Text/Yangcheng Evening News reporter Li Li
At 11:00 on May 27, 2020, all 8 members of the China 2020 Everest Elevation Measurement Mountaineering Team reached the summit of Mount Everest, the "Top of the Earth", and measured the height of Mount Everest. On the summit of the world's highest peak, the five-star red flag is unfurled in the wind.
On the same day 45 years ago, on May 27, 1975, nine members of the Chinese mountaineering team reached the summit of Mount Everest and measured the rock surface height of Mount Everest for the first time at 8848.13 meters. At that time, the story was filmed into the 2019 National Day movie "The Climber".
Human conquest of nature has never stopped, and mountaineering, as a contest between human vitality and harsh living conditions, has attracted generations of climbers. Even without the courage and opportunity to climb it yourself, we can still get a glimpse of the charm of the sport from the film's images.
The Climber
(China, 2019)
Director: Li Rengang
Starring: Wu Jing, Zhang Ziyi, Jing Bairan, Zhang Yi, Hu Ge, Wang Jingchun
In 1960, the Chinese mountaineering team launched a sprint to Mount Everest, completing the "impossible task" of the world's first ascent from the north slope. Fifteen years later, Fang Wuzhou and Qu Songlin, with the help of meteorologist Xu Miao, led Young team members such as Li Guoliang and Yang Guang to challenge the top of the world again, and they will be met with a more severe challenge...
The film is supervised by the famous director Xu Ke, the famous writer Ah Lai, who won the Mao Dun Literature Award, participated in the screenwriting, and the actors gathered the "dream team" in the Chinese film and television industry. Based on real historical events, the film tells the story of the Chinese mountaineering team that achieved the first human ascent of Mount Everest from the north slope in 1960, and the story of the second summit and survey of the height of Mount Everest in 1975. The film shows the solemn mission and warm feelings of the Chinese mountaineering team to challenge the top of the world, and inspires the patriotic enthusiasm of countless audiences when it was released in the 2019 National Day file.
Audience comments
Luc: As a lover of mountaineering films, I can see the complete ascent of Mount Everest on the big screen, from the Ice Tallinn, the North Pass to the Great Wind Outlet, as well as the legendary "Second Step" and "China Ladder". "The Climber" is a breakthrough in such genres for domestic films, and the level of special effects and professionalism is not inferior to similar foreign films. The inheritance of the great sense of mission and the spirit of perseverance is more than the mountaineering sport itself.
Sharp Xiurui: The main line of the two climbs is light and heavy, the opening light and shadow are hanging a heart, and finally the emotions follow the characters to land, and this viewing process also completes a "climb". The protagonist of this movie is Mount Everest, and the characters under the mountain each carry their own entanglements and regrets in their hearts, and the relationship between several groups of characters is also very delicate. The group portrait narrative, but without the structure of tall and complete, is the best understanding of "the mountain is high and man-made peaks".
"127 Hours"
(2010, USA, UK)
Directed by: Danny Boyle
Starring: James Franco, Liz Capan, Kate Mara
The film is based on real people. In May 2003, mountaineer Aaron Ruston was rocking in the canyon when his right arm was crushed by a rock and he was trapped for five days and five nights. In the end, in order to escape, he endured severe pain, first spent an hour to break the radius and ulnar fractures, and then used sports shorts as a temporary tourniquet, and took a knife to cut off his right forearm from the elbow. After escaping from under the rocks, in order to compete with the blood loss, he climbed through the windy canyon with superhuman perseverance, reached the bottom of the valley 60 feet deep, and then walked another 5 miles to meet the rescuers, and finally survived.
Everyone may encounter the "boulder" in life, in that moment, can you break your arm to survive, or helplessly exhaust your life? The huge moral behind the film's true story is thought-provoking. The film was nominated for Best Picture at the 83rd Academy Awards.
LORENZO Lorenzo: Skilled in shooting, sharp editing, clean and decisive and natural transitions. Although it is an inspirational story of survival, it is new and the soundtrack is refreshing. It is not easy to make a simple story so appetizing, but the bloody shots still need the viewer to grasp whether he has the courage to bear it. The film is very ambitious, and James Franco's acting skills are superb.
MIKA Bugs: Everyone's life will have such a "stone" that leads you to see your true self.
"Peak Memory"
(China, 2010)
Director: Li Jia Starring: Li Lan
In 2002, a sudden avalanche on Mount Masi in Hischabang devoured five living beings. Li Lan, who has experienced the pain of losing her teammates, has since fallen into a low point in her life, and the shadow cast by the huge mountain body of The West Peak of Shishabang shrouds and drowns her, making her unable to struggle out of self-blame, confusion and pain for a long time. It was not until 2009, when Li Lan and her friends reached the summit of Mount Hishamma in a commemorative way, that she completely got out of the predicament of her soul.
