The Alpinist (2021) User Reviews

A Human Adventure

[joker-4 · 9/10 · 15 September 2021]

Marc-André Leclerc climbs alone, on remote alpine faces. No cameras, no rope, and no margin for error. Climbing for Leclerc is spiritual and brings peace to his roaming mind. He doesn't climb for awards or notoriety. He climbs mountains for the purest of all reasons: because they are there.

Co-directors Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen are climbers themselves. Their talented eyes balance the wonders of the mountain top views with the dangers that one slip can bring. Fans of the Oscar winner Free Solo should seek out Mortimer's The Dawn Wall, which is an equally-compelling documentary also filmed at El Capitan.

Here, both Mortimer and Rosen's talents are tested with The Alpinist as free spirit Leclerc is not one who sits still. Nor does he exhibit the patience for the schedules of film crews let alone delays due to the weather. Leclerc notoriously climbs solo. He disappears, and not only when climbing. He is always seeking solitary space. When the cameras are able to capture him hard at play, the end result is spectacular.

Similar to other mountaineering documentaries, The Alpinist is a story of perseverance and strength. Unlike others, The Alpinist does not merely balance on the edge of triumph and tragedy, but intermixes the two into a gut-punch of a finale. Marc-André Leclerc is an incredible climber whose spirit is as indomitable as the peaks he summits. Leclerc, in all his humility, is quite the beacon for those who wish to overcome any obstacle, be it addiction, mental illness, or that mountain on the horizon. Through Leclerc, the human adventure continues.

A Beautiful documentary

[monkshighway · 9/10 · 18 December 2021]

Each life on this earth has a path to follow and a reason to walk on that road. This documentary shows one of those different roads being turged by this beautiful individual and a wonderful soul, away from all the sparkling beauty that today's artificial world shows. Brilliant Documentary.

Mind blowing cinematography, incredible camera angles, you feel as if you are there

[rannynm · 8/10 · 20 September 2021]

The Alpinist is a fascinating documentary that shows rare footage of beautiful landscapes and will either inspire you to chase your dreams or make you afraid of heights. Whichever way you take it, the movie is well worth the watch.

The Alpinist follows the 23-year-old mountain climber, Marc-Andre Leclerc, who is a pioneer of solo climbing and has broken countless records. In the documentary, you see all his astonishing climbs and travels around the world and meet the meaningful people who are in Marc-Andre's life.

There are many remarkable factors about the movie. The first thing to mention is the cinematography which is mind blowing! The angles and the positions of the camera capture the climbing so perfectly that you feel as if you are climbing right along with Marc-Andre. You feel so connected to Marc-Andre that you feel like you've known him forever. Kudos to directors Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen and their crew. The way they captured this incredible footage is remarkable, because as you watch the film, you learn how elusive Marc-Andre Leclerc can be.

The messages of this film are to follow your passions and to have courage, while also understanding the risks of what you are doing. There is some profanity, some wounds are shown, and the use of drugs. If you are afraid of heights, I would definitely not recommend this.

I give The Alpinist 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. It opens in theaters September 10, 2021. Katherine S, KIDS FIRST!

Captures the Magic of this Life

[selenaivetter · 10/10 · 25 September 2021]

It's hard to believe we share this planet with people like Marc-André Leclerc. I went into this film knowing nothing of his story and assuming I was in for another tale of an ego-driven young climber making history for the sake of prestige. But that couldn't be further from the truth for Marc. As Alex Honnold states, he tackles each climb almost spiritually. This film left me stunned and grounded in how truly spectacular the human spirit is when one pursues their passion for no other reason than to be one with themselves and the environment around them. There's some sort of magic infused in this story that I feel will stick with me for a while.

Such meaningful documentary

[ilovefoodcoma · 9/10 · 11 September 2021]

Going to the theater without knowing who he is. I have watched Free Solo a few years ago and loved this type of documentary. MA is such a free spirit individual. He didn't care about the money or fame, he just wanted to enjoy what he loved to do... climbing. It is nice to watch a documentary with narration on the side. Seeing all these beautiful exciting adventure he took me with on the screen.... so breathtaking but scary at the same time.

