Touching The Void
The Age
Thursday April 14, 2005
DVD & VIDEO REVIEW: Touching the Void, Hopscotch, 102 minutes, M, documentary, 2004 ****
THIS is an account by the participants of an extraordinary experience of endurance and choice: the story of two British mountaineers, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, left with some terrible survival options after an accident while climbing in the Andes. It's the story of an extreme, devastating situation made all the more compelling by the stoic, understated way the two men describe it. Some of the mountaineering scenes are dramatic re-enactments by other climbers, shot in Europe. It is not entirely obvious from watching the film that Simpson and Yates actually returned to the Andes to take part in the documentary. The featurette throws more light on the impact of the accident and its aftermath. DVD extras include: Return to Siula Grande featurette; interview with Yates and Simpson; theatrical trailer.
© 2005 The Age