‘Free Solo’ is a fascinating look at human ability

Posted on January 18, 2019

By MARK VIOLA

I’ve never been a fan of heights, so the idea of going to see “Free Solo,” a documentary about man free-climbing the 3,000-foot rock face of El Capitan Wall in Yosemite, did not at first interest me.

But, I went anyway, and the experience was much more than I ever expected. The film was released last fall, but I managed to catch it last weekend while it was showing at the Challenger Learning Center in Tallahassee. Unfortunately, it’s theatrical run appears to be at an end, but you can catch it in online digital form beginning Feb. 5 and on DVD/Blu-ray on March 5.

“Free Solo” is a National Geographic documentary following Alex Honnold, a free climber who had already generated international celebrity within and outside the sport long before tackling El Capitan, a feat never before accomplished.

The biggest surprise for me, however, was how much I found myself understanding Alex’s drive. Perfection is something that is rarely achieved in life, at least not on a scale beyond a 100 on a test. Due to the difficulty involved in ascending El Capitan without a rope, Alex achieved perfection. How do I know? He survived. Because anything less than perfection would have meant his death. It is terrifying and utterly fascinating.

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