It was a big shocker at the end of the movie...... since I didn't know who he is, of course I didn't know about the tragic accident.

I am so glad he agreed to be feature in this film so that we can remember & recognize what the accomplishments he had done! RIP.

Great Tribute to an Inspiring Human

[caramia2002 · 10/10 · 10 December 2021]

He is little known, but deserves this film, a great tribute to a great climber. I'm an armchair climber (but real life mountain freak) and this is a great journey I'm glad I got to go on. Great climbing footage and real life adventures (many!) rivaling, if not surpassing, Free Solo, Dawn Wall, and Meru (my personal fav, but it's a different thing). The faces he climbs in this made me quake to my toes, just incredible, but oh the rewards! His achievements, just in this film, are many and mind-boggling. This isn't about just one fantastic ascent, but many (and some firsts).

All the things people say about people like this and the risks they take, or fates with which they flirt, are just BS. We ALL take risks everyday. Driving on a freeway can be just as swift and life changing as free soloing or any mountaineering, and neither is any more or less tragic. Risky is risky, but at least he does it in such breathtaking places, and gets to challenge himself in unique ways. The beauty is that he's so positive and seems to live in the now, with such enthusiasm. If you don't learn from these things and don't recognize that it's the journey, you are just a fool on a rock face, which Mark-Andre is not. Is the punter who "climbs" Everest any more wise for the ego gratifying stunt? Usually not and the risks are pretty dire even for that.

I was thinking of my inspirations and goals while watching this, and I realized that, in my own way, I went for it, too. Very different from Mark-Andre, yet not pulling back from anything. So thanks to Mark-Andre as I often am so hard on myself. It's also very inspiring, no matter your situation, to keep going on and not stop now. Or what are we alive for? Above and beyond, always.

A very emotional journey, and maybe the best thing is that, by the end, you really, really care about Mark-Andre and feel something genuine, so hats off to the filmmakers for that. And hats off to Mark-Andre for finally letting them film him, so that we can enjoy a fraction of what he enjoys and learn who he is. And just huge props to a once in a generation climber. May you find that perfect summit, that perfect sunrise, Mark-Andre!

Terrifying and exhilerating

[mrglenngrant · 9/10 · 12 February 2022]

Wow.

I can't believe people actually do this. And I so wished it was a blu-ray with special features that showed how they captured the climbs. Unreal.

Such a sad and moving story of a guy who lived for what he loved and ultimately paid the price at such a young age.

I'm torn between admiring a person who took risks for what he believed in and the - to me - obvious stupidity in the same. Like they said in the film ... if you face death so many time, one of those times it's going to catch you.

It's hard to reconcile his choices. But then is that not the point? They were HIS choices.

This will stay with me for a while.

RIP Marc-André.

on his own terms

[ferguson-6 · 7/10 · 10 September 2021]

Greetings again from the darkness. I nearly opted to pass on this since I assumed it would be similar to watching Alex Honnold climb in Best Documentary Oscar winner FREE SOLO (2018), and that was a visceral viewing experience that should not be messed with. To ease my concerns, the filmmakers Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen interview Honnold early on, and Alex makes it abundantly clear how impressed he is with the solo climbing of Marc-Andre LeClerc, the focus of this film.

The opening sequence is truly breathtaking as we watch LeClerc climb. The filmmakers followed him, or at least attempted to, for the better part of two years. Honnold explains that LeClerc never sought adulation or recognition, and purposefully remained under the radar - a form of purity (and elusiveness). But even climbers have a grapevine, and over time the stories of LeClerc's solo climbs became somewhat legendary.

Two things are well known about free climbing: these folks are a different breed - beating to their own drum, and the risk of death is extraordinary (we see a roster of some who have perished). Somehow LeClerc is even more extreme than this community of extremists. He owned neither a cell phone nor a vehicle. He had no home, and in fact, he and his girlfriend Brette Harrington recounted sleeping in a stairwell (for warmth, not comfort). As kindred spirits, LeClerc and Brette would sometimes climb together, while other times, he would take off on a new adventure.

