George Mallory: Man's Ambition to Summit the World, The Movie

So last night around 10:30 I started looking through Sheldon Turner's new script EVEREST, based on Jeffrey Archer's book PATHS OF GLORY about George Mallory, figuring hell, might be interesting. At the least hopefully they won't trivialize mountain climbing or turn the story into some overdramatized or plain missing-the-point CLIFFHANGER-meets-POINT BREAK shit.

Next thing I knew it was midnight and half a bottle of rotgut whiskey later and I was finished reading the script and crying about my rock climbing friend who'd died of pulmonary edema in Argentina a few years ago.

To say that George Mallory was one of our last great explorers and, along those lines, one of the greatest truly ambitious men of the modern era is an understatement.

That's right, I said it. If you have some trouble understanding why these great endeavors are worth risking one's life to achieve, read this. If that doesn't convince you, then go and climb something. If that doesn't work, well, I feel sorry for you. Something must be wrong with your internal compass.

While today climbing Everest is almost commonplace, back then it was possibly the most daunting physical challenge in the history of mankind. The highest peak that had been climbed before Everest  - as in, the tallest climbed in all of recorded history - was Montblanc, at 15,000 feet, which Mallory himself had climbed. Remember this was the 20's. Mallory had to hike through miles of Nepalese jungle and pass Tibetan militants just to begin his ascent, and without a map - this was all uncharted. The Everest Base Camp that nowadays looks like a small city and where some bastards are even discussing putting a hotel was little more than an open expanse of snow. The guy hadn't even seen Everest until he was moving up her flank. And yet from the second he heard the idea he never once hesitated. A man described as looking as if the weight of destiny was on his shoulders (and as England was in a period during which it lost its role as a world economic superpower between the two World Wars and both the poles of the planet had been found by other nations, the limeys really needed this), Mallory epitomized the unwavering ambition and dedication to greatness that makes history. He was so bad-ass that the ice-wall that's requisite for all who summit everest via the North Route is named after him, the Mallory Step. And of course he had that great quote in response to the question "Why do you want to climb a mountain?" -

"Because it's there."

The movie is still in early development but if it continues on its current path, I can see this being a flick that harkens back to a golden yesteryear of glorious Hollywood epics. At the least it'll be better than whatever sequel or reboot those bastards try to schlep up on screen.

Seriously, Doug Liman is directing it, best known for directing the indie-cum-blockbuster hit SWINGERS, the relationship comedy MR. AND MRS. SMITH (do you think Angie and Brad really fight like that at home? I hope so) and the popcorn global adventure JUMPER. He'll be starting up after he directs Tom Cruise in ALL YOU NEED IS KILL. Just the type of testosterone-fueled charger we need before summitting the world.

But the real golden ticket is Tom Hardy who's currently in talks to play George. This man, who's come to be our generation's hope for actually restoring what used to be the classic tough guy leading actor, will do Mallory the honor he deserves. If ever I've been excited to see a movie actor combo, it's this one.

As he says near the end, when trying to explain why he's climbing it, Mallory writes "I have dreamt since I was a boy of standing atop this mountain." And it's worth it to risk your life to make a dream come true.

- Ryan