Cinephile №774 “Free Solo”

Recommendation: 5/5 Stars, SHOWTIME

Plot: “Alex Honnold attempts to become the first person to ever free solo climb El Capitan.” -IMDB

Review: There has never been a film like “Free Solo.” Sure, there have been documentaries encapsulating human achievement for future generations to watch and understand, but few films have impressed upon their audience the sheer volume of risk and consequence like this one. To truly understand what this film means for filmmaking and the power of human will, you must stand back and dissect it in pieces.

The scale of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park is one of those things that is hard to capture on film. Nothing will ever match standing on the valley floor and taking it all in with your own eyes. Therefore, the only way to truly understand the impossibility and consequences of Alex Honnold’s attempt to free solo the rockface is by making the act of filmmaking a part of the story. By inviting us to stand in the shoes of cameramen, producers, and a director, as they plan how best to capture the moment while giving Alex the space he needs to focus, the filmmakers give us a true sense of what is being attempted here. This point is driven home further as those behind the cameras wrestle with the morality of what they are filming and the very real possibility that they might be filming their friend’s death.