First off, out of the three reviews here, one gives this doc a 3 star rating and complains about the lack of still shots and zooming in/out effects and that unless you have ADD or like movies that are cut like commercials then this movie is terrible. Disregard that review (and the awful grammar) and read this and the other 2 reviews. And then just go and watch this film! I am not a rock climber and have hardly any experience whatsoever. I am however a huge outdoor sports guy and have been for as long as I can remember. I am also a filmmaker. And this movie was nothing but amazing to watch and I enjoyed it from both perspectives. This isn't a documentary about the climbers, it's a documentary about yosemite and all the amazing things that it has and continues to offer to so many people. It's a magical place and the interviews spin this incredible story from some of the earliest climbing days to the most recent. There is a great arc to everything. The interviews are insightful, real, funny, humbling and awe inspiring. The cinematography is gorgeous (great use of drones, gopros) and the techniques used to bring still pictures to life really add a great style. The editing is smart and well paced. The filmmakers definitely understand pacing. There's also this great injection of humour which comes from these characters that are just in love with climbing, the lifestyle and equally in love with yosemite. And the filmmakers don't shy away from it. In fact, they embrace it and it really adds to film by giving it this authenticity. But at the end of the day, it's the story that really draws you in. And in this case the love (some might say obsession) the climbers have for yosemite and for climbing and the magic that connect both are transported off the screen and directly to the viewer. It's a fascinating, humorous and inspiring film that is a must for anyone looking to watch a great doc.
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chrisa261713 May 2016
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Snorreplop3 June 2016Valley uprising tells the story of multiple generations of climbers in the Yosemite National Park. From the first hippies/pioneers to the modern day climbers. For a person like me; who has no in depth knowledge of climbing, techniques or jargon, the documentary gives a good and amusing insight in the psyche of the climber and the evolution of climbing as an outdoor sport in the past decades. It is amazing to see what progress has been made in terms of raw (climbing) speed and the mind boggling free climbing practitioners.
The colorful characters and stories, especially from the early days are very entertaining. Original video footage is mixed with breathtaking shots of classic Yosemite walls. Worth mentioning is the CGI technique that is used to give a more or less three dimensional feel to archive pictures and historical footage stills -
Nathan428 August 2021Entertaining and very informative look at the history of climbing, including many of the wild characters who were pioneers over the decades. The editing was fantastic - the best I've ever seen on giving life to old photos.
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loren-white-141-40502823 October 2014Maybe since I've known Royal and Liz Robbins for over 40 years, you may think I am biased. But this is unquestionably the best documentary of the Yosemite climbing experience I've ever seen. Great filming, commentary, and wonderful sense of humor through it all. The characterizations of these climbers was excellent. We learn who some of the significant climbers are, their motivations and aspirations to accomplish what no one has ever done before. Just when we think those glorious climbers of the Golden Age have done all that can be done, then along comes the Stonemasters of the 1970s and the StoneMonkeys since the late 1990's. These climbers demonstrate a unique ability to conduct a true Uprising while continuing to hold sacred the idea that we are in charge of our own destiny and that Yosemite is a diamond worth preserving. For a startup, Sender Films has set a new standard of its own. Congratulations!
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giorgiob-894-68600317 November 2014This movie is not only very detailed and technically post-produced in an amazing way, it is actually SUPER FUN. Actors aka climbers are so honest and spontaneous that you can't stop staring at them and laughing out loud.
The story of the touristic evolution of the Yosemite national park is quite astonishing and sad for certain aspects. It is a film about people, real human beings that will make you dream.
While watching this outstanding documentary you will feel the need to run pack your climbing gears and go training to get ready for the next adventure on those big walls... Dreaming is guaranteed.
Oh, by the way, adrenaline must run high during the movie; if you suffer of heart conditions, watch it with caution! -
movingmountaingraphics21 January 2018Super extensive documentary on the evolution of the Yosemite climbing community. Great film. My only criticism was that they skipped from the end of the Stone Masters era to the emergence of the Stone Monkeys in the late 90's and 2000's. I started climbing in 1991 and there was quite a bit being done to elevate hard standards in the late 80's and early 90's by the likes of Croft, Osman, Suzuki, Skinner, Piana and more but they moved past this era in the film. It was maybe not a particularly "dramatic" era in climbing history but that was where the sport really became "mainstream", if you can call it that, which is definitely historically significant.
