‘Why the heck would these people their lives, among many other things, to conquer an uninhibited mountain?’ would be the unfathomable question in a non-climber’s mind. Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi’s sublime mountain-climbing documentary “Meru” (2015) may not provide the perfect or easy answer to that question (“For the view” says a climber at one point), but it is highly fascinating to see the unyielding drive of a mountaineer to stand atop a near-vertical cliff, and to gaze at the purest of beauty that nature could offer. Apart from the eye-popping natural imagery, “Meru” has a binding human story at its core.
Professional mountaineers Jimmy Chin, Renan Ozturk and
Conrad Anker has these significant urge that affected all the eminent human
beings throughout the history: to transcend all the limitations. The
limitation, in the case of the three mountaineers, is set by nature in the form
of a 21,000 feet behemoth of a mountain named ‘Meru’. Although we might have
heard numerous tales about the challenging climbs in peaks like Everest and K2,
Himalayas’ Meru is said to possess the most dangerous ascent. Jon Krakeur,
American mountaineer and non-fiction writer (“Into Thin Air”, “Into the Wild”,
etc) nicely spells out the challenges while ascending through the unclimbed ‘Shark
Fin’ line on Mount Meru. Unlike the climb of Everest, no Sherpa or fixed ropes
could be used; there’s 1,500 feet of ice-walls and perilously shifting granite
structure (where 200 feet climb per day is the possibility); and then there’s
the unpredictable weather & human dilemma.
 |
| Conrad Anker (left), Jimmy Chin (middle) and Renan Ozturk |
Conrad Anker, the most experienced climber of the three, has
tried Meru on three occasions: 2003, 2005 and 2011. His last two expeditions
are covered in the documentary, in which Jimmy Chin and Renan Ozturk have
joined him (these three guys have climbed Everest several times; Jimmy even
skied on top of the Everest). For Conrad, it’s like unfinished business since
his mentor Mugs Stump died before conquering the undisputed Shark’ Fin (in 2003).
Conrad has a concerned wife, Jenni & three sons, in Montana and is also
haunted by the death of his beloved friend Alex Lowe (died in an avalanche).
Jimmy Chin, Conrad’s long time climbing partner, is one of the much sought-out
adventure photographer (his photos are in magazines like “National Geographic”,
“Outside”, etc). Renan is a new-comer in the team and leaves behind caring
girlfriend (and a dog!).
As the three alpinists start their ascent from the
piercingly beautiful ‘Gangotri’ in 2008, their hitched cameras film every
grueling step. The climbing of Meru was originally planned as seven day trip,
but bad weather keeps them at the task for three weeks, sleeping in a cramped
tent that just hangs like a tea bag. In the end, due to depleted food sources
and insurmountable risks, the trio makes a heart-breaking decision to go down,
with only 100 meters left to conquer Shark’s Fin of Meru. It then takes three
years for the alpinists to once again climb the punishing altitude. In this 3
year time, Renan and Jimmy faces near-death experiences in their profession
(one endures a skull fracture, while the other has miraculously survived an
avalanche), which makes them contemplate a lot. Conrad is caught between his
familial obligations and incredible-draw of Meru. What these three men achieved
in the end couldn’t be fitted into a mundane adjective, since it’s not just the
hazardous granite structure they had to conquer; they also had to defeat the
heaping debris of human dilemmas.
Jimmy Chin’s camera doesn’t try to induce the proverbial
chest-thumping moment into the joruney. He is primarily focused on the anxiety,
doubts and incredible supercharges of a mountaineer. The thoughts about weight
of gear, depleting food, the guilt over leaving one’s family are always
depicted to be on the back of alpinisits’ mind. The trio plus Jon Krakeur
clearly explains how there is great professionalism and perfect assessment of
risks involved, in what’s generally perceived as a no-holds-barred,
death-wishing sport. The intimacy with which the directors Jimmy and Elizabeth
(Jimmy’s wife) have approached their human subjects is as compelling as nail-biting
climbs. The driving elements of the trio, namely loyalty, friendship, and
unwavering obsession (which even ask them to forget loved ones) are finely
brought out. Yeah, at times, there’s too much of philosophical musings that
lacks spontaneity (especially from the colorful words of Krakeur) but that
doesn’t lessen the empyreal effect provided by the images.
“Meru” (87 minutes) is not just an account of three
mountaineers, scaling the unattainable. It is a testament to the triumph of
indomitable human spirit.
Trailer
No comments:
Post a Comment