Story) breaks away from it all like a breath of fresh air, this is the riveting 2019 Oscar winner for Best Documentary. For years documentaries have been given the cold shoulder from the general public. A few docs, now and then, break away from this curse: Nanook of the North, Triumph of the Will, An Inconvenient Truth, Bowling for Columbine, Man on Wire and now Free Solo.
Let’s start with the words “free solo.” This means “free” rock climbing, no ropes, harnesses or other protective equipment, relying only on one’s human ability. This is the kind of thrill we’ve seen Tom Cruise do in the Mission: Impossible franchise, but in actuality, thanks to movie magic, they erase the harnesses visually that he’s attached to. Alex Honnold at the age of 32 years old is the real mission: impossible, having free soloed El Capitan, a vertical rock formation in Yosemite, climbing the Freerider route, 2,900 ft. in 3 hours and 56 minutes.
This film, and some may say Honnold, is nuts! Not only do Jimmy Chin, photographer, and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, documentary filmmaker, chronicle this momentous event, but they give us a fascinating insight to the young man’s personal life, and the other climbs that prepare him for the El Capitan challenge. Honnold explains how he dropped out of studying civil engineering at Berkeley, and eventually lived out of his Ford Econoline E150 van. traveling around, always seeking his next challenge.
His only desire other than climbing seemed to be eventually having his own bathroom for showering. He’s an odd one to say the least. But, he did wind up with a girlfriend who supported him throughout the rest of his treks and even did a little rock climbing herself. In fact, that little tidbit about the girlfriend makes the film more than just about rock climbing. And yes, she did fear for his life during the El Capitan climb. In the end, even though we know Honnold survives the climb, that does not make this film any less suspenseful.
Cinematography is breathtaking and dizzying, and even more of a shame that National Geographic did not only not provide a 4K version but there is no Blu-ray either. What we can hope for is that Criterion sees the value of this film and eventually gives us a Blu-ray presentation that equals the big screen effect.
Sadly, there are no extras. But, all of the background on how the film gets made is in the documentary itself. How difficult it was to film and the sound problems with being too far to use wireless mics and making sure wired ones did not interfere with his climbing. It’s a daunting task for all and worthy of all the accolades, including Best Documentary Feature by the Academy.
Lowest Price – $18.23 Walmart and Amazon
Point of interest – There is a place on the Internet called VideostoreHD that advertises Free Solo for $8.99 along with some other great deals on movies that are too good to be true. And, they are too good to be true. Delving deeper into this company, I’ve discovered that many people who have ordered from them either just receive a download or have ended up receiving viruses when they tried to download. Buyer beware.
