Free Solo: A Struggle with Death in Front of the Camera

Numerous documentaries can be found in the history of cinema about athletes aiming to achieve their goals, but the film 'Free Solo' is one of the latest and strangest of them all, having won the Oscar for Best Feature Documentary this year. 'Free Solo' refers to athletes who climb rocks alone and without ropes or other equipment. The film is strange because its hero seems to wrestle with death in front of the camera, and at any moment, he could lose his life right before our eyes; the film crew, some of whom are climbers themselves, do not hide their anxiety and are constantly waiting for the heartbreaking scene of the hero's death, who is also a close friend of theirs. This film, produced by National Geographic, follows Alex Honnold and his dream of climbing the 'El Capitan' rock face without any gear. Directed jointly by Jimmy Chin, who is also a climber, and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, the film tracks the main character over a long period, capturing various moments of his personal life (even in his bedroom) leading up to the final ascent on June 3, 2017. The 900-meter El Capitan, located in Yosemite National Park in California, with its terrifying grandeur, has captivated all enthusiasts of this dangerous sport to the extent that it is considered the most dangerous long climb; a place that has marked the last moments of some climbers' lives and dramatically showcases nature's wrath. The struggle against death and the way of confronting it becomes the film's main theme. More than Alex's private life—especially for an audience not interested in this sport—what attracts viewers is the narrative of his struggle with death. In a sense, the creators, after a long and not particularly engaging narrative of their hero's life, succeed in creating astonishing and breath-taking moments in the last third, which becomes the most significant factor in the film's success. The placement and angle of the camera, along with masterful editing, create an unavoidable suspense that brings every viewer a step closer to death. Some parts of the film's one-hour introduction about Alex's character could have been shorter, but the portion that directly addresses the reasons behind this character's decisions and the film's main theme of confronting death is cleverly utilized and ultimately helps create the final suspense. For example, in this introduction, we gradually become familiar with various locations on the rock and its most challenging sections, so that in the climbing sequence, when Alex reaches these critical points, the audience's anticipation is heightened due to having seen his falls during practice scenes at these same spots. Thus, the audience's identification with the main character in this face-to-face battle with nature increases until it peaks. The story of this battle seems even more real when we see his repeated failures: throughout the film, Alex falls twice and injures his back and legs. It is even more compelling when he once decides to turn back midway, feeling that he cannot accomplish the task. The film follows him until months later when he returns. His girlfriend, after saying goodbye, cries to the camera, sharing her fear of potentially losing Alex with the audience. There is no sign of artificiality in this scene, just as the words of the film crew and their expressions of concern seem very genuine and not staged for the camera. Perhaps the violence of the scene and the proximity to death leave no room for acting in front of the camera; Alex clings to a vertical rock with his bare hands, and any mistake he makes will immediately lead to his painful death. The viewer's heartbeat rises with each passing moment until the final moment of victory, where Alex hopes not to shed tears of joy ('though if I do, it would make for a good film!'), but a viewer who hears their own heartbeat can now leave the cinema with teary eyes.