Already something of a favourite amongst outdoorsy types, Touching the Void is given the big screen treatment in this extraordinary documentary, which blends real life testimony and insanely exciting reconstructions. In 1985, two young British climbers, Simon Yates and Joe Simpson, both in their early twenties, decided to scale Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes. Young, brash and adventurous, the climbers were filled with a confidence that bordered on arrogance especially when they decided to undertake the 21,000ft climb with few precautions. The ascent passed without much incident, but as they started to return, Simpson lost his footing and shattered his leg. Faced with a desperate situation, Yates was forced to make a decision which, he freely admits, will haunt him for the rest of his days.
Deeply absorbing and as thrilling as any film I've encountered in a long time, Touching the Void is an astonishing document on the sheer resilience of the human condition and the extremities of nature. Moreover, the amalgamation of interview and factual reconstruction works magnificently. That the real Joe Simpson and Simon Yates are so matter of fact in their delivery makes the picture even more powerful, while the jaw-dropping cinematography and sheer chaotic excitement of the reconstructed scenes are simply breathtaking. Yet perhaps the most startling thing about Touching the Void is that the director manages to increase the levels of tension, until it reaches an almost unbearable plateau. This is despite the fact that the ultimate outcome is never in any doubt. Remarkable.
