127 Hours
2010 · Directed by Danny Boyle
Original language: English
- adventure
- drama
- thriller
The story
The true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston's remarkable adventure to save himself after a fallen boulder crashes on his arm and traps him in an isolated canyon in Utah.
What it’s like
Wide Utah canyon vistas in saturated desert red and blue sky, then claustrophobic close-ups of rock and skin in a single trapped space; the camera swoops, splits the frame into split-screen flurries and runs hand-held and kinetic, with restless editing and bursts of flashback, dream and hallucinated memory. Sound design leans on the hollow ring of stone, wind, a ticking watch and a pulsing, insistent score that drops to near silence during the hardest moments. The vibe is taut, feverish and grimly determined, with flashes of dark humour and warmth in the memories. It suits a focused night in, when you want to be gripped rather than soothed. Intensity is high: one prolonged, graphic scene of self-inflicted injury and blood, plus persistent dread and isolation, so it is not for anyone wanting something gentle. It is for viewers who like survival stories built on grit, physical endurance and a man's inner resolve.
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