![]() It’s a breathtaking sequence that communicates the majesty of the location while also conveying how high Honnold is … and how far he can fall. As Griffith gets closer, he illuminates just how giant of a task the climber is undertaking. Griffith slowly zooms in and gradually focuses on a small moving speck: Honnold. There’s a stunning shot that starts with a wide frame, capturing the sheer size of the Dru. It’s here where Griffith’s VR cinematography shines most. Image used with permission by copyright holder At one point, there’s almost nothing to see as the heavy clouds block all visibility, forcing Honnold to stop until they clear out. In contrast to the brown and orange rock terrain in the first episode, these climbs are defined by jagged gray rocks and blinding white snow. Together, the two men take on the Aiguille du Dru and Mont Maudin in the French Alps. Instead of climbing alone, Honnold is joined by Nicolas Hojac, a Swiss climber who appeared in the first episode and plays a bigger role in this one. Whose blood is it and how did it get there? Holland pauses only briefly before shrugging and moving on. It’s at this point that the episode’s most alarming moment occurs as Holland discovers blood on the edge. With only a bag of chalk at his side, Honnold overcomes any obstacle in his way, be it strong winds that threaten his progression or a jagged edge that forces him to flip his body around to proceed. This understated approach makes what he does on the mountain all the more extraordinary. While there’s a brief scene of him preparing by practicing on a makeshift wall in a gym, Honnold takes on this endeavor with very little fanfare or any signs of nervousness. Griffith presents this as just a part of Honnold’s day. The primary challenge in the first episode is a doozy: To scale the Cima Piccola mountain in Italy without any rope or support. His quaint home life in Las Vegas, personified by cozy outdoor hangouts with friends near a roaring fire, is juxtaposed with his solitary adventures thousands of feet in the air and his intense preparation for each climb. Yet what this first episode also does is establish Honnold as a “regular” guy who just happens to like doing an extraordinarily dangerous activity. This narrative device sets up both episodes and clearly outlines what’s ahead: More methodical mountain climbing at often dizzying heights. They engage in small talk before an interviewer arrives to question him about his free soloing adventures. Image used with permission by copyright holder The ordinary in the extraordinaryĪfter a brief montage of Honnold being interviewed by various news outlets and attending the 91st Academy Awards, the first episode begins with the mountain climber at home with Sanni, who is now his wife and pregnant with their first child. The film, presented in two 30-minute episodes on Oculus TV and directed by Jonathan Griffith ( The Alpinist), emphasizes visuals over everything else, employing a sparse score and sporadic narration by Honnold that creates an unforgettable experience that fully utilizes VR technology to capture the beauty and danger of free soloing. ![]() The story continues in Alex Honnold: The Soloist VR, which eschews the exciting dual narrative of Alex’s past and present in favor of a basic yet effective presentation of Honnold doing what he does best: Climbing seemingly unclimbable mountains under often grueling conditions. A virtual reality that feels all too real.
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