127 Hours

"There is no force more powerful than the will to live." When we first discussed this quote in class, I immediately thought of drowning. I remembered hearing this quote on Teen Wolf (yes I'm quoting Teen Wolf sorry), "You know when you’re drowning you don’t actually inhale until right before you black out. It’s called voluntary apnea. It’s like no matter how much you’re freaking out, the instinct to not let any water in is so strong that you won’t open your mouth until you feel like your head’s exploding. Then when you finally do let it in, that’s when it stops hurting. It’s not scary anymore, it’s… it’s actually kind of peaceful.”  I also thought of  crazy incidents where people are stranded. Life of Pi came to mind as well. I thought of how long he was stuck at sea and how even trapped on a boat with a tiger he managed to keep himself sane and alive long enough to find shore. I also thought of how people resort to cannibalism in order to survive. Before this lesson, I had watched 127 hours at home. I always enjoy doing things more than once (like re-reading a book) because you pick up on things you may have missed the first time around. This movie was no exception. I think my viewing experience changed a bit now that I'm older, forgot about some details and was generally more aware when watching. It's like the first time you go through something just to go through it, then you go through a second time and look for your answers.The first time I watched the movie I was interested but I wasn't aware. I didn't completely understand what Aaron went through. The struggle he went through didn't really sink in. I hadn't realized how much strength he would have to possess to go without food and water for 5 days while enduring freezing temperatures, hallucinations and not being able to sleep. Watching the movie the second time really let all of that sink in. Before I was like "WOW he cut off his own arm  to survive!!!!!!!" but then I learned what he really did and its like " WOW HE CUT OFF HIS OWN ARM. HE HAD TO BREAK HIS OWN BONE. HE HAD TO CUT OUT A NERVE. AND HE FELT IT ALL BECAUSE WHERE HE WAS CUTTING, HIS ARM WASN'T DEAD AND IF THAT'S NOT BAD ENOUGH HE HAD TO USE A DULL KNIFE TO CUT HIS BARE FLESH. ON TOP OF THAT HE WAS LOSING A GREAT AMOUNT OF BLOOD WHILE HE WAS ALREADY STARVING AND HADN'T DRANK WATER IN 5 DAYS. AND AFTER ALL THAT HE GRABS HIS CAMERA AND TAKES A PICTURE OF HALF OF HIS ARM HE LEFT IN THE ROCK THEN JOGS FOR WHAT PROBABLY FELT LIKE HOURS TO HIM WHILE FEELING THE DIZZINESS FROM ALL THE BLOOD LOSS TO FIND HELP. MOST OF ALL, AFTER ALL THAT HE CONTINUES TO GO ROCK CLIMBING. AMAZING"
Some people after seeing what he went through would think he was crazy for continuing to rock climb after having his accident but I would have to disagree. After finding out he still continues to do what he loves I was happy for him . I feel like it's very courageous of him ( mostly because if that happened to me I would never leave the house again)(heck I don't think I would have even made it past stabbing my self in the arm the second that knife hit skin I would have passed out)(actually I probably wouldn't have even made it that far I'm a wimp I probably would have stopped trying as soon as I ran out of food and water)(maybe even the second it turned night time I can't handle the cold and the 3 blankets I'm using right now  in my almost 70 degree house while typing would have to agree). The point of the movie, I believe, is to show, like Arron himself said, that "When something happens, it's a trauma, but we decide if its going to be a tragedy or a triumph." Aaron definitely turned this experience into a triumph. Instead of drowning himself in self-pity he did something. He didn't give up. He took action, freed himself, learned from his mistakes, and took this opportunity to better himself.