Touching the Void

2003 "The closer you are to death. The more you realize you are alive."
8| 1h46m| R| en| More Info
Released: 05 September 2003 Released
Producted By: DSP
Country: United Kingdom
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

The true story of Joe Simpson and Simon Yates' disastrous and nearly-fatal mountain climb of 6,344m Siula Grande in the Cordillera Huayhuash in the Peruvian Andes in 1985.

Watch Online

Touching the Void (2003) is now streaming with subscription on AMC+

Director

Kevin Macdonald

Production Companies

DSP

Touching the Void Videos and Images
View All
  • Top Credited Cast
  • |
  • Crew

Touching the Void Audience Reviews

Karry Best movie of this year hands down!
Ketrivie It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.
SeeQuant Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction
Janae Milner Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.
rodrig58 This movie is if not the best, one of the best that I've ever seen. And I've seen thousands of films in 57 years of life. Some better than others, many only kilometers of film, not to say bad movies. What's more important, a new proof that nothing is accidental, I've seen TOUCHING THE VOID exactly when I needed most to see such a film: in a very difficult period of my own existence here on Earth... This film gives you strength to live, to not let yourself beaten, especially when you're on the brink of death, when you go through the hardships of life and even you try everything, everything is hostile to you. It's not only the best film in the mountain climbing genre, but also one of the best of all possible genres. 10 out of 10.
kevjfarrell I came across this movie while channel surfing and I'm so glad I did. Fortunately I caught it near the start. I don't particularly have an interest in mountain climbing but that doesn't matter. This true story will blow you away! The narration intertwined with re-enactments is perfectly timed and paced. One of the greatest stories of human endurance that you will ever hear. Even now when I play it on DVD it amazes me. It's a movie that will live with you forever once seen. And you'll find yourself recommending it to everyone in your circle. I have also read the book. It works well in whatever medium you decide to learn about this actual event. I cannot recommend this movie too highly! Don't be put off if mountain climbing isn't your thing - it's a much bigger story than that!! When it's over, you'll find it hard to believe these events actually took place.
velve86 I've seen quite a lot of films and generally like all genre. So I don't mind watching a documentary every now and then. And I never review any title before as most of the time, most existing reviews are more or less conforms to what I think of about a particular film. But after watching Touching the Void, I feel really compelled to say a word or two. It is by far the best docudrama I've ever seen.As a film, it is near-perfect. The way they shoot some scenes was very effective especially during the climbing and their descent before the broken leg tragedy. At times, I kind of forget that it was all re-enactment of the events narrated by the legendary mountaineers.Despite knowing that both of them survived at the end, some scenes were really heartbreaking. The film effectively shows the state of utter hopelessness in Joe's struggle for survival. One can only imagine what he'd been through after falling down into an ice crevice, with a broken leg, extremely dehydrated while already exhausted both physically and mentally - basically lost in a middle of nowhere with very low chance of survival. And as someone who has been through some kind of utter hopelessness situation myself, at least mentally, I can totally relate on a certain level.And despite the overwhelming odds, he never stopped struggling and kept going and hoping, knowing full well that he and only he himself will be able to get him out of there. And as the story goes on, you can't help but be dragged along through his painful struggle from the way he climbed out of the crevice, dragging himself slowly off the huge icy area and to the excruciatingly painful scenes of repeated falling downs in the rocky area.And finally to his rather humorous and yet quite creepy and sad state of mental breakdown with the Boney M song after yet again faced with hopeless situation that will be the end of him, so it seems. And it was expected of someone who has gone through such perilous ordeal. For me, he really did, in a sense, touched the void.And in the end, you can't help but cheer and be happy for him and at the same time relieved as he did finally found by his friends, and survived to tell this heroic survival story.This film is one of the very few out there that truly shows the amazing capability of human body and mind for survival. For many, it seems almost superhuman and considered impossible given the odds and circumstances.And I don't know how they do the effects, if any, but the state of the actors after been through such ordeal was very real, from the extremely dehydrated facial skins, their expressions and the blacked fingers due to frostbites.Overall, this docudrama is near-perfect in my opinion. In term of film that portrays the human struggle to survive, it is the BEST I've ever seen. I'm so glad to finally seen it after been able to get my hands on it very recently. Rated 9/10!
neil-upto11 'Touching the Void' is the most extraordinary story of survival I have ever encountered. It is brought to life through the fantastically creative talents of the film maker and the honest, moving accounts of the protagonists.The story is so incredible that it is actually difficult to imagine how survival was possible - even though we are being told the story by those involved! The film is technically brilliant and does not succumb to overly dramatic devices - not least because it doesn't need them: if you are not absolutely transfixed by the simple facts then no amount of special effects and invasive music would move you.I thoroughly recommend this film / story as the very definition of determination in the face of impossible odds.