The human experience of mental strength is effectively shown through the use of cinematic techniques throughout the climber’s difficulties.The climbers difficulties are effectively shown through the use of cinematic techniques that psychologically impact the audience’Touching the Void’ is an award -winning Docudrama directed by Kevin Mac Donald. It’s a story about the experience of two mountaineers, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates (along with Richard Hawkins who stayed at the base camp) climbing the West face of the Siula Grande in the Peruvian mountains. The cinematic techniques such as the close-up camera angles of Joe Simpson effects how the audience perceives the character and how the audience can feel the influence of his mental strength. The diegetic sounds during joe Simpsons hardships expressively impacts the audience to create a mood.
With the use of the cinematic techniques in the documentary it helps the audience emotionally understand the climbers human experiences.throughout the documentary the audience hears diegetic and non-diegetic sounds to create moods and give the audience an insight of the climber’s hardships.The documentary begins with extreme close up shots of the ice and climbing equipment cutting and hitting the ice this gives the initial impression and atmosphere to the audience of the harsh conditions they are facing and what type of climbing they are doing.
there is also a strong use of diegetic sound of the wind whistling and the ice cracking and breaking to reinforce these extreme weather conditions and to foreshadow and highlights what exactly is going to happen and what’s to come for the climbers. Through the use ofThe director uses music to build suspension and tension which hints at the fore coming events. For example, in the scene where the rope is cut first the tension builds and as Joe falls down, the music decreases pace and it makes it emotional as they both describe the situation from their point of view. The music gives a hopeless impression and the volume increases and builds as things get worse. This creates tension so that the audience are inquisitive to distinguish what will occur next and keep them on their toes.
The use of the music plays an important role as it establishes the mood and also acts as if it were a guide to what emotions the audience should be feeling at that particular scene.
