Aron Ralston's(Franco) story is the stuff of modern day legend. A young, free spirited adrenaline junkie, Ralston lived his life on the edge constantly. An energetic adventurer, Danny Boyle's camera is barely able to contain him as it zips through a frantic opening sequence showing Ralston's many escapades. Disarmingly handsome, but not overly conscious of it, Ralston appears to live his life by his own rules. He has a circle of friends and family who love him, but he seems to take them for granted a little. We catch glimpses of him hurriedly packing for his latest test against nature, ignoring phone calls from those who care for him. The quest is all that matters. In some ways, his absent minded preparation evokes memories of Christopher McCandliss, the eccentric naturalist loner who met his demise in Into the Wild.
And so it's without telling a soul where he's going that Ralston embarks, cycling and occasionally crashing along the Blue John canyon. He doesn't seem to care. He's living his life, testing himself against mother nature. Even as he meets two extremely sexy hikers(Kate Mara and Amber Tamblyn), he never lets them slow him down for a moment. In fact he sweeps them up right along with him, no doubt charmed by his good looks and his gung ho attitude. He takes them on an impromptu cave diving expedition, where we get to see that perhaps he isn't quite the loner we think he is. The fun is short lived. A party invite by the girls is basically ignored in the most polite way possible, but once they're gone he's going to wish he'd taken them up on the offer.
Based on Ralston's 2004 book, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, most people probably have an idea what he ended up going through. While rock climbing along the canyon wall, a boulder shifted out of place and fell onto his arm, trapping him within the canyon for five excruciating days. You'd think it'd be tough to sit through any story that takes place in such a cramped, confined space for so long, but Boyle is a master at keeping his camera angles fresh and innovative. Even while Ralston is stuck basically in one spot for the vast majority of the movie, you never feel as if you're seeing him from the same angles. We're always treated to a startling look at the hopelessness of his situation, as Ralston stares up frequently at the wide expanse of a night sky.
It's in the handling of his predicament, and Franco's portrayal of it, that provide the most gripping moments. Franco runs the entire gamut of emotions, from exhilaration to extreme despair. The free wheeling spirit of those early moments is only matched by the sullenness later on, as Ralston sinks further and further into delirium. The moments tic by slowly, but the water in his canteen empties rapidly. Boyle uniquely gives us an "inside look" from the container as Ralston's only water source drains, capturing his extreme thirst and utter reliance. As starvation and exposure begin to take hold, the hallucinations come. It's in these moments that I became the most worried. Franco remains solid as ever, but Boyle shifts to a choppier shooting style reminiscent of the brutal second half of The Beach. It works a bit better here, showing Ralston's reflections on his life, both the good and bad.
When the inevitable moment arrives, the amputation scene, it happens quickly and without flinching. Boyle never pulls back from every sickening moment, from the initial cracking of the bones, to the sawing of the soft tissue. The camera stays fixed, and Franco's expressions are enough to give you nightmares. And yet it's done mostly with a workman-like precision. The worst comes when it's over, at the final snipping of the nerves. It's not for the weak of stomach. Since most people already know the story, was it absolutely necessary to include this graphic moment? Or perhaps could it have just been implied? Or maybe shot in a way so as to show as little of the damage as possible?
Maybe, but I'm glad Boyle decided to show us every blood curdling moment. Very few people will ever have their mettle tested in the way Ralston has, and to leave that crucial scene out would be a slap in the face to everything he went through. Those who can't handle it, best shut their eyes and close their ears. The sounds are the worst part by far.
127 Hours closes as you'd probably expect. Shots of the real life Ralston, now a family man and an inspirational speaker. He hasn't let what happened slow him down even a little. Danny Boyle and James Franco have done his story proud. A fitting honor to a real life inspirational figure.
