Not many documentaries get theatrical releases, but the climbing documentary “Meru,” directed by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, has accrued considerable attention from both festivals and the general public. To call it just a climbing film doesn’t give the filmmakers enough credit. “Meru” deeply explores obsession and drive. It follows Colorado College alum Renan Ozturk, Conrad Anker, and Jimmy Chin’s attempt to summit the impossible Himalayan peak, the Shark’s Fin on Mt. Meru. In addition to incredible reviews and the Audience Choice award at Sundance, “Meru” boasts incredible mountain cinematography while telling a visceral, beautiful story of loss and perseverance.
The first half of “Meru” introduces its three climbers: Jimmy Chin, Renan Ozturk, and Conrad Anker. Like a cast, each of the three brings a different emotional flavor; while Conrad appears the most raw and hardened in the film, Chin brings a humorous brevity with Renan as the young prodigy, working to earn the older climbing pair’s trust. Thankfully, the film does well to make clear the eccentric world of climbing for non-climbers. Although climbers may connect with the story more deeply, terms like ‘beta,’ or information on a climb, are defined in general, non-climber speak. The team’s first summit attempt actually feels abnormally easy, with beautiful imagery and jokes in the tent during a sub-zero snow storm cushioning the duress they must be feeling. It’s almost as if I were waiting for someone to curse or yell or show some sign of emotion to remind me that they’re human. The first half doesn’t yet capture what is at stake for the climbers, or the insanity of their task.
We’re reminded of the elite status of these climbers when Jon Krakauer explains that “you can’t just be a good ice climber” to summit the Shark’s Fin, coupled with a visual of the team’s route. The image starts with a red dot as the camera slowly zooms out, following the dot wind up the mountain’s face. Placing the team’s progress on the climb becomes tricky; Chin and Ozturk are responsible for climbing and cinematography, so some moments seem missed on film, and locating the group in relation to the summit becomes difficult. Though particularly strong images, such as Renan’s toes after the trip, resonate very viscerally, the documentary relies heavily on Krakauer and the climbers’ home lives to contextualize the climb and raise their stakes in the attempt.
Chin and Ozturk’s photography show the Himalayas beautifully, through video, stills, and timelapses, yet at times their visuals draw too much attention to the picture and away from the people. While the slow movement right to left on many shots and timelapses looks gorgeous, that beauty often highlights the scenery and distances the audience from the climbers. Chin does share funny “home video” footage from inside their tent, but I wish the film prioritized raw, emotional content over a pretty picture, particularly as the climbers prepare for their attempts.
The film is still incredibly emotional; each of the men reveals his character very honestly, especially Conrad, a raw, mountain man, when during an interview when his voice breaks talking about his family and the team. Succeeding especially in uniting each climber’s goal of summiting together, the documentary reveals poignantly both the strength and vulnerability of that contract. “Meru” grounds climbing universally in humans’ drive despite suffering, but I just wish the film focused more on stillness and emotional content than capturing the perfect picture.
Watch “Meru” at Kimballs Peak Three Theater at 2:45, 5:15, or 7:45 p.m., and catch it Tuesday for a $6.50 student ticket. Read again next week for the review of Jake Gyllenhaal and Rachel McAdams in the boxing movie “Southpaw.”