Synopsis
In the middle of Yosemite National Park towers El Capitan, a huge block of granite whose smoothest side, the Dawn Wall, is said to be the most difficult rock climb in the world. Tommy Caldwell didn’t see inhospitable terrain, but rather a puzzle almost a kilometer tall. In The Dawn Wall, we follow him and Kevin Jorgeson in their historic ascent to the summit.
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Cast
- Tommy CaldwellSelf
- John BranchSelf
- Kevin JorgesonSelf
- Beth RoddenSelf
- Becca PietschSelf
Recommendations
- 100
Variety
It’s a riveting and spectacular documentary. - 88
Movie Nation
Filmmakers Lowell and Mortimer were there to document every excruciating inch, with stunning Yosemite scenery as their backdrop for almost every striking frame. The film they got out of it is, like the experience they were documenting, one of a kind. - 80
The Hollywood Reporter
Stuffed with drama, both climbing-related and not. - 80
Film Threat
While The Dawn Wall brings you up close to the miraculous feat of Caldwell and Jorgeson, the backstory (particularly of Caldwell) is just as amazing. - 70
Los Angeles Times
The Dawn Wall transcends initial conventional sports documentary trappings, emerging as an affecting portrait of conquering personal limitations. - 67
Film Journal International
It's the camerawork by director of photography Brett Lowell and cinematographer Corey Rich (along with many other contributors) that impresses the most here. Close-ups show just how precise and physically challenging the climbers' moves are.
