Climbing The Shark's Fin Film Analysis

Just a few simple words can have so much power. In documentaries, despite the importance of visual cues, the audio track is something that ties the film together and brings it to a whole new level of depth. Without audio, the New York Times op-doc “Climbing the Shark’s Fin” would not evoke the sense of emotion that it does. Filmmaker and wife of one of the subjects, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi creates a sense of adventure for the audience. Using narration and dialogue, Vasarhelyi draws emotion out of the audience to encourage people to both take and embrace risk. According to professional climber and writer John Krakauer, Mount Meru in the central Himalaya’s has “an irresistible appeal” because of the skill it takes to get to the top. Meru, known more commonly as The Shark’s Fin requires the ability to ice climb, mix climb, and wall climb at 20,000 feet. According to Krakauer, “It is all that stuff wrapped in one package that has defeated too many climbers.” This statement sets the tone of the documentary by drawing viewers in with emotionally loaded language. If you have any pervious knowledge of mountain climbing, when Krakauer says that Meru is the “Anti-Everest,” you know that is mountain is difficult to climb. There isn’t a base camp for support, no international …show more content…
The documentary makes viewers themselves consider the choices in life they must make to do the impossible. “Climbing the Shark’s Fin,” prompts two questions. Question one: Would you Continue on? And question two: Can you continue on? These questions make you really think and they are certainly created to stir up an emotional reaction within the audience. What if I was in their place, or one just as challenging? Would I have the energy, drive, passion and will to really keep going? Vasarhelyi’s make goal is to make you really relate the challenges that the climbers faced to your own personal