 Poster: A snowHead
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For anyone who has not seen it yet, the film of Joe Simpsons exploits in the Andes is on channel 4 on thursday at 9pm.
[Edit: scroll down for views and comment on the movie]
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Thank you. Was frustrated to miss it when it came out. Looking forward to seeing.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Haven't yet decided if I want to watch it. Reading the book was bad enough without seeing pictures 
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Elizabeth B, It is a "must see," film if only to hear the 2 climbers account of the events, and as you have read the book you will know the outcome was not too tragic.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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the outcome was not too tragic
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Well - thanks for that.
From all of us who were looking forward to seeing the film and haven't read the book but now know the ending 
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Maggi, it becomes obvious from the start of the film that the film has a "happy ending", as the three people involved are narrating the story, so obviously must have all survived.
Elizabeth, it's a great film, with only one or two bits to make you cringe. It's a fantastic story, and also has some brilliant cinematography.
For those who subscribe to Film Four, it's on tonight at !0pm.
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Althought the film was good I thought he book was better.
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I will definitely be watching it on Thursday.
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maggi Apologies if I have marred your enjoyment of the film, but the TV listings in the newspapers describe the film in much more detail.
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I agree with Linds that the book is better. The bit where they're both left dangling off the safety ropes in their sleeping bags is completely heart stopping.
Another book about climbing that I've enjoyed is "Into thin air" about Everest.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Kramer,
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Another book about climbing that I've enjoyed is "Into thin air"
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Then you should read "The climb" by Anatoli Boukreev, which gives another side to the story. maggi, I agree the book is always better, enjoy the film.
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Maggi - Not with Lord of the Rings, really enjoyed the film, can't stand the book.
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You know it makes sense.
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I thought it was a "cliffhanger"
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It is!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Kramer,
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Not with Lord of the Rings, really enjoyed the film, can't stand the book
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As I couldn't stand the book either - I didn't bother to go and watch the film!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Well I want to watch it, but im not very good with surprises, so if someone could just pm me and tell me how it ends, then I can watch it all the way through without being scared!
(yes i know its pathetic!)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Kramer,
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I agree with Linds that the book is better. The bit where they're both left dangling off the safety ropes in their sleeping bags is completely heart stopping.
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I think this is a different book about an alpine epic he had, not certain though.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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It's at the beginning of touching the void, when he's talking about previous accidnets that he had seen and witnessed.
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I saw it in the cinema - fantastic sound if you can get a proper home cinema set-up to watch it on. Turn all the lights off and feel you are in the Andes for the breathtaking opening sequence. Interestingly different from the book, it covers the walk out that Joe Simpson can barely recall. pistemeister, thanks for finding it and telling us
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You could always record it and then watch how it ends. Sad I know but sometimes that is the only way I will watch a film if I know how it ends.
| Nadenoodlee wrote: |
Well I want to watch it, but im not very good with surprises, so if someone could just pm me and tell me how it ends, then I can watch it all the way through without being scared!
(yes i know its pathetic!) |
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Nadenoodlee, put it this way, they are both recounting the story in the documentary..... It is really an amazing story. I found the book utterly compelling and the film good, especially in the documentarly style, really makes you understand the power of the mountains. I went on to read all of Joe Simpsons other books, and it is interesting to watch his style change over the years as he seems to become more bitter about the climbing fraternity.
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The book is usually better because you picture it in your imagination and it's exactly how you want it.
When somebody takes a book and puts it on screen it's rarely exactly how you imagined it.
There are exceptions like Bladerunner but the film has very little to do with it apart from the central idea, if that makes sense.
I thought they were both good btw.
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It's an utterly gripping story - surely the greatest true survival story ever told on screen - so I'd recommend being in a quiet room without any distractions...and the phone off the hook.
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I really enjoyed seeing this at the cinema, one of the best films I've seen in years.
