Franco is Ralston

On Friday I went to see 127 Hours with my boyfriend. I knew he would be one of few people that would see it with me, considering the plot and inevitably gory conclusion. When I first heard about the movie based on Aron Ralston's incredible true story, I was very eager to see Danny Boyle's interpretation of the story; and it was just as moving as I hoped it would be.


In the first scene of the film, Aron (James Franco) prepares himself for a seemingly routine trip to Blue John Canyon, Utah. He quickly moves around his apartment collecting various items (Gatorade, about a liter of water, oranges, burritos, climbing gear, a multi-tool knife, a video camera and a digital camera) as his answering machine plays a message from his sister, who is irritated that she hasn't heard from Aron in what seems like anywhere from a few days to a few months. As the first act progresses, our impression of Aron is an adventurous and somewhat quirky outdoors man. He moves eagerly with an air of experience, acting as though he grew up in these canyons. He knows the history of the area and the ins and outs of all the crevices. I found myself becoming envious of someone who could be so brave and sure, willing to take risks and go off on his own adventure, seemingly without any obligations to his friends and family. This envy quickly turned into concern in the second act of the film when Aron finds himself trapped in a canyon after a rock falls and pins his arm.


As he's stuck there for five days, he toils through the emotions of panic, pain, regret, sorrow, delirium, bravery and determination. Throughout the film, Boyle inserts sequences of Aron's memories, delusions and premonitions - everything that goes through the mind of a person who is determined to live but prepared to die. The combination of Franco's incredible acting and Boyle's artful direction accurately and eloquently depicts the most harrowing story of survival that I have ever encountered.


If you haven't heard the rest of the story, I recommend reading this. Not to ruin the ending of the movie, but he amputates his own arm. It's really not all that unbearable to watch if you don't squirm at the sight of blood; and honestly, it has to be a little gory for it to be an accurate portrayal of Ralston's experience. But it's all worth watching for the last five minutes of the film, where I found myself so moved by the sight of his freedom that I was sobbing uncontrollably. I can only imagine how Aron felt.