"Everest", a retake of Krakauer's book "Into This Air" -- with much hindsight.

Posted by free.ranger (A) on February 15, 2016 at 14:03:25

Saw this on pay per view last night, and although it is the retelling of Krak's 1996 tragic expedition (there have been several worse incidents since then), the 'Into This Air' title was previously taken by the 2002 (I think) tv movie. I've done some extra reading about this event, so can do some comparisons here.

Thin Air was written by Krak when he was still traumatized by the events (he claims he still is); many characters in the expedition were castrated in his best seller, most notably Anatoli Boukreev, the Russian guide who worked the peak without supplemental oxygen. A crime of hideous proportions according to the author's camp. Since that first printing, Krakauer has very much wanted to walk back that attitude without having to change his view on the issue. Unfortunately Anatoli was killed on another climb, so there is no opportunity to heal that rift, and it is still left inflamed by backers on both sides. In fact Boukreev was cited as a hero (after the book hit the shelves and he was dragged through the slime) on that climb by going back upslope 3 times in the storm to drag people back down -- singlehandedly. No one would help him, including the author.

This movie toned down a lot of the rhetorical accusation by not dwelling on peoples' shortcomings beyond noting some of them. You get the idea, then move on. The competing expeditions were rife with whackos, catered to because the businesses wanted the bucks.

Krakauer himself is represented in this film as a major player, so I'm thinking he approved of this less damning portrayal. It was tragic enough. Boukreev's 3 life-saving reclimbs were portrayed in this (but not in the book). There is also a deliberate early scene when he makes the significant comment that he does not climb with oxygen, and he tells us why. He gets to make his case in this film; an opportunity not given him in the book.

All the major players in the book are represented in this film. The filming and scenery (obviously not all shot on Everest -- way too tough and expensive) were exquisite. There were enough Everest summit images to keep you emotionally on site, and other locations were well chosen for effect. Events seem to all be accurately layed out, with the understanding that you cannot put a major expedition all into a 2-hour film.

Criticism I have is the portrayal of Scott Fischer (by Jake Gyllenhaal), one of the 2 competing team leaders, as a drinking, don't-give-a-care, whatever, hotdog type. By reputation, he was some degree of that, but he was not irresponsible. Gyllenhaal presented him as a drunken bum. Another critic point is that too much story centered around Beck Whethers, the man who was presumed dead, but rose from the frozen turf like Lazarus and walked downslope on his own. A spectacular story there , but this climb was much more about the entire group. Beck later wrote his own book about things going on up there.

If you do or have done some climbing, this is on your short list of films to see. Well worth the investment, but it is a tragic story. An extremely visceral movie. You'll think you are roped in.

Edit: One other significant aspect in the movie, but not in the book: The Nepalese or Indian military helicopter medivac of Whethers from a high camp. Very dramatic scenes that might be taken from Whether's own book. Choppers previously flew as high as base camp for evacuations; not enough air to fly higher. Whethers could not climb back down through the icefall, so the chopper was turned into a flying gas can; eliminating all dead weight possible. It barely got high enough to load the patient, and could only take off again by aiming the machine downhill, letting it fall far enough to gain enough air to fly straight. Great scenes. The effort made possible by relentless phone calling to embassies and congress to get the helicopter up there, made by Beck's wife in Dallas. A formidable woman.

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Topic - "Everest", a retake of Krakauer's book "Into This Air" -- with much hindsight. - free.ranger 14:03:25 02/15/16 (0)

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