As elusive and private as he remained, LeClerc's own time on camera endears him to us - whether he's climbing or just talking. For such a young man, his thoughts seem clear and deep. He understands what makes him tick, and his mother admits a 9-to-5 job was never a possibility. LeClerc recalls his hard partying phase, and how climbing helped him recover. The filmmakers panic about halfway through when their star goes AWOL and they struggle to track him down.

The photography is stunning at times, and there are drone shots that capture the spectacle of a lone climber dwarfed by nature. Just when our nerves are frazzled to bits, the ante gets upped with LeClerc displaying his ice climbing ability, and his trip to Patagonia to take on Torre Egger, the most challenging climb in the western Hemisphere. Other climbers provide some insight into the mindset, as well as LeClerc's accomplishments. Brette and LeClerc's mother also provide perspective, and while we may have some comprehension of alpinism and solo climbing, it's Marc-Andre LeClerc's natural habitat, and the only place he could quiet his mind.

In U. S. theaters on September 10, 2021, following a September 7 nationwide Fathom Events premiere, featuring exclusive bonus content (and an interview with directors Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen)

Outstanding

[mikemars38 · 10/10 · 6 October 2021]

I wasn't going to see it but gave it a go with my unlimited card. I was gripped from start to finish , outstanding and what an incredible young man .

An extraordinary person !!!

[Lewis_Heather787 · 7/10 · 2 January 2022]

I had never heard of Marc-Andre Leclerc before seeing this documentary, nor did I know his jaw dropping story. So to find out that this man sadly died doing what he loved, is both incredibly sad but also poetic. Is there a better way to die then doing something you love?

"Free Solo" opened my eyes to the world of solo climbing and "The Alpinist" takes that to a whole new level. I am watching this in complete ore of the people who do this, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I'll be honest I have a mild fear of heights and at some points I had to look away......you have got to be a special type of person to do this.

That is exactly what Leclerc was, an extraordinary person that dared to do the most stunning and adventurous climbs that anyone had done. Nerves of steel and a superior confidence in his own abilities to succeed with constant threat of disaster.

The one wish I did have about this documentary was that is was about 3x times in length. I could happily watch this for hours and hours, never becoming bored. Only becoming more fascinated by why people decide to do this and the thought process behind it. 75% out of 100

Please watch this film because this young man has got to be recognise and remembered by the wider world not just the climbing community!

Incredibly Inspirational

[lindanisbett · 10/10 · 4 November 2021]

Watching this movie left me feeling inspired by his drive, determination, his dreams, and humility. The story was beautifully and respectfully shared with the world. I won't lie I did cry at the end. I highly recommend this movie. It truly touched my soul.

A romantic, nail-biting documentary about a youthful world-class free solo climber.

[JohnDeSando · 12 September 2021]

Canadian Marc-Andre Leclerc never found a rock he didn't want to climb. He became one of the world's pre-eminent Alpinists, which largely means free solo with minimal equipment. "The Alpinist," a documentary about his climbing, is remarkable for the closeup shots of his hands, sometimes bloody, but always firmly grasping small crevasses to anchor his ascent along with cleated shoes and unusual courage. No second of the 92 minutes is lost; each is savored in appreciation of the art and craft it takes to make a first-rate doc.

Some will remember Alex Hammond in Free Solo (2018), which won the Oscar. Even he, almost speechless at Leclerc's boldness, mixes his awe with professional reservation about Leclerc's risks. When Leclerc scales sheer ice in unfriendly weather, none of us has to be an expert to appreciate the raw danger. As is usually the case with these bold enterprises, why someone risks it all is far more interesting than the gymnastics of climbing.

Maybe even more than his bold defiance of the danger (half of all climbers at this rare level die accidentally) are his youthful exuberance and naivete, both a part of his charm and hallmarks of young adventurers not quite out of their early twenties. Besides his liberal liking of "like," he has no language for the negative; rather he welcomes each potential storm as another challenge. His mind and body are dedicated to sucking out life at its fullest.

