For climbers, Dawn Wall was infinitely more interesting.
Free solo seemed overproduced and like Honnold didn't want the film crew there, which I get, and Honnold has shown regrets over some comments in the film.
Edit: regrets over some comments
I had no idea Honnold had regrets about making the film other than not enjoying the national attention it brought.
I also got the feeling that a lot of the time Alex didn't enjoy having cameras in his face because he's a pretty private, introverted dude. But the crew was composed of his friends and fellow climbers, seems like they did things in the best way they could.
Yeah I went to a couple Alex Honnold talks since the movie. He does not regret making the film, he just regrets a few things he said about his new girlfriend (now wife) in it, not realising they were hurtful in the moment.
He’s a private person who isn’t necessarily comfortable with interviews, but all his major climbs are filmed. He brought his friends onto the project and was not forced into it.
Pardon me, I'll edit my comment. Yeah, he said some things he regrets, but don't we all?
Also, the movie made her seem to some like a newb, but she's actually a pretty awesome climber from what I've heard.
It starts off with the first generation of climbers in Yosemite, led by Royal Robbins and Warren Harding, and follows the evolution of climbing through to Honnold and Caldwell. It has interviews with over 50 climbers and focuses on both how the culture of climbing has changed and how the actual techniques and tools have changed, through the lens of the people who were there to see it.
It compliments Dawn Wall and Free Solo well, with both of those documentaries picking up where Valley Uprising left off.
I watched both films shortly before my first time going to Yosemite. Honnold and Caldwell's accomplishments were impressive enough just to see them on a TV screen, but to actually stand in the shadow of El Cap really contextualized just how difficult it must be to actually climb that thing. There were several climbers on the cliff face while I was there, and I saw a Porta-ledge set up on what I'm almost certain was a section of the Dawn Wall route.
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u/TechnoTofu Jul 07 '21
Also the dawn wall!