This film-documentary is accidentally a psychological evaluation of a very selfish person, called Alex, and his lovely, but naive, girlfriend Sanni.
Others in the comments section have, as usual, missed the point entirely. They lambast the girlfriend as an overly emotional weight that holds Alex down, keeping him from fulfilling his greatness as a free solo climber. In reality, she's gone much further and been more supportive than any normal woman would be. All she asks for in return is love, commitment, and for her crazy boyfriend to stop putting his life at risk for no good reason when his latest climb - up El Capitan - is complete. I'm afraid she's going to be disappointed.
As I watched the film, it became painfully obvious to me that Alex had a problem with his amygdala (before they mentioned it in the film) and with empathy and emotional intelligence in general (which the film doesn't really discuss). It brought to mind my own relationship with a covert narcissist that came to an end last year. There's quite a few similarities. His girlfriend continually tries to break through and find his soul - but she's wasting her time - just like I was with my ex. All he wants to do is climb large cliffs without a rope, and her feelings simply don't come into the equation. I really felt sorry for her, because she's so sweet. But she doesn't get it. Oh, she understands that he has issues with expressing emotion and that he's self centred, but she doesn't appreciate that there is no way he's ever going to change - or ever going to truly love her. Now, you might make the callous argument that he does - that she knew all along "what she was getting into"- but that doesn't exonerate him in the slightest. Nor is it completely true.
They're married now with a child, but I'll be very surprised if they remain together another 20 years. Even worse, I don't think he will ever stop climbing unaided - so he'll end up like so many free solos have before him... dead. They carry on and on until they're in their 40s and 50s - well past their prime - and then they fall to their death. He'll leave his kid fatherless and his wife a widow, all because he gets off on the thrill of being near death- and has a self serving need for attention. And what, exactly, is he achieving? While I'll be the first to say what he does is an extraordinary feat, it's not exactly aiding humanity or progressing mankind. And it's not being a dad. And it's not learning to appreciate life. This selfish little narcissist cares only for himself and he always will.
The parts about the actual climb are well presented, but it's hard to root for someone that doesn't appreciate how lucky he is and what he has in life. He's literally seeking death. Also, it's clear that his mother is largely to blame for what he's become. I'm glad I had a good mother who loved me and supported me. No-one should want to end up like this guy. He's a walking red flag. When someone tells you "All my old girlfriends told me I had a personality disorder" it's time to believe them. Selfish people who are going to leave you a widow should be left with themselves, because that's ultimately the only person they will ever love.
Others in the comments section have, as usual, missed the point entirely. They lambast the girlfriend as an overly emotional weight that holds Alex down, keeping him from fulfilling his greatness as a free solo climber. In reality, she's gone much further and been more supportive than any normal woman would be. All she asks for in return is love, commitment, and for her crazy boyfriend to stop putting his life at risk for no good reason when his latest climb - up El Capitan - is complete. I'm afraid she's going to be disappointed.
As I watched the film, it became painfully obvious to me that Alex had a problem with his amygdala (before they mentioned it in the film) and with empathy and emotional intelligence in general (which the film doesn't really discuss). It brought to mind my own relationship with a covert narcissist that came to an end last year. There's quite a few similarities. His girlfriend continually tries to break through and find his soul - but she's wasting her time - just like I was with my ex. All he wants to do is climb large cliffs without a rope, and her feelings simply don't come into the equation. I really felt sorry for her, because she's so sweet. But she doesn't get it. Oh, she understands that he has issues with expressing emotion and that he's self centred, but she doesn't appreciate that there is no way he's ever going to change - or ever going to truly love her. Now, you might make the callous argument that he does - that she knew all along "what she was getting into"- but that doesn't exonerate him in the slightest. Nor is it completely true.
They're married now with a child, but I'll be very surprised if they remain together another 20 years. Even worse, I don't think he will ever stop climbing unaided - so he'll end up like so many free solos have before him... dead. They carry on and on until they're in their 40s and 50s - well past their prime - and then they fall to their death. He'll leave his kid fatherless and his wife a widow, all because he gets off on the thrill of being near death- and has a self serving need for attention. And what, exactly, is he achieving? While I'll be the first to say what he does is an extraordinary feat, it's not exactly aiding humanity or progressing mankind. And it's not being a dad. And it's not learning to appreciate life. This selfish little narcissist cares only for himself and he always will.
The parts about the actual climb are well presented, but it's hard to root for someone that doesn't appreciate how lucky he is and what he has in life. He's literally seeking death. Also, it's clear that his mother is largely to blame for what he's become. I'm glad I had a good mother who loved me and supported me. No-one should want to end up like this guy. He's a walking red flag. When someone tells you "All my old girlfriends told me I had a personality disorder" it's time to believe them. Selfish people who are going to leave you a widow should be left with themselves, because that's ultimately the only person they will ever love.