Everest

1998, Movie, NR, 45 mins

EVEREST
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IMAX meets its match in Mount Everest: Narrated by Liam Neeson and others, this documentary chronicles a 1996 expedition whose members included American Ed Viesturs, Spanish rock climber Araceli Segarra and Sherpa Jamling Tenzig Norgay -- whose father scaled Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary in 1953 -- as they ascend the highest mountain on Earth, planting scientific equipment that will help the remote study of geological phenomena. The film derives added drama from the fact that the Viesturs party crossed paths with the ill-fated team led by New Zealand mountaineer Rob Hall: Hall's group lost seven members to an unexpected storm near the summit, a tragedy chronicled in Jon Krakauer's acclaimed book Into Thin Air. IMAX technology offers the ideal format for capturing the sheer, breathtaking scale of Everest, but the filmmaking team led by David Breashears also captures intimate moments that help make clear the enormous mental toll exacted by climbing Everest, on which so many climbers have died. Much of the narration is supplied by team members, and Norgay is an especially engaging voice. His reason for attempting the summit, a desire to honor the memory of his father and feel close to his spirit, makes the more worldly motivations that drive the rest of the group seem a bit shallow, though this in no way undermines their achievement. leave a comment --Maitland McDonagh
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Everest
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