Synopsis
Drawing on the tragic true story from one of the deadliest days in Mount Everest’s history, “Everest” chronicles the harrowing survival drama of the 1996 Mount Everest disaster where countless climbers lost their lives. Under the direction of Baltasar Kormákur, the film “Everest” illuminates the heart-wrenching experiences and the perils faced by climbers who attempted to conquer the Earth’s highest peak, physically and psychologically.
As the movie shows, May 1996 was marked by a gradual increase in the number of commercial expeditions to Mount Everest, which enabled many amateur climbers to attempt the peak with the assistance of professional guides. The story follows Rob Hall, the founder of Adventure Consultants, a New Zealand based expedition company which pioneered commercial expeditions to Everest (Jason Clarke Hall). As a seasoned and respected mountain guide, he was in charge of a group of climbers who were attempting to conquer Mount Everest during the peak climbing window.
Counted among Hall’s clients are Doug Hansen (John Hawkes), a mailman who attempted the summit previously and is returning for a second try; Beck Weathers (Josh Brolin), a wealthy Texan doctor; Yasuko Namba (Naoko Mori), a Japanese woman who has already summited six of the Seven Summits; and journalist Jon Krakauer (Michael Kelly), who works for Outside magazine and is brought along to cover the expedition.
Another commercial team led by Scott Fischer (Jake Gyllenhaal), founder of Mountain Madness, is preparing for the summit on the same day. Fischer is outgoing and quite a free spirit, which is the opposite of Hall, who is very organized and cautious. As both teams get set, the reality of the situation becomes clear whereby overcrowding on the mountain is a definite certainty, along with a host of other logistical challenges that will spell trouble.
The date is May 10 and the time is 8 a.m. Climbers are set to begin the final ascent, which will begin from Camp IV, which is very near the “Death Zone” (The area of the mountain where oxygen is low to a near dangerous level). Climbing starts and the first set of problems are starting to show; critical ropes are missing or already set at crucial segments at the route and a large number of teams converge at very tight places like the Hillary Step.
Even with fatigue showing on some of the climbers and the weather deteriorating, Hall is set on helping Doug Hansen achieve his lifelong goal of summiting Everest. For Doug, who has previously failed, this attempt is the last chance, and Hall is intent on helping him achieve it. They reach the summit far too late in the day, well past the safe turnaround time. At the same time, Fischer is also struggling with the sickness that comes with high altitudes.
Hall and Hansen get caught on the South Summit with no extra oxygen tanks and Hansen is unresponsive. Back at Camp IV, frantic efforts to mount a rescue begin, but high mountain weather makes it nearly impossible. In the meantime, Rob Hall is freezing and stranded on the mountain. He makes radio contact with his pregnant wife Jan Arnold (Keira Knightley) in New Zealand, saying one of the film’s most emotional scenes. He bids farewell to Jan and the child, and succumbs to the elements. He later dies on the mountain, with his body left where he fell.
We previously talked about Beck Weathers who, after being caught in a storm, was presumed dead. Miraculously, Weathers gained consciousness and frostbitten to the point that he could barely walk, he stumbled back to camp. In the aftermath, he was airlifted, making him one of the few miracle survivors after the ordeal.
Rob Hall and Scott Fischer are two of the eight people who succumbed to the storm and the film proceeds to pay tribute to the lives lost and tell the story of the survivors.
Cast & Crew
Main Cast:
Jason Clarke as Rob Hall
Rob Hall is a character that Clarke captures beautifully as by the end of the film, he manages to showcase the tragic heroism of the man. Hall is a guide and a compassionate professional know for putting the dreams of his clients before his own safety.
Jake Gyllenhaal as Scott Fischer
Gyllenhaal brings charisma and vulnerability to the role of the maverick climber. Fischer’s laid-back leadership style contrasts with Hall’s discipline, offering insight into different philosophies in extreme conditions.
Josh Brolin as Beck Weathers
Brolin plays Weathers with stoicism and emotional depth. The character’s survival against all odds is one of the most remarkable real-life stories in the film and his performance does justice to the tale.
John Hawkes as Doug Hansen
Hawkes as Hansen depicts a resolute everyman, driven by an ordinary person’s ambition towards an extraordinary objective. His connection with Hall deepens the emotional complexity of the story.
Keira Knightley as Jan Arnold
While brief, Knightley’s performance is heart-wrenching and memorable. In my view, her portrayal alongside Hall’s phone call is the film’s emotional highlight.
Sam Worthington as Guy Cotter
Hall’s co-worker Guy Cotter is the person who interfaces with him during the relief effort and crisis at the base camp. Worthington’s portrayal of him is calm and earnest.
Crew:
Director: Baltasar Kormákur
With a track record that includes 2 Guns and The Deep, Kormákur’s films highlight a keen sense of realism and tension. His direction also displays the awe and danger of Everest.
Writers: William Nicholson and Simon Beaufoy
The screenplay was based on numerous accounts, including Jon Krakauer’s controversial book Into Thin Air. The writers, however, sought to highlight the unpredictability of nature rather than overly blaming people.
Cinematography: Salvatore Totino
Extensively filming parts of Everest in Nepal, then using soundstages and CGI to capture the mountain’s terrible beauty, the cinematography presents it as a magnificent symbol and a callous killer.
Music: Dario Marianelli
The score underscores the film’s blend of amazement and fear, adding emotional weight yet not distracting from the stark realism of the story.
IMDb Rating and Critical Reception
As of now, Everest has an IMDb rating of 7.1/10 which shows the film has received mostly positive reviews. Audiences and critics alike have appreciated the film’s stunning visuals and sincerity, as well as the depiction of the people involved in the 1996 disaster.
Positive Reception:
Reviewing critics noted the film lacks cynical sensationalism. Instead of being an action-adventure, Everest is anchored in the grueling emotional and physical truths of mountaineering. The film also depicts the moral dilemmas of the guides and climbers who are forced to make impossible choices.
The ensemble cast received strong acclaim, particularly Jason Clarke and Josh Brolin. Moreover, the commitment to realism in sound design and cinematography were also noted as major strengths.
Critical Viewpoints:
Some critics pointed out that with a large ensemble cast came minimal character development. For audiences not familiar with the events, this became a major factor in connecting to each character. Other critics have said that Everest, while emotionally powerful, is at times so broad in scope that it loses focus on the individual stories.
Nonetheless, the film was praised for adhering to the real facts in the narrative, which was appreciated by mountaineering survivors and professionals who were involved in the film’s production.
Conclusion
Everest is a captivating film that pays tribute to reckless human ambition while showing the fragility of people against nature’s raw power. Instead of glorifying the act of mountaineering, the film makes an earnest attempt to narrate the tale of a tragedy that haunted the climbing community.
Everest is an adventure film, but it is also a deep reflection on the risks of adventure, authority, death, and the desperation to live. It presents the powerful and haunting stories of people that accompanied the struggle to find their way on the highest outdoor playground and mountain above the clouds.
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