Somebody asked me how a movie about a guy that saws his arm off isn’t a plot only worth five minutes. My question would be, how could you think it only needs five minutes?! A man CUTS HIS OWN ARM OFF. How could you not want to know more about this?
Somebody asked me how a movie about a guy that saws his arm off isn’t a plot only worth five minutes. My question would be, how could you think it only needs five minutes?! A man CUTS HIS OWN ARM OFF. How could you not want to know more about this?
127 Hours is the story of canyoneer/hiker, Aron Ralston, who, while hiking in the Utah desert in 2003, fell in a canyon and got trapped by a boulder. His arm pinned by said boulder, he was trapped for five days before deciding to take drastic measures to free himself.
Aron Ralston is played by an excellent James Franco. Ralston is portrayed as a busy guy, a little self-absorbed, and doesn’t always return his parents phone calls. He comes across as a bit selfish and enjoys his time to himself. Yeah, he’s kind of a dick, but perhaps not intentionally so. He travels by truck, then dirt bike, then on foot, hours into the Utah desert. He meets a couple of women hiking that seems to be lost and helps them. Then he’s on his way again. While climbing through a canyon, a boulder comes loose and he falls. It’s kinda like a Wile E. Coyote, but without the humor. The boulder jams in the crevice pinning Aron’s arm quite snugly.
Franco takes us though the emotional stages of his predicament with conviction and skill. As he exhausts himself with his initial attempts to move the boulder, he realizes it won’t be so easy. And he has little food and only a bottle of water to sustain him. He maintains some hope for the first couple days, but as things get more dire, he begins to think about the people in his life and his regrets. We peel away the layers of his past in flashbacks, and we get to see the ever so awesome Treat Williams as Ralston’s dad. I know, right? Treat Williams! He is sans beard in this one, though. I love that director Danny Boyle cast him. And of course Boyle does a great job crafting this film, too.
Now a note about the whole “arm self-amputation” scene. Yes, it is very graphic. Frankly, not many horror films can prepare you for this part of the film. It’s very realistic, it’s shot with the most effective results, and indeed, if you are of weak constitution, you may well pass out watching it. Is it worth it? Is it really necessary to go so graphic in this drama? ABSOLUTELY. The crux of this film is “what would you do to survive?” We see a man knowing he WILL die unless he does something to save himself. To truly impact your audience, you need to show them, as close to reality, what he forced himself to do to live. It’s extreme, but not only is it necessary to show us, but it is incredibly effective in putting us that much closer to Ralston’s desperate situation.
James Franco really carries this film, as well as Boyle’s directing. Is it an Oscar contender? I think so. But again, be warned. That scene in the film is rough, even for me. But his story is utterly amazing and uplifting. The will to survive is the strongest force there is.
See this film. I give it a 5 out of 5 kittenhands!
~ Neil T. Weakley, your average movie goer, asking you to help us make kittenhands a trending twitter topic!
