Movie Review: 127 Hours

Director: Danny Boyle
Starring: James Franco
UK Release Date: 7 January 2011
Tardy Review Date: 1 February 2011
Cinema


Powerful survival story in a stylish package

SPOILER ALERTS

OK, so I'm putting a spoiler alert on this one, but it's probably not necessary as most of the publicity around this film has been focused on the big ending.  Still, if you really don't  know what it's about, and don't want to spoil the surprise, don't read on.

The film is a true story about Aaron Ralston, a weekend adrenaline junkie out exploring a canyon in Utah for kicks.  He's such a hero, as he later admits, that not only does he take this adventure alone, he doesn't even tell anyone where he's going.  This proves to be a near fatal mistake when he becomes trapped in a chasm, pinned by his arm between a boulder and the rock-face.  After trying various methods over several days to escape, he ultimately has to cut off his own arm to break free.

The film certainly displays Danny Boyle's style, with it's visceral approach recalling elements of some of his earlier work, like Trainspotting and 28 Days Later.  With the main character spending the vast majority of the film trapped in a confined space, this could easily have been a very static and, lets face it, dull movie.  But Boyle manages to inject pacing, expansiveness and emotion into the whole piece.  This is achieved through various cutaway scenes in form of flashbacks and hallucinations experienced, as well as the odd special effect to bring some mundane events to life, such as the simple act of drinking water from a bottle.

Water is actually one of the key elements within the film.  Ralston's survival is utlimately marked by how much water remains in the bottle he took with him.  The very first scene in the film shows him leaving it under the tap to fill before he leaves home and, as he collects his things, the water overflows wastefully.  Before the accident, he meets up with a couple of women and they all swim in an underwater pool.  These moments where water is so overly abundant contrast sharply with the scenes in the chasm when he has only drops left, his lips dry.  One of his hallucinations involves a thunderstorm turning into a flood that sets him free - a scene particularly reminiscent of the toilet scene in Trainspotting, as is the moment after he breaks free when he drinks greedily from a dirty puddle.

The other key theme is technology. Ralston takes a range of technology with him, including a CD player, camcorder and camera.  When walking alone through the deserted landscape at the beginning, he shuts out the peace by listening to his music, like an umbilical cord linking him back to the real world.  He takes every opportunity to photo or film what's happening to him, and this extends to his experience whilst trapped.  His pieces to camcorder start out as frustration or amusement, but end up as emotional messages to his family, as well as apologies for not being the brother or son he could have been.  It almost seems that his technology forms as much a part of his survival as the water, echoed by a scene in which we see a battery icon draining in a digital representation of the water draining from his bottle.

The use of camcorder footage within the film also lends a changing style through the piece.  The early scenes seem to be filmed on a digital camcorder (albeit a high quality one), whereas other scenes are high-quality and look sumptuous and there is the DV footage from Ralston's camcorder.  This gives the film a range of textures that really suit the different aspects of wonder, freedom, fear and entrapment.  But almost more important than this is the really effective soundtrack.  There's a great mix of instrumental pieces that intensify some of the on-screen tension and panic, as well as songs that express or contrast with what's happening - particularly notable was 'Lovely Day' playing whilst Ralston struggles (and fails) to move the boulder with a makeshift pulley.

So, there's no avoiding it - what about the scene where he cuts his arm off?  Well, there's no denying it's difficult to watch.  The actual cutting itself is a bit gory, but by no means over the top, but there are two things that really seem horrendous.  Firstly, he has to break his arm twice, as he knows he won't be able to cut through the bone - that hurt!  Secondly, he has to break his nerves, which would make anyone wince.

It's the scenes before and after this that really make the impact, though, and they're what I felt most affected by as I walked out of the cinema.  Before cutting off his arm, when he realises he's run out of other options, he almost gives up and accepts death.  Then he has something of an epiphany (not the religious kind) when he feels that his whole life has been leading up this this moment with the rock.  He sees visions of his family, and his future son, and is inspired to do what has to be done.  This manages to avoid being at all corny and gives the dramatic impetus needed for him to amputate part of his own body but, apparently, it's also what happened to the real Ralston.

More emotional than this, though, is his escape and rescue.  The simple act of being able to walk out of the canyon and find some water, the dirty puddle I mentioned above, has a strong impact.  This is quickly surpassed, though, as he wanders out alone to try and walk to safety.  He spots a family through bleary eyes and barely has the energy to call out to them.  To see this self-proclaimed (albeit ironically) hero having to call out to others for help in order to survive is truly emotional and, when this call is answered by the family, and others, the film reaches a superb climax.

I'd definitely recommend this one, provided you think you can withstand 'that' scene.  It manages to convey the isolation and terror of Ralston's situation within a truly cinematic experience and it's truly dramatic even within its confinement.