Everest.

A group of climbers prepares to take on Mount Everest - with tragic results.

"We don't need competition between people. There is competition between every person and this mountain. The last word always belongs to the mountain."
-Anatoli Boukreev (Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson), shortly before the 1996 disaster on Mount Everest.


Release Date: Sept. 25, 2015. Running Time: 121 minutes. Screenplay: William Nicholson, Simon Beaufoy. Director: Baltasar Kormákur.


THE PLOT:

New Zealand climber Rob Hall (Jason Clarke) is the founder of Adventure Consultants, a company best known for conducting commercial expeditions to the summit of Mount Everest. Since founding his company, Rob has successfully led 39 people to the summit with not a single fatality.

But in the summer of 1996, the situation is different. The success of Adventure Consultants and fellow guide Scott Fischer (Jake Gyllenhaal)'s Mountain Madness has led to increased competition, and the mountain is crowded. Wait times for such simple things as crossing bridges and ladders threaten to create accidents in parts of the hike that should be (comparatively) "safe." The carefully installed guide ropes need repaired. Finally, there are financial and PR pressures: The previous year, no one in Rob's group reached the summit; and this year, there are two different journalists along for the climb, one with Rob's group and one with Scott's, with both men determined to get some good press to set them apart from their rivals.

It's a situation destined to lead to mistakes. And with a storm coming in, those mistakes will soon turn deadly...

Climber Beck Weathers (Josh Brolin) wonders if his hobby is worth the strain on his family.

CHARACTERS:

Rob Hall: Character actor Jason Clarke was cast after Christian Bale dropped out. I think this is to the film's benefit, as Bale's star presence might have distracted while Clarke makes Rob appropriately life-sized. The Rob portrayed in the film seems cautious by nature, emphasizing that his main job is to get his climbers back down safely; Scott Fischer at one point refers to him as a "hand-holder." Nevertheless, Rob is under pressure this year to provide results, which leads to errors in judgment. In the end, he's neither particularly blamed nor exonerated - He's just a man who makes a couple of bad calls that he usually wouldn't have made and that usually wouldn't have mattered... except that events come together in just the wrong way, leading to disaster.

Scott Fischer: "If you can't get up there yourself, you shouldn't be on the mountain at all." As the photos of the real individuals on the end credits make clear, Jake Gyllenhaal doesn't even remotely physically resemble Scott Fischer. However, he nails the attitude for the character as written. Scott is more laid-back than Rob, less inclined to worry about setbacks. He's also driven to compete. Even after he and Rob agree to team up for safety reasons, he insists on coming right back up the mountain even after escorting an ailing client down. He's physically pushing himself far too hard in the process... but particularly with reporters on-hand, he isn't about to let Rob be the only guide on the summit.

Beck Weathers: The client who receives the most individual attention is Josh Brolin's Beck. He's introduced as an "Ugly American," whose loud voice and boisterous manner threaten to become obnoxious. As the film continues, however, a more thoughtful side emerges. He's climbing Everest against his wife (Robin Wright)'s wishes, and he worries about his relationship with his family. He openly wonders if his obsession with climbing actually is worth it. However, as he tells new friend and fellow climber Doug (John Hawkes), he's driven by his own demons. "When I'm at home, I just got this big, black cloud following me... And when I'm out here... It's just like it's a cure. I feel like I'm reborn."

Helen Wilton: The base camp manager, whom Rob describes to the climbers as "your mum for the next few weeks." As a character, she mainly exists to provide a supportive presence. Thankfully, actress Emily Watson elevates her into a more significant figure. Watson balances a calm professionalism with enough emotion to make an impression, particularly when she tries to talk Rob down from the mountain or when she talks to another climber's wife to advise her of the situation and to keep her expectations realistic.

Jon Krakauer: This film is specifically not based on Krakauer's Into Thin Air, and the real Krakauer was incensed about his portrayal. He was particularly bothered by a scene in which he pleads snow-blindness when asked to help rescue survivors. Krakauer insists this scene never took place, and I believe him, largely because the scene makes absolutely no sense. Had this inexpert climber attempted to assist during a horrible storm, he'd have simply ended up being another person in need of rescuing. Outside of this moment, he doesn't come across as badly as Krakauer's reaction would make you believe. Still, he's more plot device than person, acting as an Exposition Sponge, allowing the climbers to voice things they already know for the audience's sake, and also a source of pressure for Rob and Scott by the very nature of his presence as a journalist.