Beyond that energy and abandon lies the troubling reality of death. Because he is dedicated to the use of his gifts, he does not appear to have fully thought-out what life without life would mean. Perhaps he could have used an education to indulge philosophical musing on the importance of guarding that precious gift, more valuable to his girlfriend and his mother than apparently to him. This wonder at his abandon is what kept me engaged every minute'

You can guess where I'm going with this-a spoiler if you have rules of non-disclosure even for a documentary; he dies at age 25, ironically with a companion, not solo, in an avalanche. No talking head is truly overwrought with grief because this kind of danger is what Alpinists and their families cope with.

Yet, his girlfriend, Brette, and his mother, Michelle, have a deeply-felt regret that he is no longer with them. Should they have regarded the sacred gift of life in more persuasive discussion with Marc? Could a college education have helped him move his mind to less an obsession with climbing and more a consideration of his importance to those he loves?

I do know this excellent documentary made me think more about the value of life than Netflix's docudrama Worth did about the Victims' Compensation Fund allocation to 9/11 survivors. Like youth's glory that fades so quickly, Leclerc's moment in the sun is gone, leaving tears and beautiful images, but he's still dead.

Captivating with stunning visuals

[jon_pratt12345 · 7/10 · 5 November 2021]

I haven't watched many adventure sport films but I found this to be enthralling. It was impressive how the documentary makers created this without really a great deal of access to the main man himself. Filming was incredible with awesome visuals. Sometimes the drama could seem artificial, once you get over the danger of the climb itself but octal is stayed fast pace and captivating.

Cool doc. But...disingenuous?

[sunmoonstars-13982 · 5/10 · 15 December 2021]

It's fun to think the possibility exists that any of us can just up and jet around the world, having all the adventures that our hearts desire. This film could lead one to believe that Marc-Andre and his gf (more on her in a minute) were just two poor, happy hippies whose passions centered around mountain climbing.

Except they weren't. Or at least, she wasn't.

Brette Harrington went to a boarding school (a high school, mind you) in the U. S. with a $60,000 a year tuition. Who is this girl? Who is her family? Could you afford this for your kid? I couldn't. No, this is reserved for the elite.

Marc-Andre was musically inclined and bilingual at the very least. Again, doesn't fit the profile of some broke, hitchhiking mountain climber afflicted with ADHD, does it?

I guess we'll never know, unless someone makes a bio about who these people REALLY are. I'd be interested in watching that.

Emotional

[courtenaymorris-63263 · 8/10 · 14 December 2021]

Only after my mom highly recommended it did I decide to watch "The Alpinist." Within a few minutes I was hooked. I grew to really like the main character and was in awe of his desire to climb these crazy mountains and intrigued by his off the grid minimalistic lifestyle.

Marc-Andre Leclerc was simply an amazing human being. I highly recommend watching to anyone. I can't see how anyone would not like the documentary.

I cried at the end but I remember thinking "it was just a matter of time." He had an insatiable appetite to push the limits. You can't continue to climb walls of mountains covered in ice free handed and expect to live. His character was so likable that you wish he would have stopped. But he was never going to stop.

Pursuit of nirvana

[ricovegas · 8/10 · 1 February 2022]

The Alpinist is a documentary about the amazing feats of solo climber Marc-Andre LeClerc. With dazzling panoramic scenery of some of the great peaks of the world as a backdrop, this movie transports the viewer into the life and drive of one man who seems to have an unsatiable desire to push himself further and further in his climbing life. While the movie is certainly awe-inspiring, it also makes one wonder why anyone would pursue a lifestyle that, by all accounts, will lead to death 50% of the time. While the movie does provide some insight into what drives LeCLerc, in the end, the only thing we really know is that even the person pursuing their own personal Excalibur may not be fully aware of what drives them.

If you want a movie that is equal parts terrifying and awe inspiring, then this movie will certainly fill the bill.

Living according to your heart

[Goosegirl14 · 8/10 · 8 October 2021]

I loved this for so many reasons. It was stunning to watch and fascinating. Gripping, heartbreaking and heartwarming. The thing that stands out most in this story is the courage of Marc-André Leclerc's mum and selfless mothering. She allowed her son to evolve into the wonderful, free spirited, passionate man he naturally became. Although his life was way too short and the pain of his death tragic to those who adored him, I think the life he lived was exactly according to his heart and had he been forced to stop climbing or conform to societal 'norms' he would have felt the constraints miserably and his light would never have glowed at all let alone so brightly for 25yrs. He had so much joy and gave his friends and family so much, too. Sorry. I'm being 'a lot'!?!

