127 Hours: The sequel*

You may or may not have seen this film but it is about a guy who wanders off alone into canyon country and ends up stuck down a crevas with his arm trapped under a fallen rock.

Back of fag packet notes for proposed sequel;

Proposed location for final scene, canyon country southern Bolivia. We pick up the main character during his meander up from Chile through Argentina.

Hazy, flat and featureless

After a spell in the Chilean Andes the main character is not really that impressed with the hazy, flat and featureless geography of western Argentina. A key theme in the early part of the film.

Muscle car, RayBans + slick back

Scenes depicting the lack of adventurous terrain and monotony of the plaza focused, grid style town planning will continue the development of this theme.

To counter the negativity and build atmosphere contrasting scenes will depict the uniquely elegant style of the Argentinian people.

Off the back of that a plateau will be reached at the final town before the border with Bolivia.

The artistically challenged judge

That evening, he encounters an annual street painting party/competition. Through his mingling with the locals an opportunity to DJ at the event appears and the scene is progressed through to his eventual judging of the competition. No love interest.



Sights, sounds and sensations

Once into Bolivia the change of transport to train will provide opportunity to build atmosphere for the journey into canyon country.

The following morning upon arrival in canyon town the love interest is introduced; receptionist at the Hostel – cute indigenous. The search for known routes through the canyons commences and through a sea of tours salespeople a basic map and route is found. Described as an easy exit from the back of one canyon and then down into and out of the next. The lack of like-minded backpackers willing to join the trek is covered and the decision to go alone is made.

Set to deep techno the entrance up and into the 1^st canyon commences. Cut shots and music continue until he realizes the path is no more and he is deep inside the canyon. Decision time – he continues.

Sure of the fact that upon exiting the 1^st canyon the entrance into the second will be obvious, he pushes on and scrambles clear. Cut to pan shot with a myriad of ridges and canyons with absolutely no sight of a clearly defined 2^nd canyon.

 

He's not in what you would call 'home ground'

Cue atmosphere change. Totally un-confident of the crumbling re-entry into the 1^st canyon he searches for an alternative route down. Finds watershed leading into what looks to be a shallow canyon and pins hopes of an easy exit on that. Multiple cut shots see him down cactus filled scree slopes and into the tight high sided canyon where he encounters climbable waterfalls. The cut shots continue until he encounters one bigger than the rest. A jump from the last foothold sees him down and clear, only about 10m later he encounters a bigger one. Maintaining the pace of the scene a descent attempt is made and then aborted. Deciding that he must turn round and go back he returns to climb the previous, however as he jumped the last part, it offers no route by which to return. At this point the rhythm changes to reflect the realisation of his predicament. Stuck between the two waterfalls - alone.

With his entire body shaking with at least an inch of lateral fear he paces back and forth between the two to consider his options. To build atmosphere the audio is reduced to just his breathing. The way beyond his ability descent, is his only option. A slip for sure guarantee's a broken ankle or two.

His not quite powerful enough, long skinny legs struggle to maintain the compression required to achieve each manoeuvre. It is apparent that without his soft soled football shoes, traction around the small holds would not have been possible and the descent would not have been successful. Product placement opportunity.

Nauseated with fear he turns for a memory photo.

Ready to crumble?

The canyon exit scene is accompanied with some wholeheartedly atmospheric music. And a little irony is added with the fact the first people he meets on the edge of town, are medics wearing red jackets with the white cross.

The round-up scene arrives and demonstrates the effects of the descent on his ill prepared thighs....three days later and he can still hardly walk down stairs or crouch down to sit on the toilet.....but it's ok, with intact ankles - his trip can continue.

The final scene (untrue) sees him regaling his story to the love interest as they stroll through the market, below the setting sun.

*my mums is going to kill me when she reads this.