DIRECTOR: Baltasar Kormakur LEAD CAST: Jason
Clarke, Josh Brolin, John Hawkes, Robin Wright, Emily Watson, Keira Knightley,
Sam Worthington, Jake Gyllenhaal SCREENWRITER: William Nicholson &
Simon Beaufoy PRODUCER: Tim Bevan & Eric Fellner EDITOR: Mick Audsley MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Dario Marianelli GENRE: Adventure/Drama/Thriller CINEMATOGRAPHER: Salvatore Totino DISTRIBUTOR: Universal Pictures LOCATION: UK, USA, Iceland RUNNING TIME: 121 minutes
Technical
assessment: 3.5
Moral
assessment: 3.5
CINEMA
rating: V14
A story based on what actually
transpired in 1996 expedition which claimed the lives of eight mountain
climbers, Everest backs up that information as it presents two rival teams, led by Rob
(Jason Clark) and Scott (Jake Gyllenhaal), who attempt to reach the top of the
world's highest mountain—Mt. Everest. Their caliber is challenged by the
hostile environment of the mountain: the snowslides, the missing guide posts,
the zero visibility and worst of all, the raging snowstorms which swoop down
the climbers as they are nearing the peak of the mountain and back again on
their way down.
Everest
is based on a true story involving seasoned climbers who met their respective
fate while climbing Mt. Everest. At the level of information, the film has
successfully portrayed the events on that fateful mountain trek, but it falls
short of capturing the level of emotions to inject drama or excitement to the film. For instance, the scene of reaching the summit is not given
much weight to convey the climbers’ jubilation and great relief after all the
hardships overcome. (Or is the
film saying that the mountaineers were just too weary and breathless to
celebrate?) Nevertheless, efforts
are seen in acting and characterization particularly that of Brolin and
Gyllenhaal. The constant use of
close-up shots captures details and helps in carrying out the theme of
individual struggle and survival. The production design is commendable and
provides a credible picture of the freezing trek and camp sites. Except for minor gray areas in the plot
development, the film is educational and has very good technical qualities,
especially the cinematography which does justice to the awe-inspiring
scenery—the magnificent mountains against which man appears insignificant, like
ants.
Everest depicts positive values that
movie viewers can reflect on. More
than climbing the earth’s highest mountain, the film is about individual dreams,
personal satisfaction, family, teamwork, heroism, and sacrifice. Mountain
climbers (whether amateur or professional) find a different sense of joy and
self-actualization in pursuing this perilous activity. For them conquering every peak means
realizing a dream not only for themselves but also for their families and loved
ones. The film shows the family as
inspiration and motivation for a person to keep going despite life’s adversaries
and difficult situations, while the families are supportive of the climbers,
too. Regardless of their religious beliefs, the climbers observed tradition by
offering prayers at the temple and entrusted their activity to the supreme
spirit. Also, in spite of the competition
between the two accredited guides, they are able to work as a team when called
for to save and protect lives.
Leaders are not afraid to sacrifice and set aside the self in helping
others. In real life, the heroic
acts of Rob Hall and company are remembered and are now part of the history of
the world’s highest peak.
