The Alpinist

The Alpinist is a documentary about the amazing feats of solo climber Marc-Andre LeClerc. With dazzling panoramic scenery of some of the great peaks of the world as a backdrop, this movie transports the viewer into the life and drive of one man who seems to have an unsatiable desire to push himself further and further in his climbing life. While the movie is certainly awe-inspiring, it also makes one wonder why anyone would pursue a lifestyle that, by all accounts, will lead to death 50% of the time. While the movie does provide some insight into what drives LeCLerc, in the end, the only thing we really know is that even the person pursuing their own personal Excalibur may not be fully aware of what drives them.

If you want a movie that is equal parts terrifying and awe inspiring, then this movie will certainly fill the bill.

Marc-André Leclerc climbs alone, on remote alpine faces. No cameras, no rope, and no margin for error. Climbing for Leclerc is spiritual and brings peace to his roaming mind. He doesn't climb for awards or notoriety. He climbs mountains for the purest of all reasons: because they are there.

Co-directors Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen are climbers themselves. Their talented eyes balance the wonders of the mountain top views with the dangers that one slip can bring. Fans of the Oscar winner Free Solo should seek out Mortimer's The Dawn Wall, which is an equally-compelling documentary also filmed at El Capitan.

Here, both Mortimer and Rosen's talents are tested with The Alpinist as free spirit Leclerc is not one who sits still. Nor does he exhibit the patience for the schedules of film crews let alone delays due to the weather. Leclerc notoriously climbs solo. He disappears, and not only when climbing. He is always seeking solitary space. When the cameras are able to capture him hard at play, the end result is spectacular.

Similar to other mountaineering documentaries, The Alpinist is a story of perseverance and strength. Unlike others, The Alpinist does not merely balance on the edge of triumph and tragedy, but intermixes the two into a gut-punch of a finale. Marc-André Leclerc is an incredible climber whose spirit is as indomitable as the peaks he summits. Leclerc, in all his humility, is quite the beacon for those who wish to overcome any obstacle, be it addiction, mental illness, or that mountain on the horizon. Through Leclerc, the human adventure continues.

It's hard to believe we share this planet with people like Marc-André Leclerc. I went into this film knowing nothing of his story and assuming I was in for another tale of an ego-driven young climber making history for the sake of prestige. But that couldn't be further from the truth for Marc. As Alex Honnold states, he tackles each climb almost spiritually. This film left me stunned and grounded in how truly spectacular the human spirit is when one pursues their passion for no other reason than to be one with themselves and the environment around them. There's some sort of magic infused in this story that I feel will stick with me for a while.

I wasn't going to see it but gave it a go with my unlimited card. I was gripped from start to finish , outstanding and what an incredible young man .

Each life on this earth has a path to follow and a reason to walk on that road. This documentary shows one of those different roads being turged by this beautiful individual and a wonderful soul, away from all the sparkling beauty that today's artificial world shows. Brilliant Documentary.