Film Analysis Essay on Touching the Void: The Tragic Tale of Joe Simpson and Simon Yates

Introduction

Touching the Void is a movie about two young Britons, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates try to climb Mount Siula Grande's forbidden side. The two were well prepared for the exercise and intended to use the "One Push" method to climb the mountain. This method involves mountain climbers going straight to the top of the mountain without stopping at caches. However, this method did not work as expected because they experience a snowstorm which blinds their way. As a result, they are unable to see the hazardous crevices. To deal with this problem, they tie a rope around each other. Unfortunately, Simpson falls, breaking his leg. Since they are only two, there is nowhere to get help. Yates decided to help his friend, to do this, he uses the rope to lower Simpson down slowly. However, power visibility makes Yates leave his friend hanging in the air. Simpson's weight makes Yates start slipping; hence, he is forced to cut the rope (Macdonald 00:40:00-00:40:48). The good news is that Simpson survives the ordeal, thus living to tell the story. The film provides an interesting yet terrifying adventure which emphasizes on the need to be prepared in advance before embarking on any activity.

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This film shows that every person should know what to expect before they achieve their goals, and success does not come easy. Therefore, one has to conduct due diligence that will enable him or her to know more about the challenges that people face before achieving their goals. This will make such a person to take necessary precautions that will make him or her face the challenges. For instance, the climbers in the film should have prepared in advance by learning more about the mountains and the challenges they are likely to encounter while climbing the mountain. This knowledge would have helped them to know that their "one push" method would not have worked since they would have been aware of the possibility of snow storms. This knowledge would have also helped them to identify an alternative method, like stopping at various caches, scouting the areas, and finally continue climbing when there is no snowstorm. However, the fact that the two climbers were prepared enough to bring utilities such as ropes that they used to tie around themselves was helpful as the rope helped Yates to Lower Simpson after he broke his leg (Macdonald 00:28:35-00:40:58). This action then saves his life.

The movie also shows that if a person has no goal of self-improvement, the chances are that such a person may become unethical. The two climbers had a goal, and therefore, Yates helped Simpson in time of need and definitely, Simpson would have done the same Yates got injured. From this, one can deduce that the main problem faced when deciding who is a good employee or the most competent person in a particular scenario is over judgment. Here the task to be performed by an employee is underestimated, while the employee's abilities are overestimated. As a result, the person may not perform that task very well despite finishing it. Therefore, in business, before undertaking a particular project, one needs to prepare well, and nothing should be underestimated. Also, employees should be provided with a platform to showcase their problem-solving abilities while at the same time practicing ethics in their activities.

Work Cited

Macdonald, Kevin. "Touching the Void (2003) Full HD Documentary Film." YouTube, 21 Apr. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4LD9vQ3Fjs. Accessed 27 May 2019.