Free Solo

A documentary about climbing solo up sheer vertical cliffs without safety ropes sounds too crazy-masculine to contain a gentle story of emotional awakening. While Free Solo (2018) celebrates athletic triumph it is also a thoughtful essay on mortality, fear, and self-identity, as it probes into the heart and mind of an elite athlete in an extreme sport.

By his mid-30s, Alex Honnold had achieved a world-class reputation for solo climbing, but despite his achievements, he was taunted by the unconquered El Capitan cliff face of Yosemite National Park. Together with an expert team of photographer climbers, he sets about the rigorous physical and mental preparation for the 3000 feet ascent. For most of the film, we watch him planning and repeatedly climbing El Capitan with safety gear, while documenting every single step and manoeuvre needed for what would be an historic free solo to the top.

While this simple, linear narrative is predictable from the outset, the photography and character study are sublime. Panoptic drones capture close-ups of Alex on vertical granite walls, showing breathtaking toeholds in tiny recesses that barely grip. During the arduous preparation, Alex has an MRI scan that reveals an inert amygdala...a part of the brain that regulates emotion. Coming from a broken home and obsessed in his pursuit of climbing perfection, Alex has no fear and is emotionally closed. The only fear shown in the film is felt by his crew who must mentally rehearse the possibility that they will witness a close friend's death. The hitherto accident-free athlete enters a relationship with the emotionally warm, wise, and beautiful Sanni McCandless, and for the first time he experiences fall injuries.

With an easy broad smile, wide eyes, and vulnerable humility, Alex is a very likeable young man. His blossoming relationship with Sanni unfolds with childlike simplicity and growing emotional responsibility, while they are both aware that free soloing El Capitan means Alex will always be one slip from certain death. This fly-on-the-wall documentary eavesdrops on a few private moments to reveal a dilemma: Alex's dormant emotional self is being stirred, but he must overcome it to face what is a super-human challenge.

Some viewers will notice the unbounded selfishness required to put others through the stress of Alex's personal pursuit while he is relatively free from the constraints of human emotion. Others will see Alex as a heroic protagonist in his own tortured life journey, or maybe wonder what bravery means if one feels no fear. No doubt there are other viewpoints and readings of this film. Regardless of what message you take, this is a riveting story, brilliantly filmed amongst some of the most stunning mountain scenery you will ever see.

I've wanted to see this film since I first heard it was being made. Reading about the soloing of El Cap in the summer of 2017, I was riveted. The film is just as, if not more, powerful than the best articles at the time.

Alex Honnold is, well, a bit of a weirdo, but I would not expect less from someone who has achieved something no other human being has. As he says at one point in the movie, "No one who is comfortable and cozy has ever achieved anything great."

The sequences of him climbing are extraordinary, terrifying, emotional, moving and awe-inspiring. Not just the sequences of El Cap, but all around the world.

But, there is so much more: his relationship with his family, his friends, and girlfriend are ... complicated. His recipe for potato-spinach-chili is sublime, and the method by which he consumes his food ... unique.

Go see this movie now! Why don't distribution companies release movies like this wider? I had to drive 30 miles to see it instead of 2 miles to my local cinema. Not everyone wants to see CGI-heavy superhero movies, especially when real superheroes exist.

I don't think my palms have stopped sweating since watching Free Solo. This documentary is beautifully shot and told in a way that keeps you hanging on every moment. Professional rock climber Alex Honnold is definitely insane, and yet you have to admire his strength and determination. I have no desire to climb El Capitan, nor do I think anyone else should try climbing it free solo, but I'm glad I got to experience it by proxy safely from the comfort of my couch.

By far one of the best horror films I have ever seen.

Having been a climber for over 30 years, I can entirely understand and appreciate what's going on inside of the spirit. Having gone up El Cap myself, I can entirely feel the enormity of this endeavor shown in this film. However, I know how hard it is to climb at a 5.12 level, let alone a 5.13. Even a 5.11 goes beyond the imagination of most human beings on this planet. And I'm still talking "being roped up and safe". Now accepting the thought of free soloing anything at 5.11 and above, even for just a hundred feet, chapeau to those who have the mental strength and physical preparedness to do so. However, what Honnold did, free soloing at up to 5.13 and on over 3000 feet of rock, goes beyond comprehension. Also, I'd like to share my entire appreciation to the film crew, as I'm entirely aware of the logistical challenges one has to manage to capture something like this film has shown us. Having friends on the wall, who met them on the wall, I also know that the film crew and Honnold had to go up the wall several times again. Truly incredible, the dedication they all put into this, I just can't find words to describe. It's hard to say if this will ever be done again. For sure I can say that this is the highest ever accomplishment in sports of mankind ever and I'm so thankful that this documentary has been able to share it with us.