Danny Boyle's latest film starring James Franco (Aron Ralston) is an entertaining film, compulsively. Films like this don't move quickly or slowly, they prey on our own deep fear of being trapped somewhere. Its a really well defined world that the audience gets trapped in with Ralston in the film. Even when he's cutting into his own flesh, we feel that he's cutting into our own flesh.
Boyle is able to capture the vastness of the Utah wilderness and very specific details of Ralston's small portion of it. He also achieves the delicate task of showing an arm being cut through without ever quite showing it. For the audience the worst moment is not a sight but a sound. For most of us may have never heard that sound before, but we know exactly what it is. Brilliantly done in the film.
Pain and bloodshed is so common in movies that we become immune to it and it never really amped up to the level of reality, because the audience wants to be entertained, not sickened. 127 hours removes all filters. By identifying with the character we are trapped in the canyon as well, cutting into our own flesh. I could never imagine what it must have felt like nor do i wish to imply the pain Ralston felt through the process.
The film doesn't portray Ralston as some kind of hero, but something he had to given his situation. Something we all are capable of doing.
TheNextNight
No comments:
Post a Comment