The Alpinist (2021)

By: Mike Ward on Friday, September 24

PG-13 Running Time: 92 mins

SHOULD I SEE IT?

YES

  • Dazzling visuals and intense cinematography makes The Alpinist a movie not to be missed for anyone interested in nature and climbing documentaries.

  • Fans of Free Solo will not only find similarities, but also much to like and appreciate.

  • There’s a sincerity and genuine curiosity which makes this film quite intriguing and one worth spending the time to watch.

NO

  • Fans of Free Solo will not only find similarities, they will also recognize that film to be far superior to The Alpinist.

  • Though just a little over 90 minutes, I’ll just ask it out loud: Could this have accomplished more with less time, as a documentary short film?

  • Leclerc is an interesting guy and if you find him grating, or fail to connect with him on some level as a viewer, the taste of the film will change from sweet to sour very quickly.


OUR REVIEW

Teetering on the edge of insanity and mesmerizing wonder, The Alpinist is the latest documentary to take us on the hillsides and mountainsides where free solo climbers defy all odds to climb and conquer some of the most insurmountable rock faces on the planet. 

Extreme climbing films have been increasingly commonplace over recent years, but the genre got a massive boost with the Academy Award-winning Free Solo in 2018, which introduced “free soloing” to the masses. The subject of that film, Alex Honnold, executes a successful climb of El Capitan, a vertical rock mass in Yosemite National Park. The concept of “free soloing” means climbers like Honnold complete their climbs without harnesses, ropes or any bodily protection.

Early on in The Alpinist, Honnold is asked who impresses him, in an interview with this film’s co-director and narrator Peter Mortimer. Without hesitation, Honnold mentions Marc-André Leclerc, a 23-year-old Canadian climber who is as revered as he is elusive. Mortimer and co-director Nick Rosen set out to find Leclerc, and the titular alpinist becomes the centerpiece of their film.

Leclerc is a kind presence, with a boyish, babyface smile and mounds of curly hair. He is deeply in love with fellow climber and girlfriend Brette Harrington. What begins however as a giving, back-and-forth series of interviews, soon vanishes as the directors learn how reclusive and attention-shy Leclerc truly is.

Along the way, we learn that Leclerc is seemingly just another kid from the neighborhood; albeit one with a daredevil mentality and fearless disposition when it comes to climbing. One of the more fascinating takeaways from The Alpinist is that Leclerc seems to be in his element; the further removed he is from society, the better he will feel. Honnold showed elements of this as well in Free Solo. What are these men running away from? Even if the right answer is “nothing;” the fact remains that the thrill and challenge of these increasingly death-defying climbs fills a niche they are not getting from regular, everyday society.

Try as they might, Leclerc only gives Mortimer and Rosen so much. In fact, at one point he essentially slips away with the filmmakers unsure how to reach him. He becomes that elusive prize, who may be thousands of feet in the air and out of reach when they discover him.

The Alpinist began before the release of Free Solo, and the film’s slightly similar narrative is unavoidable. Solo is a better film inasmuch as it has a fully committed subject. Honnold warmed to the idea of what directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin were aiming for. Leclerc doesn’t so much blow off Mortimer and Rosen, rather he just would much rather focus on climbing than sitting down for interviews and deep dives on why he does what he does.

As such, we get stunning footage, in a combined effort of cinematographers who can climb with Leclerc and extraordinary drone imagery. For those with sensitivity to heights and vertigo, The Alpinist may be a difficult watch. For others remaining engaged, you simply cannot believe some of the things Leclerc attempts with no concerns as to the risk or potential peril it places him in.

A Google search of Leclerc will fill in additional information not to be shared within this review to respect spoilers. Oddly, the last act of the film seems to lack the power it should; a result, in part, of the difficulties Mortimer and Rosen had in cracking the eggshell of just who Marc-André Leclerc truly is as a person. 

The Alpinist remains a visual marvel and will have you clenching your jaw and other body parts, while trying to understand what drives someone to tackle these missions and challenges. Perhaps, Leclerc’s wide-eyed galvanizing smile and inviting personality presented a few too many obstacles for Mortimer and Rosen to climb. His ability to hold his storytellers at bay is a fitting and frustrating reality that makes The Alpinist such a curious and fascinating affair.

CAST & CREW

Documentary Featuring: Marc-André Leclerc, Brette Harrington, Peter Mortimer, Alex Honnold, Reinhold Messner, Will Gadd, Michelle Kuipers, Austin Siadak

Director: Peter Mortimer, Nick Rosen
Release Date: September 7, 2021
Roadside Attractions