As a documentary, "Peak Memory" cuts from the first perspective of mountaineer Li Lan, but is not limited to showing his personal redemption and return, but also focuses on the comprehensive knowledge and understanding of mountaineering, and the photos, images and news reports left by the events of that year provide a useful supplement to the film.
The Shadow of Panda: Everyone has to face memories that can't escape. The photography is good, and the beautiful natural scenery is the main reason why I can't help but hit the praise.
Deus: As a commonplace commercial climb, the tedious and tedious summit process itself may not be memorable, but when the participants begin to tell the memories of death seven years ago, the climb is destined to be given a different meaning. Mountaineering is such a sport, the closest to the source of life, but also the closest to the face of death.
Wildest Dreams: Conquering Everest
(USA, 2010)
Director: Anthony Geffen
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Hugh Dancy, Conrad Anker, Liam Neeson
It's a biographical documentary. In 1924, mountaineer George Mallory teamed up with mountaineer novice Andrew Owen to try to reach the summit from the north slope of Mount Everest, which was never to return. It wasn't until 1999 that mountaineer Conrad Anko found Mallory's body in the "Death Zone" of Everest...
Why climb a mountain? "Because the mountain is there." This famous saying, known to climbers, first came from George Mallory. The film retraces George Mallory's three-time climb of Everest in his life and eventually stays at It, and also describes the attempts made by Conrad Anco, who found his body: he tried to climb the "second step" with George Mallory's equipment to solve the mystery of the latter's death.
Anonymous: The voice cast is strong, with Liam Neeson as narrator, Neeson's wife, Natasha, as Mrs. Mallory, and sadly, Natasha later died of brain death from a ski fall. It's a blockbuster shot, the shot that simulates the ascent route is awesome, and the freehand rock climbing is also breathtaking.
Silent Joya: The picture taken at the risk of life at a high altitude is too precious, and the first time you really witness the legendary "second step", it is indeed thrilling. The bird's-eye view from the summit of Mount Everest is indescribably beautiful.
Climbing Mount Meru
(2015, USA, India)
Directors: Kim Kwok-wai, Elizabeth Chai Vassareli
Starring: Kim Kwok-wai, Conrad Anker, Na Ostok, Jon Krakauer
The three climbers left everything behind after a sad past and, with friendship, went to Meru Peak, which no one had ever successfully reached. They recorded two climbs to Meru on camera, one of which, when they had to decide to retreat, was just 100 meters from the summit.
Mount Meru is located on the Indian side of the Himalayas, more than 6,000 meters above sea level, and the natural environment is very harsh. The destination of the three climbers in the film is a place called "Shark Fin" on the northwest wall of Mount Meru – as the name suggests, this place is strangely shaped and unusually smooth, and it is very difficult to climb. As a documentary filmed with life, the shock brought to the audience by "Climbing Mount Meru" is self-evident.
Ron Chan: An awe-inspiring documentary about humanity's reverence for nature, as well as its insistence on faith and understanding of life. PS: The shots are fantastic, and I feel immersed several times.
A lot of fish: a tribute to nature, a chase for faith, and feel every step of the climber with the camera. There are also seemingly bland stories – regrettable failures, sudden disasters, the joy of reaching the top... There is a kind of indifference that "looking back at the place where it has always been desolate, there is no wind or rain or sunshine".
Peng: One of the best mountaineering documentaries I've ever seen. This is not a mountaineering film, it is a psychological film.
"Freehand Rock Climbing"
(USA, 2018)
Directors: Elizabeth Chai Vasarily, Kim Kwok-wai
Starring: Alex Honnold, Tommy Caldwell, Kim Kwok-wai
The documentary's protagonist, Alex Honnold, has dreamed of climbing Chieftain Rock with his bare hands since 2009. Prior to filming, he spent a year and a half climbing Chieftain Rock on ropes — trying different rock points and figuring out how to conquer the hardest areas. The documentary captures stunning views of Yosemite National Park and Emirates Rock, and of course, the historic moments of Honnold's ascent to the summit. The film won the Best Documentary Feature Award at the 91st Academy Awards.
The film vividly shows the special extreme sport of freehand rock climbing. Alex Honnold's solo rock climbing in the film is completely unprotected, i.e., without any protective or auxiliary equipment such as ropes, awls, and without companion assistance.
Cherry Cherry Far Away: Most of the length is in the preparation of the pre-shooting, low emotional intelligence of the daily life of straight men, every time the audience laughs out loud when they take a pot to eat. Although the final process of reaching the top was only ten minutes, it was still super shocking, Alex climbed through the most difficult two segments and laughed proudly at the camera, the dialogue was super straight, and it felt like a child who had not grown up.
Xu Ruofeng: The technical team has done a very good job, whether it is the sound effect processing that is into the hearts of the opening seconds, or the middle of the journey to see the photographers carrying machines and climbing with the protagonists, it is really a god. The climbing section is in a state of stunned horror, and the last 20 minutes are even a bit of an "extreme image" for me.