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gbrahaney12 November 2018I am so glad I saw Valley Uprising before seeing Free Solo as I think it adds to the appreciation of how each accomplishment builds one on top of another.
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muamba_eats_toast9 June 2020I'm doing this somewhat backwards after watching free solo in the cinema a year or so ago but this was arguably even better other than the iMax filming of the actual climb! Thoroughly entertaining look at the history of Yosemite and the personalities of those who have climbed there over the years!
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hinarashid18 November 2018Fascinating to see how a bunch of hobos learned to climb with minimal equipment back in the 50's. Great to see how throughout the years climbing became a real focus. A must watch.
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cwescott-965578 October 2018Wow what a great documentary and movie. Educational and inspiring.
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Excerpt from Cinematic Codes Review: Spring 2016 Issue: for visuals see: https://anaphoraliterary.com/journals/ccr/film-reviews-spring-2016/ The Valley Uprising captures the spirit of rebellion and freedom most of us feel in our childhood but lose as we grow into careers. This is an inspiring documentary that starts in the 1950s and follows generations of mythic climbers in Yosemite Valley through to the present day. The Yosemite Valley national park had few regulations in the 1950s, which meant that climbers could live near the mountain for many years. They found food with the help of John Salathe (1899-1992), who had been climbing since 1945, and now taught the younger climbers how to forge for dinner in the park's meadows. Because they lived on the site, they could gradually climb a few feet in a given day, without feeling rushed because of camping fees or other costs. This allowed them to develop all sorts of innovations to make climbing more of a science that could be mastered for future generations. They tried to hammer in spikes into the side of the mountain. They tried large climbing parties, and going solo. A couple of generations into it, climbers could scale the mountain in a couple of hours, whereas the first climbers needed over a year to complete the vertical climb. In the last few decades, free climbing without harnesses, robes and other safety measures has become popular, as well as cliff diving or gliding off the top of the mountain and then landing with a parachute. This is a very education description of the progression of the climbing sport and I was surprised to find that all these innovations happened at Yosemite.
Fig 4 - Pioneer Yosemite valley climbers Fig. 4. Pioneer Yosemite valley climbers, resting in the middle of a climb.
The climbers give very honest explanations for their motivations: "None of us expected to have a job. We were going to be hobos forever, and that was the extent of it." Without intending to cash in, at one point they found out about a plane from South America loaded with marijuana crashing on top of one of the peaks. They worked together to retrieve the pot and then used or sold it at a profit that afforded the bulk of them a comfortable life away from the mountain that kept them from continuing to live as hobos. A taste for money encouraged some of the climbers to court media attention and to compete in climbing tournaments for money. So that some ended up leaving Yosemite to pursue these goals.
But new generations kept coming because Yosemite remained one of the most challenging climbs in North America: "Ballsy stuff to get up there, like you're going to the moon or something " Later park rules restrained climbers to only being allowed in Yosemite for 7 days out of a year, which forced climbers to avoid troopers by sleeping at the side of the road outside of the park. Great climbers kept coming back to the park because this was where a climbing hobby could become a career: "The idea of devoting your life to climbing didn't exist anywhere else . Only through climbing can you find yourself, bullshit like that " The film is made up of archival photographs and videos, as well as new interviews with pioneer climbers. Photos are animated and combined with interesting narration and music that makes this an interesting watching experience, even for those who have never even climbed a wall in a gym.
Fig 5 - John Bachar Fig. 5. John Bachar, south Californian, climbing Yosemite.
I was pretty shocked that the climbers confessed to doing acid, pot and alcohol during climbs, but then again perhaps somebody has to be intoxicated to go up a mountain, risking death. In fact, at least one of the climbers described did end up dying: John Bachar (1957-2009), a south Californian climber who invented the Bachar ladder. He had dropped out of UCLA to start climbing full-time from the 1970s until his death on July 5, 2009 at the Dike Wall in California. He was certainly extremely charismatic in his youths, and his relatively early death in this sport added a realistic, bitter and tragic note to an otherwise uplifting uprising.
Fig 6 Fig. 6. Lynn Hill, pioneer woman climber going for a record.
The story of how Lynn Hill trained to become a top, international award-winning climber by practicing at Yosemite should give something girl-power inspiring to the female viewers. She might have bigger arm muscles than the men in the film, and she mentions that she had zero body fat at the top of her game. It is easier to imagine how humans once climbed trees when somebody watches somebody like Hill speeding up a mountain without a harness.
