“The Alpinist” (2021) Lacks the Narrative to Keep the Stunning Visuals Together (Part II of II)

(Continued from Part I)

The most effective narration is told by the mountains, whose visuals express far more than any interview. The scenes with the mountains, with Marc-André’s climbing them, don’t need any voiceover. The thrilling / terrifying nature of what he’s doing is self-explanatory, all there on screen for you to experience.

Then there are the interviews with Marc-André, which seem oddly superfluous. After seeing his climbs, it doesn’t take an interview to see that Marc-André is wired differently. He talks about how life seems so much simpler up in the mountains and he really just wants to be alone up there (even away from the filmmakers). This may be understandable but not relatable; vast majority of the people watching the film will seek comfort of isolation on the ground.

Providing more relatable stories are Marc-André’s mother, Michelle Kuipers, his girlfriend, Brette Harrington, and his fellow climbers. Kuipers has come to terms with the fact that her son is simply different, something that was obvious early in his childhood. Harrington, who shares her boyfriend’s interest, understands Marc-André’s drive but also worries for his safety, and his fellow climbers have deep appreciation for what Marc-André is doing if only because they more than any others understand the risks.

All of these narration fit into the “The Alpanist,” but there is one voice that doesn’t, and it’s that of filmmaker Peter Mortimer.

Mortimer, who provides the narrative voiceover, made the unwise decision to insert himself into the story. I suspect he did this because he couldn’t resist: as he reveals in the opening minutes, he himself is a climber who has a personal fascination with Marc-André. The film would have been much more effective if he had resisted his urge, focused on being the man behind the camera and allowed someone close to Marc-André, like Harrington, to provide the voiceover.

The end result is a really uneven picture. When the mountains and Marc-André are on screen, the film is gripping. When they’re not, it loses significant amount of luster. The film plays as if Mortimer didn’t have enough footage of Marc-André’s climbing the mountains so he filled the remaining running time with less pertinent scenes.

This comes through particularly at the ending. I won’t reveal what happens, but the tone and the narrative changeover make the ending feel like an out-of-place add-on. The film should have ended earlier, with the final scenes running with the ending credits.

It’s a disappointing finish to what visually is a remarkable achievement.