127 Hours is a gripping fact base film about the rock climber Aron Ralston (James Franco) and his struggle to survive against the odds after his arm became wedged in a mountain/canyon while hiking. This is a static film with the majority of the story taking place in the one spot, the rocky tomb in which Ralston was encased in. With spectacular colourful shots and a gripping plot this is truly another great film for Danny Boyle to add to his list.
If you have heard of 127 Hours but haven’t seen it yet then you are probably wondering how a film about a man trapped in a canyon can be so good. Well this is the magic if the film. Danny Boyle somehow manages to take one bleak set, contrast it with the golden vivid colours of the desert and canyon’s add in some very clever camera angles and creates a masterpiece. He uses a series of flashbacks, but not in the conventional form, to fill the dark spaces and enlighten us of Ralston’s back-story and history. This helps the film move beyond the dreary canyon. Also the contrast between the happy memories of the people he is leaving behind and the dark isolation of the canyon is a very interesting technique as it makes the viewer aware of the personal loss and isolation being felt by Ralston.
The water bottle camera is a favourite of mine. Boyle has the genius idea of placing a camera in the bottom of Ralston’s water bottle. This gives us an in depth view of his only source of survival as it is depleted drop by drop. This film is basically based on survival. We see one man’s struggle against dehydration and insanity as his 127 hours of entrapment are documented by his handheld camcorder. As I already said, this is a true story and as a result the plot conclusion is known by a large amount of people before watching the film. But this does not take away from the impact of the final scene. This is another point scored by Danny Boyle.