The Fatal Game main backdrop
The Fatal Game main poster

The Fatal Game

Visit website

8.2/10 • 6

1996-05-170h 52m

AdventureDocumentaryDrama

In 1994, New Zealand mountaineer, Mark Whetu, summitted Mt Everest with climbing partner and friend Mike Reinberger. However it was late in the day and after a freezing night on the summit, Whetu was faced with a terrible decision...to leave Reinberger or stay with him forever.

Directors
Richard Dennison
Writters
James Heyward, Richard Dennison
Editors
James Heyward, Julian Russell

Top Billed Cast

View Credits
  1. Mark Whetu

    Mark Whetu

    Himself

Reviews1

View Reviews
Peter McGinn Avatar

Peter McGinn

Dec 12, 2021

10/10

This is a one-hour documentary that covers on a personal level one of the most volatile issues that come up when mountaineering is discussed, especially by non-climbers. This is the ethical and survival decisions made by people on whether to leave other climbers behind, probably to die. But this isn’t a vague case of climbers walking by a stranger in distress, perhaps pausing to urge them to continue or perhaps ignoring them. This is a climbing team member who was filming the summit attempt having to make the wrenching decision, with suggestions by radio from others at base camp, to save himself and leave his climbing partner behind. It is an interesting study of his personal dilemma and the issue overall. But mostly it is his own story of survival and the costs that came with it, both personal and physical. Mountaineering films rarely have the luxury of detailing this ethical aspect of mountaineering so closely, so it is well worth watching for that reasons alone.

Media

  • The Fatal Game poster
  • The Fatal Game poster

Recommendations

  • News from Home main backdrop

    News from Home

    7.0

  • No Backdrop

    Walter Bonatti - con i muscoli, con il cuore, con la testa

    8.5

  • Father There Is Only One 2 main backdrop

    Father There Is Only One 2

    7.5

  • Opus main backdrop

    Opus

    5.6

  • No Backdrop

    My Avatar and Me

    5.3

  • Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 main backdrop

    Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20

    7.1

  • Avatar: Creating the World of Pandora main backdrop

    Avatar: Creating the World of Pandora

    6.4

  • Pierrot le Fou main backdrop

    Pierrot le Fou

    7.4

  • Capturing Avatar main backdrop

    Capturing Avatar

    7.0

  • Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Lost Tower main backdrop

    Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Lost Tower

    7.1

  • Beyond Outrage main backdrop

    Beyond Outrage

    7.0

  • Last Year at Marienbad main backdrop

    Last Year at Marienbad

    7.4

  • Crossing main backdrop

    Crossing

    7.4

  • Conclave main backdrop

    Conclave

    7.2

  • The Turin Horse main backdrop

    The Turin Horse

    7.6

  • Starlet main backdrop

    Starlet

    6.8

  • 500 MPH Storm main backdrop

    500 MPH Storm

    5.5

  • La Dolce Vita main backdrop

    La Dolce Vita

    8.1

  • Come and See main backdrop

    Come and See

    8.2

  • The Return of the Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe main backdrop

    The Return of the Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe

    6.5

Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
mountainmountaineerclimbingmount everestfree climbingalpinist