My visit was made more enjoyable because the trip was free. We complained a couple of days earlier when we went to see "the girl with the pearl earing" because you could hear the music blaring from the neigbouring sceen (showing Touching the Void!) and they gave us free tickets, so two days later I went to see the film whose noise caused us to complain 
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| David Goldsmith wrote: |
| It's an utterly gripping story - surely the greatest true survival story ever told on screen - so I'd recommend being in a quiet room without any distractions...and the phone off the hook. |
Well... what about Apollo 13? However, I hope to take your advice, David.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Arggh! Just realised friend is coming up from Newcastle to go out on the lash and im going to miss it!! A whole 3 days of nights in with crap tv and then this!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Nick, an interesting comparison. Apollo 13 was certainly an extraordinary result from a position of apparent hopelessness. 'Touching the Void' has the aspects of the rope (which introduces the fundamental issues of trust between the two climbers), the cold and the other adversities which - for me - make it the more compelling story.
See what you think!
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A brilliant compelling book -
If you have read the book, you will not be disappointed with the film - it is a masterpiece and rightly won the BAFTA Best British Film award ahead of the likes of Cold Mountain on 10 times the budget.
The film makers have succeeded in portraying the moutnains as they really are - there a very few people who have been able to do that. 
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You know it makes sense.
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Wow. A real raw edge. Compelling.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Good movie 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Amazing real life endurance & determination. Makes a lot of modern fictional film pale into insignificance.
AW
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Couldnt move from the television even in the ad breaks. An amazing story of determination in the face of adversity. Their are alot of issues the film raises that I think the book may hold clues to. I cant believe the lack of planning for emergencies other than having good kit. I would have thought a 2 way radio each would have been a must on a expedition like that, but 2 way radios may have been to heavy when they did the climb I dont know. They did say they were reckless on some of their climbs. Even so its a remarkable story
It takes a brave man to cut a rope like that but doing it probably saved them both although I suspect Stephen was thinking of saving himself.
I dont think I could have cut the rope or even made it off the mountain
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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It takes a brave man to cut a rope like that
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Well, yes, if it means one person surviving long enough to get back and alert the rescue services to look for the other. The attitude of well, he must be dead, let's burn his stuff and forget him was unbelievable! In fact, if it hadn't been based on a true story, surely everyone would have said as much
If I were Joe, the first thing I would have done when I saw Simon would be to smack him one.
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Was all set. Kids in bed, bottle of wine to hand, then disaster - I fell asleep! Apart from the start, I missed virtually the whole film. Oh well, can anyone lend me the book?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Brilliant, impulsive viewing.
maggi.............what rescue services could he raise, miles from anywhere. He was in a very bad state, the other guy they were with was also a complete noivce to mountaineering, they had no real idea where he would be............very tough decision to make!
I found it strange that the film didn't show the 2 guys together at the end, during th interview. Does the book paint a picture that they were still mates? Do they still climb together.
....the books going on my x-mas! (..........if anyone's interested )
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I'm not sure that he had any choice but to cut the rope, he couldn't haul his friend up the mountain, he didn't even know that he was hanging over a cliff at the time. It was a mistake not going closer to the crevasse to look in but I think we have to consider his state of mind at the time, he'd just dropped his friend 150 ft down a cliff and into a crevasse that was huge, at least as deep again, would you expect to see anyone alive at the bottom ?
Hell even the chap that fell didn't believe he'd survived, the fact that he did and managed to do what he did to get out is truly amazing and must be regarded as such.
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I know patriotism is old-fashioned, but does anyone else feel proud to be British after that?
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Wow. That was very impressive. I wasn't sure that I was going to watch all of the film but it just drew me in.
I'm completely in awe of what Joe Simpson managed to do. I can't conceive of that level of determination. And then to top it all - Boney M!! The pain!!
I'm surprised that Simon has been criticised for cutting the rope - anyone know exactly what other climbers think he should have done?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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alan empty, I'm not sure that the criticism is about cutting the rope so much as his not checking for Joe's body at the crevasse, given that no sane person would have considered doing a one man mountain rescue the fact that both survived is remarkable, if it hadn't been for Simons efforts in lowering Joe down most of the mountain it's quite certain that Joe would have died. In my opinion they are both incredible
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| Russell wrote: |
| ..I would have thought a 2 way radio each would have been a must on a expedition like that.. |
I was surprised they didn't seem to have whistles. Wouldn't have been much us when Joe was dangling on the end of the rope, given the conditions, but a better chance of being heard thereafter than shouting.
| D G Orf wrote: |
| ...not checking for Joe's body at the crevasse... |
Of course we were looking from the comfort of our living rooms, not high up on a glacier, worn out, and short of water. I agree with you, they are both incredible.
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FAQ
(groans all round) 
