Farther Than the Eye Can See
Blind climber Erik Weihenmayer and his team's highly successful ascent of Mount Everest along with four other remarkable milestones on the mountain. Time magazine called this the most successful Everest expedition of all time.
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Strong and Moving!
Sorry, this movie sucks
Fresh and Exciting
Fantastic!
Farther Than the Eye Can See (2003) *** (out of 4)Climbing Mt. Everest is considered the most challenging thing anyone could attempt. Yearly we hear about people who tried but paid with their lives. Erik Weihenmayer dream was to get to the summit of Everest but what makes his story different is the fact that he is blind.There's no question that the achievement of Weihenmayer is something truly incredible and there were other firsts done on the expedition that is covered in the documentary. If you've seen enough documentaries on Everest you know that the idea of trying to get a blind person up the mountain might seem like suicide and that very subject is discussed here.We get some great conversations on why Weihenmayer wanted to achieve this goal and why so many were willing to help him. It truly is a pretty remarkable story and the documentary also gives us some terrific HD quality video of the summit, which was great to see (apparently this was another first). As far as the film goes, I'd be lying if I said it didn't contain some flaws. I really would have liked to learn more on how he was able to get his body in condition to do something like this. We pretty much meet him, he talks about wanting to do it and then he's on the mountain. The film also doesn't have much of a dramatic punch like it should have considering the subject.With that said, at just fifty minutes the film certainly flies by and the subject itself makes it worth watching.
This film is truly an inspiring story and it includes amazing cinematography! This is not your average Everest film... it includes amazing shots, but it also tells a truly inspiring story. The blind climber's ambition and dedication is unbelievable. The cinematography is also incredible; I can't imagine lugging a camera to those elevations. I was never bored, I was always on the edge of my seat. Every aspect of the climb is perfectly documented. The Khumbu Icefall and other climbing shots are beautiful! The summit shots and celebrations will bring a tear to your eye. I'm so excited to have stumbled across this and other Michael Brown films!
After watching this film for the first time, I have just two things to say - How did they get those amazing shots? and who in their right mind would want to go out and get those shots? I'll admit going into this film I thought it was going to be just another mountaineering/'vertical limit-type' film, but I was wrong and enjoyed every second of it. Not only does this film take you along side Erik Weihenmayer's amazing attempt on the tallest mountain in the world, it also gives you the best sense of 'being there' out of any other film made about Mount Everest. Farther Than the Eye Can See is the perfect fusion of a climbing film and great storytelling. If you haven't seen this film - go out and watch it!!! You will be inspired.
This is a well made film. The story strikes you first. The struggle of the blind climber to the top of everest is a triumph of the human spirit. And though he cannot see, what we see is achingly beautiful. The cinematography is a spectacle, and the editing is spot on. Watch this film. It will make you want to achieve things in your own life. It will make you want to take the next air plane to the Himalayas and make your own trek. The world is a better place with men like Erik who overcome all to achieve their goals. And with a film like this, the achievement is so palpable you feel like you can reach out and touch it.