Entertainment
You Don’t Have Long To Watch This Absurdly Tense Oscar-Winning Movie Leaving Netflix Soon
For many, what makes a sport an extreme sport is the risks those partaking are willing to take to achieve their goals. With a growing focus on safety in all areas, the goalposts are constantly shifting on what is and isn’t considered part of this dangerous collection. Formula 1, for example, used to be considered an extreme sport because of the high number of driver deaths, and there is still a significant risk involved. However, improved safety measures and the sport’s move into mainstream media have diminished many of its extreme aspects.
What can never be made ultimately safe, and something that wouldn’t normally pique the interest of many, is free soloing. This is the act of climbing without safety equipment, going far beyond the walls one would find in a rock climbing gym. While many would never even attempt such a sport, the documentary Free Solo is the best example of exploring what kind of person takes up something so dangerous. Not only is there a thorough analysis of the climber, but the fantastic cinematography heightens the tension to the point you will want to look away, and yet never take your eyes off the screen.
What is ‘Free Solo’ About?
Free Solo, currently streaming on Netflix, follows Alex Honnold, one of the best free solo climbers in the world, as he attempts to be the first person to ever free solo El Capitan, a massive and dangerous rock face in Yosemite. Not only is the distance Alex must climb astonishing at 3000 feet, but El Capitan is also rated as one of the greatest challenges in all of free soloing, with no climber ever completing a climb at the 5.13a difficulty that this rock face holds. Yet, more fascinating than the climb itself is the man attempting to accomplish this feat: Alex.
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Your arms will be sore from just watching.
Most would assume that, to even begin to consider a sport such as free soloing, one would have to be as emotionally steady as the mountains they climb, but Alex takes this to another level. Not only does he not seem to exhibit any fear, but he rarely displays emotions of any kind aside from blunt sarcasm. Free Solo isn’t just interested in Alex’s climbing, but how his approach to emotion affects his relationship with his partner, Sanni McCandless, who constantly pushes Alex to be more expressive. Perhaps the clearest example of Alex’s fascinating perspective is when he learns of the death of one of his fellow free soloists. It certainly makes him question his own risks and relationship with death, but whether it truly affects him is something all viewers will have a different opinion on due to his enigmatic nature.
‘Free Solo’s Cinematography Emphasizes the Risks Alex Takes With Every Step
Everyone has had the nightmare of falling from a great height, and whenever one climbs in real life, even with all the safety harnesses attached, it is the fear of falling that makes the legs shake. Free Solo manages to harness this fear throughout every second of Alex’s climb, whether he is scouting the route with ropes or truly undertaking the challenge free solo. Free Solo faces a great challenge in this area because, in theory, the viewer can assume that Alex is not going to die, as the tone of the documentary would feel incredibly somber if so, and the filmmakers even question the ethics of their filming if such a situation did occur.
Yet, the way Free Solo utilizes drone shots, such as an iconic pullback that starts close on Alex before reversing until he becomes a tiny speck on the side of El Capitan, emphasizes not only the scale of the challenge, but the distance Alex would fall if he puts one foot wrong. Free Solo also uses editing to great effect, slowing down the most tense moments of the climb to force the audience to sit in the terrifying scenario for as long as possible, until it feels like their heart is going to burst through their chest, with Alex’s calm demeanor somehow making it worse, rather than reassuring.
There isn’t long to watch Free Solo, since it will be leaving Netflix at the beginning of April, so it needs to be your next viewing experience as soon as possible. Even though your hands will shake during and afterward, and even if it’s the most frightening thing you’ll see a human being take on, it is a masterclass in documentary filmmaking. From understanding the premise, to the human behind it all, to the technical aspects that make the climb the challenge that it is, Free Solo is a documentary that will leave marks on your armrest from how hard you grip it.
Free Solo is available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.
- Release Date
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September 28, 2018
- Runtime
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100 minutes
- Director
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Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
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