keram Review of Into Thin Air: Death on Everest

Into Thin Air: Death on Everest (1997 TV Movie)

I've got mixed emotions about this movie

[5/10 · 24 April 2002]

I'm not sure who this movie is for. Those who have read Krakauer's book won't find anything new here (except for the scenery). Those who have not are not very likely to appreciate the almost-documentary format of the film. The director chose to present an accurate and informative account of the May 1996 events and did a really good job in that department. This being not a documentary, however, Markowitz also felt it necessary to pass a certain message with the story, in this case: "Respect the mountain, or somebody (you) will pay the price". Unfortunately, this message comes across in a somewhat forced way. For example, Scott Fischer is portrayed as a rather irresponsible yahoo (with one exception, when he carries a sick client down to the base camp), who doesn't really care much about all that safety crap. This is not an impression I got from Krakauer's "Into Thin Air". Of course, Fischer is doomed to be punished and acts indeed as if this climb were one-way for him. I find it hard to believe that a person with that kind of attitude could have established himself as a highly respected Everest guide. The point is, a mountain tragedy like the one that happened on Everest cannot be put so easily into words or pictures, nor can it be easily translated into a lesson or a moral. The behaviour and fate of climbers under such extreme circumstances go beyond simple logic and judgment. This is partly what is so dangerous but also appealing about high-altitude mountaineering in general. Too bad the director did not take advantage of all the cinematographic means at his disposal to convey some of those surreal and incomprehensible aspects of climbing, rather than concentrating on the reproduction of factual details.