Meru tells the incredible story of three climbers and their journey up one of the most difficult ascents in the world. To say any more about what happens would be to ruin one of the most exciting stories I have witnessed on film this year, fiction or non fiction.
Meru is filmed in a style that allows the audience to be both an observer of the climbers incredible feats and right there in the center of the action. It's incredible to think that the film was even made at all. To have to deal with cameras, no matter how small, on a journey of this difficulty seems incredible. But, thankfully, cameras were brought along on this journey every step of the way.
Meru succeeds primarily because of how incredible its story is. To say why the story is so incredible would be to spoil the film. If this had been a fiction film I would have found it unbelievable. The story also unfolds in a way that works on a very emotional level, hitting beats at the right moment. There must have been hours of footage to go through and the editing is expert. Interviews are placed at the right moments and never slow down the action like some interviews in films of this sort can.
The other aspect of Meru that makes it a one-of-a-kind film experience is the way that the story lets us ask questions of what these guys are doing and why they do it. These men are risking their lives for what? that question pervades the film and it will continued to be pondered by anyone who sees this incredible achievement. There is something about this documentary that feels special. It should be experienced on a big screen and with as little about it known to the viewer as possible 5/5!