Guy Cotter: Sam Worthington, an actor I usually don't much rate, is surprisingly good here. Guy is a background character, one of the guides working with Rob Hall. After the disaster strikes, with Rob stuck on the summit, Guy comes to the foreground. He takes leadership at the base camp, working with Helen to manage the situation. The role proves to be a perfect fit with the actor's screen persona; though he's more recognizable than most of his co-stars, that very fact helps him stand out a little in the ensemble even in the early stages, making it feel more "right" when he takes over late in the story.

Anatoli Boukreev: One of the more memorable characters surrounding is the Russian-born climber who ended up saving several lives - but whose refusal to use supplemental oxygen ("O") was used by some to blame him for not being able to save more. I tend to defend Boukreev. Though accounts make it clear that he was hardly the most popular person among the group, some of the very things he was criticized for - returning to camp while climbers were still on the summit, for instance - put him in a position to mount a rescue later. The movie also allows him to explain his refusal to rely on "O," stating that it leads to "bigger problems if you run out." Icelandic-born Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson provides a strong presence, his stoic face communicating much with only a few lines of dialogue.

Jan Hall/Peach Weathers: Keira Knightley and Robin Wright are cast in potentially thankless roles, as the wives of Rob Hall and Beck Weathers. Fortunately, the script gives both of them a couple memorable moments, which both actresses make the most of. Robin Wright dives headfirst into a scene in which Peach uses her influence to call for help for her stranded husband, while Knightley's final satellite phone conversation (reportedly taken mostly verbatim from the actual conversation) is the emotional high point of the film.

Jan Hall (Keira Knightley) makes an emotional phone call.

BASED ON A TRUE STORY - WITH A FEW EMBELLISHMENTS:

"Human beings simply aren't built to function at the cruising altitude of a 747. Once we get above here... our bodies will be literally dying."
-Rob Hall explains to his climbers the reality of Everest's final ascent.

Everest recounts the real-life 1996 Mount Everest disaster, which claimed the lives of eight people. It was the deadliest season for Everest on record at that time, though earthquakes and avalanches have created even worse incidents since.

For the most part, director Baltasar Kormákur and screenwriters William Nicholson and Simon Beaufoy have endeavored to stay reasonably true to the verified chain of events. However, like any movie based on fact, this is a movie first and a true story second, and there are deviations from the historical record.

During one of the short "acclimatizing climbs" the group does as prep for the final ascent, the climbers experience a long wait before crossing ladders spanning a chasm. When it's Beck's turn, numbness in his hands almost leads to a fall, with Rob dramatically rescuing him. Like the rest of the film, it's stunningly shot, and the 3D version creates a sense of vertigo here. There's even a good line at the end of the scene, as Beck complains that he doesn't want to die "because I'm waiting in line like I'm in freaking Walmart!"

There's only one issue: This never actually happened. The wait did, and reports indicate that Beck and Japanese climber Yasuko Namba (played here by Torchwood's Naoko Mori) struggled during the crossing. However, there was no near-fall and no dramatic rescue - That's been put here in order to punch up the drama going into the Second Act and to show through action why the guides are so worried about crowding. It also positions Rob as a heroic figure before events spiral out of his control.

There are also deletions made for the sake of streamlining. In the movie, the climbers are delayed in the final ascent by unrepaired guide ropes. In reality, this happened at two different points during the ascent... but seeing variations of the same scene twice would be repetitive, so the first delay has been removed. The film also portrays a seemingly impossible helicopter rescue. The reality was actually more dramatic: after the pilots rescued one injured climber, they came back to rescue a second one. I suspect this was simplified because, by this point, the movie has reached its "wrap-up" phase, making it dramatically tighter to portray only one rescue even if the reality was actually more impressive than what's on film.

