127 Hours
While watching the incredible true events unfold in director Danny Boyle’s new film, 127 Hours, it’s near impossible not to place yourself in such a horrifying situation. Imagine being trapped in the middle of nowhere without any hope of being found. No one knows where you are or that you’re even missing. You have very little water and a sparse amount of food. You begin to lose your mind by the tiniest of increments and it is only a matter of time when the battle to stay alive will be lost. You have no prospect of leaving the narrow crevice you are trapped in because your hand is wedged solid between the wall of the canyon and a large boulder. Your only way out is unthinkable. There is a tiny, blunt knife among the few possessions you have and if you want to leave, your mangled arm will not be making the trip with you.
This really happened to the subject of the film, Aron Ralston (James Franco), back in 2003. While on a hike in a remote part of Utah that he had traveled many times before, Ralston accidentally feel down a ravine and found himself in this predicament. Boyle tells the story with much respect and vigor, turning the real life horror story into a parable about the celebration of life. It is the craft and style of the film that makes the viewer plant themselves right into Ralston’s shoes. 127 Hours isn’t a movie you simply watch. It is an experience you live.
Much of the film’s time is spent stuck at that rock. We do see Ralston preparing for the day’s journey. He packs a bag with a few items (he should have taken more water and a sharper knife) and heads for Blue John Canyon. The surroundings are breathtaking. This is red rock country and the movie showcases the environment, filling the screen with blue skies and bright, gorgeous mountains. It is easy to see why Ralston is in love with this land. He trots across the landscape with the energy of a little boy who can barely contain himself. After a brief bike ride he meets up with a pair of female hikers (Amber Tamblyn and Kate Mara) who have lost their way. He flirts a bit and shows them a secret swim spot nearby. This is basically a (warranted) time killer before the incident and shortly after he leaves lovely young ladies company, it happens. And 127 torturous hours later….
There could not be a better display for the talents of James Franco. The story is told essentially with one man and a camera. There isn’t a moment in the film that you don’t believe in Franco, the fear and anger that his Ralston goes through during the ordeal. Most of the footage consists of close-ups of the actor making this a most intimate performance. As the time wears on for Ralston, his mind goes and we see, through flashbacks/hallucinations, many important and mundane moments of his life. Franco, with his arm pinned to a wall, sells these important moments that are integral to our relationship with the character. We care about this man and want nothing more than for him to survive.
Danny Boyle has made a film that never for a minute exploits this unimaginable situation. He opens and closes with footage of jubilation and ceremony. Fans at a sporting event cheering spliced with footage of people in worship are presented with the lone Ralston wandering the countryside. It makes you think of what it is to be alive and what is important. That a man could be so resilient and want life so bad that he is able to go to such extremes is, in a way, beautiful. Boyle has made a film that will exhaust and enliven you in its hour and a half. And as you walk to your car afterward, just be aware that you would have to watch the film more than 80 times in a row to equal the time Ralston spent in that canyon. Appreciate that.