Touching the Void

Director: Kevin Macdonald
Year Released: 2003
Rating: 3.0

Very simple but stirring filmed depiction of a mountain climber's struggle to find safety after he broke his leg, could not descend a mountain he ascended in Peru and had to be 'sacrificed' by his partner when his inability to move threatened both their lives. It acts as a metaphor for life being either constant struggle or death ("the void"), and it helps immensely that the two climbers that narrate their own story are captivating speakers - I don't wish to be morbid, but ultimately we are all alone, and can only depend on ourselves for our own well-being. I, for one, cannot quite comprehend why someone would put him/herself in harm's way for thrills when the daily quest for love, acceptance and stability is so daunting, but I'm also the kind of person that would see such a lovely sight as the icy mountains of Peru, take a quick, shaky photograph and then able on to find a latte and a newspaper.