Oddly, there's only one scene in the movie that seems truly ridiculous. One climber, unconscious for hours in the storm, suddenly not only wakes up when this person should already be dead but even manages to stand and walk back to camp. It's jaw-droppingly ludicrous, easily the most "Hollywood" thing in the movie...

And, according to the person involved, it is portrayed almost exactly as it actually occurred, showing that fact is sometimes more implausible than fiction.

Guide Rob Hall (Jason Clarke) worries about the many issues plaguing this year's ascent...

WARNING SIGNS AND THE HAWTHORNE EFFECT:

"It's all good and well to make the top... but you pay me to bring you down safely." -Rob Hall (Jason Clarke).

One of the most interesting aspects of the movie is the way it tracks the pressures and mistakes that led to the disaster. Warning signs begin early, with the observation of how crowded Everest has become. Scott Fischer complains to Anatoli that there is too much competition; Rob tries to get the various climbing companies to agree to a rotated schedule to minimize risks but is harshly rebuffed. After this, he and Scott team up for the safety of their climbers - but their sherpas are less inclined to cooperate, and there are indications of confusion about who has responsibility for which tasks.

Then there are the journalists. The Hawthorne Effect refers to the ways people change their behavior when they are conscious of being observed. The film opens with Rob expressing excitement at poaching Krakauer from Scott, as it's clear that a positive write-up will boost business. Scott responds by inviting Pittman, giving him a journalist to sing his praises.

It's clear, if unspoken, that the reporters' mere presence changes the guides' behavior. Early in the film, Rob emphasizes that part of his job is to turn his climbers back when their time limit passes. He doesn't end up doing this on the day, however, pushing well past his time window to make sure that his group makes it to the top. Scott also pushes himself past his body's limits to be at the summit with Rob - and, one suspects more specifically, with the journalists. Ultimately, the viewer is left with the impression that minus their observers, both guides might have made different decisions.

The storm blows in.

OTHER MUSINGS:

The movie is beautifully shot, making excellent use of locations that include the actual Everest base camp. It also is a rare film that properly utilizes 3D. Depth is emphasized to strong effect. At the base camp, you can see the full incline, with every tent and blanket and piece of litter seeming to shout that these tourists really don't belong here. On the mountain, that sense of depth emphasizes every drop and chasm, notably in a shot that sees two climbers on a ledge with a misty abyss directly to their right. When a climber dangles over the edge, we can see the drop below. It's all highly effective; for viewers with home 3D equipment, this is a case where I'd unquestionably recommend the 3D Blu-ray over the 2D one..

The story is well told, the screenplay making clear the pressures, mistakes, and bits of bad luck that helped create the disaster. Unlike some written accounts, there's no attempt to either to blame or absolve the people involved. Rob and Scott are portrayed in sympathetic terms, as are all the guides and climbers (even Movie Krakauer doesn't come across anywhere near as badly as Real-Life Krakauer seems to think he does). People in a high-pressure situation make some mistakes and have some bad luck... none of which would have mattered had that storm not come up when it did.

I have only one real complaint about Everest as a movie, though it's a big one: the supporting characters, including many of the climbers who died, are given so little attention that they never emerge as individuals! Rob, Scott, and Beck all get decent character moments, but most of the rest are either portrayed in broad strokes or relegated to being little more than extras. Japanese climber Yasuko (Naoko Mori) has one of the most interesting stories of any of the climbers, and yet the film pays only the most cursory attention to her. She's not alone in that; even after two viewings, I found myself having to look up names - not just a few names, but most of them! 

At the summit: A moment of triumph, just before everything goes to hell...

OVERALL:

At a brisk 2 hours (almost ten minutes of which is credits), Everest benefits from strong pacing that never seriously lags. It's well acted, with Jason Clarke and Josh Brolin particularly good, and the expertly executed 3D presentation helps to create a sense that the viewer is there with the climbers.

I wish the script had taken a little more time to develop the supporting characters; I think it would have paid dividends at the climax if the viewer felt emotionally attached. Despite this, Everest exceeded my expectations when I first watched it, and I liked it even better this time around.

The usual "true story" disclaimer applies; enjoy the film, but also take time to look up accounts of the real incident. Still, judging this as a movie, I have no trouble calling it a good one.


Overall Rating: 8/10.


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