Jess Rogers
“I want to punch the FREE SOLO dude” – this was a text from a friend after watching the new documentary from directors Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi that I strongly recommended. And thus began an epic text string about the debate the film inadvertently created.
FREE SOLO follows Alex Honnold, a renowned rock climber and author, as he attempts to free solo climb the 3,000+ foot face of El Capitan (“El Cap”) in Yosemite National Park. What makes this amazing is no one has done it before, because free soloing means rock climbing without any partner, ropes or equipment.
El Capitan is a nearly straight cliff where one mistake on a free solo climb would mean falling immediately to your death. Mr. Honnold, a lithe, extremely strong young man, has done extensive free soloing around the world, but El Capitan is different, and that’s what builds the tension of this documentary.
It takes a certain personality to be able to excel at this particular sport. Honnald lives in a van (a pretty nice, fancy van with a sink and stove, but a van nonetheless) and travels the world dedicating himself to his sport. This makes any sort of relationship very difficult as he himself admits. Even if the logistics weren’t enough to make a romantic connection difficult, Honnald’s devotion to climbing, and the intense mental and physical preparation it requires, makes putting anyone else’s needs first a very difficult proposition.
We eventually meet Sanni, a lovely woman Alex has been dating a few months before he really starts focusing on preparing for the El Capital Free Solo. I sense this is where my friend’s desire to punch him in the nose arose.
Make no mistake, preparing is as much a part of free soloing as years of runs down half-pipe by Chloe Kim or hundreds of miles of laps in a pool by Michael Phelps. The difference is the stakes – while they would certainly lose any competition, it’s unlikely either Ms. Kim or Mr. Phelps would die if they were under-prepared on the big day.
Sanni is supportive of Honnald’s sport, but we do see her questioning whether the fact that she’s extremely scared to lose him would influence his planning (he admits it would not). We get a little insight into an arguably negative part of Honnald’s personality, the inability to put anything before his training and drive to climb El Cap. We also see Sanni in tears as the climb commences. Personally, I thought the film made it very clear that Honnald was up front about his desires and willingness to participate in a relationship and Sanni was signing up for that, but I know this is a controversial opinion.
The thing I liked best about the film, however, was how it differed from most films of this variety – extreme sports, natural challenges, etc. Chin and Vasarhelyi are a small part of the on-screen filmmaking as well. We see their crew setting up their cameras (with ropes and helmets, thankfully) to capture Honnald’s climb. Their biggest challenge, and ethical dilemma, is how to set up the cameras such that they don’t negatively affect Honnald’s climb, either physically or mentally.
The pressure of being filmed and not wanting to disappoint a whole crew must have been difficult, but I was so impressed by how the filmmakers and their crew articulated these issues and the ways they attempted to mitigate any connection between the film and the climb itself.
If you’re looking for an edge of your seat, nail-biting documentary where you might want to swat the main character (or his girlfriend), FREE SOLO is absolutely worth every moment. Watching the gorgeous scenery and the efforts of an athlete at the top of his game is as thrilling as any Olympic event, Superbowl or whatever sport speaks to you.
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