Extremely moving

[lolly67 · 10/10 · 28 January 2022]

My heart literally aches that the world has lost someone as unique as Marc. I was super amazed at the upbringing he received and having a truly wonderful mother. To have lived with such free abandon is what most of us are so afraid of. Just like his mom said about imaging what you would do if you were freed of your limitations...he did that for us. I was truly moved by such a stunning tribute to this man.

A documentary that needs to be seen to be believed

[eddie_baggins · 7/10 · 14 February 2022]

If you felt your palms getting sweaty watching the Oscar winning Free Solo then all I can say is get ready to relive that experience plus some as documentarians Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen give us a first hand view at the exploits of free climbing alpinist Marc-André Leclerc, a man who defies the odds of what you'd expect a mere human to do as he goes about his business of conquering some of the most infamous mountains in the world, without even a safety rope to call a friend.

More rough around the edges and less focused than Free Solo was, documentary filmmakers and long term members of the climbing community Mortimer and Rosen may not be able to give The Alpinist the high quality sheen that was found in the examination of Alex Honnold's adventures defying death but in many ways that suits the stories main protagonist just fine as Leclerc remains throughout this film unfazed about what he does and plans too do, often without fanfare and often without even letting Mortimer and Rosen know what his got in store for his next mission.

An eccentric and unique character, Leclerc is a climber that is clearly more in-tune with the spiritual and individual side of what his profession entails rather than the sport or competitiveness and even on multiple occasions wonders why Mortimer or Rosen would bother following him around or be interested in documenting his exploits and there's a refreshing aspect to The Alpinist in regards to being able to partake on this journey with an individual who is true to himself above everything else and is not at all interested in playing a part people would perhaps like to see him play.

Capturing some incredible moments on camera (an ice wall climb in Canada is one of the most terrifying and wonderful things you'll see on screen in recent memory), The Alpinist is also a feast for the eyes and senses with there likely to be multiple occasions throughout Mortimer and Rosen's film where you must remind yourself that what you are seeing is indeed real, as Leclerc continues to push the boundaries of what is possible, mostly without a second thought of research or practice before he sets out to achieve what perhaps no one else would ever dream of accomplishing.

At days end there's nothing groundbreaking about what The Alpinist does or explores but with such a unique figure at its core and some truly unforgettable documentations of human feats that need to be seen to be believed, this is one of 2021's most memorable documentaries.

Final Say -

It's not quite as well put together or as focused as Free Solo but The Alpinist is a thrilling, eye-opening and even emotionally affecting examination of a man who pushes himself and the human experience to the very limits of what is to be thought possible.

3 1/2 ice picks out of 5.

For more reviews check out Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

I thought Alex Honnold was insane.

[Oh_Capital · 9/10 · 11 December 2021]

This is a story of a climber only known to those that participate in the sport. He is a man with nerves of steel and does climbs that are more intense than Alex Honnold. His name is Eric Andre Leclrec. He does a solo on site, meaning he's never done the climb before, and he does it solo. It is a very gripping scene and I found myself holding my breath. The story is a story absolutely worth telling. I would recommend this to anyone. Gives you an idea of what life is about and what adventure is worth and isn't worth.

Great footage, but not a great documentary

[Jeremy_Urquhart · 6/10 · 12 October 2023]

It's going to be tough for any documentary about rock climbing or free soloing to live up to Free Solo, but it's still possible for others to be interesting. It's spectacular what these people are able to do, and capturing that in a movie is always going to be thrilling.

I like much of the footage in The Alpinist, and it's an interesting exploration of its central subject, Marc-André Leclerc. But I wasn't crazy about some aspects of its presentation and the creative elements from a documentary filmmaking perspective.

I also didn't really like the director putting himself in the movie, and the narration was really unneeded, sort of like the film had to be 90 minutes, and narrating was one way of cutting it down to that length. When the narration comes in at the end in particular and tries to summarise what we've seen while going over the movie's themes, it's embarrassingly shallow, and made me wish Werner Herzog had tackled this documentary instead, and injected it with his wonderful voice and eccentric way of speaking.

