Through the Wall

Even as a child, Tommy Caldwell, the son of a mountain guide, was an avid climber, and as a teenager he won contest after contest as the youngest competitor. But life put some serious obstacles in his way. On a climbing expedition in Central Asia, he and his companions were taken hostage by Islamist rebels - an experience that was difficult to come to terms with. When he returned home after being rescued, the next blow came: he lost his index finger in an accident with a circular saw - which would normally mean the end for a climber. Not for Tommy Caldwell. He continues to train doggedly - with one goal: to climb the Dawn Wall, a mile-high rock face in Yosemite National Park.

For this endeavor, Caldwell has teamed up with Kevin Jorgeson. For years, the two have been preparing for the undertaking. And in January 2015, it's finally set to happen. Amid worldwide media interest, the two men climb up meter by meter for almost three weeks to achieve what no one before them has ever managed. This was documented by the two filmmakers Josh Lowell and Peter Mortimer in Through the Wall. With the help of elaborately developed rope systems, the film crew was able to get very close to the two climbers and capture truly spectacular images.

They are sometimes dizzyingly good. As a viewer, you're rooting for the two to succeed in conquering the wall every metre of the way. In these moments the documentary can only be called successful. From a dramaturgical point of view, however, the film is a bit too thick from time to time, which makes the first act, which deals with Tommy Caldwell's youth and the hostage situation, a bit tough. Once the film focuses solely on defeating the Dawn Wall, the whole thing is extremely exciting and involving.

Although it will never be clear to me personally why some people put themselves through such life-threatening ordeals, you really do get a proper respect for the two extreme athletes as the film progresses. The great pictures that were captured during the three weeks of climbing make it absolutely worthwhile to watch this movie on the big screen. And that's why it's clearly worth seeing!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp