The Alpinist
PART THREE — A MEANINGFUL LIFE
In a trio of exclusive interviews — Alex Honnold, Brette Harrington and the directors at Sender Films weigh in on the themes from the latest outdoors film to hit the big screen.
Note : This article is Part Three of a three part series. If you haven’t already, you can catch up on Part One and Part Two here.
PART THREE — A MEANINGFUL LIFE
The untimely death of anyone is always a sad state of affairs, and The Alpinist does not tread lightly around the topic. The final scenes of the movie are gut wrenching, and likely polarise the viewer’s perspective on the risk of alpinism even further.
Amid this harsh reality, however, the film’s rare perspective is once again a blast of fresh air in the adventure entertainment space. As Alex puts it: “The strength of The Alpinist is seeing the impact that Marc’s death has on his family, his girlfriend and his community. That’s one of the most powerful parts of the film. And those make you think about whether or not the risks that we take in the mountains are worth it. There’s not an easy answer that portrays the difficult parts of life.”
“There’s not an easy answer that portrays the difficult parts of life.”
For Brette especially, being so young, this film could make it incredibly challenging to move on from the death of her partner. “I wonder how it’ll develop for me in the future. Or if it will just be something that is in, like, one area of my life, and then I’ll just continue moving.”
“Sometimes I think it’s really good to feel that sad; to really absorb that feeling. But to feel that too much would take too much of a toll.”
Both directors clearly had incredible respect for Marc, but I don’t think either of them were prepared to be dealing with the aftermath of their hero, especially not prior to the film’s release. There’s a solemn honour with which they followed to compile the final scenes, a duty to Marc’s legacy and climbing prowess.
I asked Pete how Marc’s death affected the narrative of the movie that was nearing completion at the time of the incident.
“We had already had those conversations with people who were questioning him and who were concerned. So that was already part of the discussion.”
“We’re not going to change the movie and make something else.
We’re going to let that just be what you’re left with.”
“I think just seeing that, seeing that those people closest to Marc were really devastated. But understanding it made us think, ‘Okay, we’re not going to change the movie and make something else. We’re going to let that just be what you’re left with’.”
Once again we find ourselves, mid-film, questioning the motives of our protagonist. Is it selfish to put yourself so repeatedly at risk of death for the sake of your own experiences? Alex Honnold responds:
“Marc did have a genuine love of the adventures. He seemed like he didn’t care as much about success or failure on the climbs, he cared more about the experience of being out and attempting the climbs, being out in the places and trying to climb in his style.”
“So, in some ways, I wouldn’t be surprised if his entire approach to it was different than the way you or I would frame the question. I think he was just looking to have an experience, and that’s neither positive nor negative. It’s just an experience in the mountains. And for sure he was having the most wild experiences.”
“I think the bigger takeaway for me from the film is, it’s just a reminder to follow your own path. You know Marc… really did the things that he dreamed of.”
Indeed, it is one thing to dream, but another entirely to turn those dreams to reality. Marc’s passion and commitment is inspiring and leaves me asking myself: ‘What does it mean to live a meaningful life?’
Is it defined by the years in your life, or the life in your years?
Is it defined by experiences or achievements?
Sure, you can argue that solo-alpinism has a selfish sentiment to it. Equally though, what Marc experienced and achieved in his 25 years is, without a doubt, more than what many of us will in our entire lifetimes.
“You need to hear about the people… who really experienced it with Marc… what they think.”
I went into this film expecting some similarities to Free Solo, an intense thriller of epic achievements, albeit with a dusting of snow. I came out of it, however, with my heart beating and my head spinning, questioning what I was doing with my life and where I was headed. And it seems from the directors that this is exactly what they intended.
Pete Mortimer: “We go into the movie asking a lot of big questions. And then, you know, in the end… I don’t know if I need to answer those questions. Because my questions are philosophical and theoretical. And then here we have a real human, with the people around him, who’s living it.”
“You don’t need to hear from us about our thoughts about alpinism.”
“You need to hear about the people… who really experienced it with Marc… what they think.”
Thank you for reading Part Three of this three part series!
The Alpinist is now live in theatres across Australia and New Zealand. Click here for screening availability.
Adam Flower
Adam is an Australian creative freelancer and content creator. Willing to put his equipment into situations that most won’t — if it’s outdoors, Adam’s either tried it already or it’s on the bucket list.
Web : www.adsventures.com.au
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