The Alpinist is still very watchable, and works when it comes to spectacle and as a character study (for the most part when it comes to the latter). I don't think it's great as a documentary, but it had enough that I liked to be decent, and I was never really bored either, so that's something.

The single most beautiful thing in this film, isn't the mountains.

[kobafern · 10/10 · 2 May 2022]

I admit to being a bovine witted, flea bitten and slightly closed minded human even on my best days, though I strive for better. This film, this blessed piece of cinematic, bliss-filled and agonizing story arc stopped my dead in my lofty tracks.

Not to sound too woke, or woke at all - it changed my mind, perhaps life.

It reminded me of what's important, what's holding us all together between snot and rigging tape. Marc wasn't born for the same world I live in and the film makers had to good sense to let this rare bird back into the infinite wilderness that is his mind.

Marc LeClerc isn't dead - he just rejoined the mountain he hailed from. He's alive in me - yep, I literally just said that. My life today, is better than it was yesterday - because I was lucky enough to see Marc express is boundless joy and love, for joy and love.

Endless thanks.

Me.

ADHD kid walks on air.

[aarpcats · 6/10 · 13 December 2021]

In another life time, I worked for the Utah bank that both helped attract the 2002 Winter Olympics and make the state a center of extreme sports. I heard about the catastrophic falls and the near misses from men and women who survived them. I liked how crazy but calm the climbers were.

"Alpinism" is man against mountain. An Alpinist doesn't conquer a mountain. He conquers himself. He doesn't climb for the glory and he doesn't climb for the money. He climbs because he HAS to climb.

Marc-Andre Leclerc is the goofy and amiable Canadian kid who is the subject of the movie. He isn't well known outside the community of his sport, but, for those who follow it, he's a rare combination of a genius and magician. While others fall all over themselves fawning over his bravery and technical skills as he climbs a wall of "melting ice, he chuckles over his success with, "It was super fun. Yeah."

Really? Because to me, your "super fun" looks like walking on air. It seems impossible.

You don't have to like extreme sports, mountain life, etc. To love this film. You just have to appreciate the beauty of this planet and the adventure it is to live on it. Let the gorgeous cinematography, the astonishing clips of the climbs and the ebullience of Leclerc and his admirers take you with them.

The most important thing a human being can do is be true to himself. Leclerc really knows how. He climbs alone because he knows how dangerous it is, and he doesn't want to hurt anyone else.

Now, the tough part. What the hell was his mother thinking when she encouraged his high risk taking behavior? ADHD isn't a death sentence. It's a warning that the person who has it needs extra help learning how to take care of himself, because he isn't the best judge about what is good for him. Encouraging him to do what he wanted to do (without helping him learn better decision making skills) may sound like inspirational parenting, BUT LOOK HOW IT TURNED OUT.

The documentary avoids interviews with people who didn't consider Leclerc inspirational. It only asks for comments from other people who are involved in high risk, extreme sports.

Surely, someone who knew this kid understood the difference between "brave" and "suicidal," but it wasn't his mother or the many friends who seemed to have encouraged what turned out to be lunacy,

The reluctant hero

[radhrh · 5/10 · 1 February 2022]

This documentary film attempts to follow the life of Marc-André Leclerc, a Canadian climber known for his solo climbs using minimum equipment. Unfortunately Marc is a very reluctant subject prone to disappearing so what we see of his amazing powers are surely only a small glimpse of what he was truly capable of. While his achievements are undeniably he himself isn't very interesting. A man-child he appears autistic and although superficially likable he lacks the adult perspective to make sense of what he's doing. Unfortunately this makes the movie rather shallow and ultimately somewhat pointless.

So much more then just a free solo clone.

[dpwood42 · 10/10 · 8 March 2022]

At first look I almost passed on watching the alpinist as I presumed it was just another documentary chasing the hype that free solo had generated but I was very wrong. This film follows a man's uncompromising vision and true freedom to just do what it is in life he enjoys without ever wanting to show off to anyone. This is a humbling piece with a humbling lead who is a true master of his craft.