The Theme Of Survival In Touching The Void

The human spirit and the desperation to survive is as resilient as anything. The theme survival refers to the idea that humans have the capability to overcome immense challenges and preserve against all odds, in times of surfeit calamity. Humans are willing to endure agonising pain, suffering and anguish, even just for a sliver of hope for survival. But how can we ever understand the desperation to survive without experiencing it?

The theme of survival accentuates the physical and psychological resilience and determination of the human spirit to adapt and surmount significant challenges. Kevin Macdonald’s Touching the Void is undeniably more effective at representing the theme survival and human spirit than Robert Zemeckis’ Cast Away. The

Whereas, the film ultimately fails in revealing the raw emotion and true human instinct. One of the main textual features used in Touching the Void are first-person interviews and re-enactments. The structure of the documentary alternates between interviews of the two surviving climbers who recount their own experience and re-enactments of the events that occurred. The interviews lend inside perspective and offer a unique insight into the emotional and physiological aspects of survival. Incorporating both survivors’ perspectives and experiences, constructs a more meticulous and multifaceted portrayal of survival. It also paints a more complete picture of events and allows the audience to understand the impact of the climbers’ experience on each other. Inversely, Cast Away depends predominately on the performance of the lead actor, Tom Hanks, to convey the journey of survival. Although the film provides slight narration to voice Noland’s thoughts, majority of the story is communicated through Tom Hanks’ performance. This is difficult for the audience to fully comprehend Noland’s emotions and experiences as they are filtered through an actor’s interpretation. Consequently, the combination of interviews and re-enactments grants the audience to grasp the experience of survival to unparalleled level of authenticity, that can never be

The void in Touching the Void refers to the dark crevasse where Joe is left dangling after he fell when Simon cut the rope. It symbolises the uncertainty and fear Joe faces as he struggles to navigate his way through an unpredictable environment. The symbolic representation of the void is both a phycological and physical challenge, as the climbers must confront their doubts and fears to continue. One of the main motifs in the documentary is the rope, which connects Simon and Joe. Further this is a recurring motif that symbolises the characters' dependence on one another for survival and the trust they have developed over time. However, Simon's decision to cut the rope severs this bond. Simultaneously, the rope also signifies the danger they are in, as it is the sole thing preventing them from falling to their deaths. Cast Away in the contrary, uses weak and meaningless symbols and motif that detracts from the main theme of survival and human spirit. The main symbol of the film is the volleyball (Wilson) that is supposed to serve as companionship for the main character. The use of the volleyball in the film is also misleading as it distracts from the deeper themes of the film. The symbols used in Cast Away are shallow and ultimately meaningless compared to the profound symbols and motifs used to amplify the theme in Touching