Review: 127 Hours

Entertaining and compelling in a way its subject matter would seem not to allow. By the time it reaches its almost unbearable climax, the film will leave you affected in a profound way.

It may be clichéd to say that 127 Hours takes us through the journey of Aron Ralston, but this is precisely what the film does so brilliantly. A powerful film that takes us on a ride to experience a wide range of human emotions, it achieves this while avoiding the pitfalls of the genre and manages to do so without slipping into the stereotype. Just as Aron did while trapped, it will leave you contemplating life, debating what is and is not important. Ralston’s feelings are transferred to the audience well leaving the watcher affected and touched.

127 Hours tells the story of Aron Ralston, a mountain climber who in 2003 became trapped with his arm under a boulder, while climbing in Utah. Subsequently he wrote the book Between a Rock and a Hard Place on which the film is based. Co-written and directed by Danny Boyle, who after a string of awards for such films as Slumdog Millionaire (2008), Trainspotting (1996) and Shallow Grave (1994), does not look as though his skill at engaging the audience with believable emotion and great onscreen energy is diminishing.

The film has been receiving interesting reactions at screenings since its debut at the Telluride Film Festival. There have been numerous reports of people fainting and needing medical attention following the dramatic climax of the film. However, this focus does not do justice to the real value of the film. Most survival flicks fit a certain blueprint, providing us with a likeable character and showing what the human spirit is capable of in extraordinary circumstances. 127 Hours however does not conform as rigidly to this formula as you might think. Instead it presents us with a selfish, arrogant and self-centred character who enjoys showing off and relying on no one but himself. Fittingly, it’s this very behaviour that eventually leads to him becoming trapped. It might be hard to see how a film set almost entirely in a metre-wide crevice with an unsympathetic character can work, but it most certainly does.

Boyle once again engages us in a story with a character who at first doesn’t seem to grab our support. In Trainspotting, for example, he shows us the plight of heroin addiction, and although criticised by some for glorifying heroin use, it really gets to the root of the characters, a feat Boyle reaches again in 127 Hours. Aron Ralston is living a fast-paced life, an adrenalin junky who treats life like a game. However there is only so long his actions can go without consequence and the film takes place as his lifestyle catches up with him, forming the central premise the film plays on. Boyle’s direction takes us along with the character as he learns the very painful repercussions of his selfish ways. Just like in Trainspotting, he doesn’t glorify the life choices of his lead role, but shows the truth of it, its appeal and ramifications.

Through the clever and appropriate use of dreams, hallucinations and visions of the past, we see the world through Ralston’s eyes; what may be lost and the pain he feels at the thought of his own mortality. Boyle utilises a fast-paced directorial style here, which some may find a distraction which detracts from the story’s core. In reality though, this editing approach is what keeps the film, which is otherwise just a man trapped in a hole with a camcorder, interesting to watch. The cinematography of Anthony Dod Mantle and Enrique Chediak does an excellent job of conveying the claustrophobic environment and the contrast with the freedom with which Ralston is accustomed. The soundtrack also deserves praise for its role mediating the different tones and emotional states of Aron, and this has been recognised with Oscar and Bafta nominations for Best Original Score.

James Franco, however, is the stand out star of the film. His ability to express such a wide range of emotions such as arrogance, fear, hope and joy in equal measure is extraordinary. The circumstances under which he made the performance make it all the more impressive. Being the only character (apart from very minor parts) in the film, there was a lot of pressure on Franco. But he lives up to this and gives a superb performance allowing a character, that is at first not easily relatable, to become endearing and someone that the audience really cares about. This climaxes with the infamous scene, which due to Franco’s character development is both physically painful to watch, and at the same time, a great relief. It’s a truly groundbreaking performance, proving a breakthrough for an actor who had yet to explore any challenging or profound roles. His nominations for Leading Actor at every awards that matter are most definitely deserved.

Each of these excellent components, Franco’s outstanding performance in particular, combine to really engage with the audience in a profound way. Perhaps the element which makes 127 Hours so successful in its endeavour, is how we can all see a small part of Aron Ralston reflected in ourselves. We all occasionally act selfishly and don't appreciate the ones we love, and watching the painful consequences of this may ring home to many people in the audience. The film leaves you wanting to be better, making you want to appreciate the people in your life the way Aran Ralston wishes he had while trapped. When you leave the theatre, you’ll be awash with the different emotions the film takes you through, and perhaps affected by its positive message.