Title: Valley Uprising Directed by: Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen Writer: Kathleen McGlaughlin, Peter Mortimer Stars: Peter Sarsgaard (narrator), Alex Honnold, Yvon Chouinard Genre: Documentary Running Time: 86 min Release: 2014 -
danws19 March 2019I've lived within a five hour drive of Yosemite for the last 40 years; didn't have a clue that this incredible scene was going on. Thanks to Alex H, those days are over and "Valley Uprising's" a great showcase for what I missed. Fascinating to watch the steady progression of technique and skills to the "free solo" masterpieces of today. Particularly enjoy watching the ladies climb; w/o question this sport is an equal opportunity employer. The Base Jump finale is the best ending to a film, ever. Bravo Zulu!
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katswiftphotography27 June 2020One of the best docs I've ever seen. The editing is insane. The story is told perfectly. The people they choose to explore and widen the story. Excellence. Did I mention the editing?! Holy sh#* it's so good. Bravo!!!!!!!
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RockyMtnVideo7 July 2020First and foremost, this is just a great documentary. To be able to delve into the origin story of hard-core climbing in the Yosemite Valley, which is at least a half-century old, and have nearly all of the pioneers providing current interviews and background information, and have the rest at least represented in supplemental footage, just seemed to put the entire story on really solid ground. Having not had any substantive knowledge of the genesis (or evolution) of Yosemite climbing, I found all of this to be highly informative, and entertaining.
Even for someone with no knowledge of climbing at all, just delving into the lifestyle, personal dynamics, and continuous cycle of one-upmanship, generated by this rogue's gallery of mountaineers, is as engaging as any multifaceted drama, and certainly as hand-wringing as the most high octane horror film.
My title above, alludes to the nature of that last point. Unless you are heavy into climbing, or some other dangerous sporting activity, this is one of those films where you need to keep a hand-towel nearby. If you are into terror/horror films, or any other genre that leaves you sweating with fear or trepidation, then this film can certainly be a temporary stand-in for one of those film outings. Most people would consider standard mountaineering to be a "hazardous sport", but as you watch that comparatively tame activity evolve, over time, into some of its newer variations, where someone is climbing a 3000 foot, vertical face, with absolutely nothing other than their bare hands (i.e. no ropes, or safety equipment of any kind), you are almost certainly going to need that towel, to wipe off the sweat that will be pouring from the palms of your hands. -
I am not a rock climber but climbers have always fascinated me. I will never be able to wrap my head around the ability these climbers have of separating their love of climbing with their inherent fear of heights and falling. This documentary is highly watchable, informative, breathtaking, nerve-wracking, and humorous at times. It begins with the first wave of Yosemite climbers in the 1950s and chronicles the sport through five decades of innovation and ingenuity. The characters are fascinating. The narration is well written and entertaining. And the archival film footage enhances the factual information. The music is taken from lesser-known selections but they are PERFECT. The final scene is the best I've seen in any documentary. You've GOT to see this documentary. I think I've now watched it nearly twenty-five times and I could watch it again tomorrow.
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drmaf1731 January 2023Along with The Dawn Wall and Free Solo, this is my favourite climbing film. It's special because it gives as much coverage to the culture of climbing in Yosemite over the years as it does to the climbing. The characters of the people who have come and gone over the years are as well-presented as their climbing feats, including some who didnt climb at all, such as the enigmatic Chongo Chuck. The filming is imaginative and colourful, including great use of montages and FX. Above all its a breathtaking evocation of the human spirit and freedom. Absolutely great film I could watch time and time and time again.
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if you have attention deficit disorder, or you were raised with the ability to watch preview like or commercial like edits every 2 seconds, and non still camera shots with zoom in / out effects, the content is OK, otherwise, just watch TV , as it is of poor quality with any plot line at all IMHO. apparently i must fill up 10 lines of text. I'm not sure why that is. I said what i needed to say. this is not worth watching. IMHO.if you have attention deficit disorder, or you were raised with the ability to watch preview like or commercial like edits every 2 seconds, and non still camera shots with zoom in / out effects, the content is OK, otherwise, just watch TV , as it is of poor quality with any plot line at all IMHO
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anthonydapiii6 May 2020Documentary's are my favorite. It's the sector I want to have a focus in them within filmmaking.
It was interesting to see the untold story of the rebellious, passionate nature of these rock climbers in nature.
And towards the end, it leaves a path to telling the next stories of the upcoming rock climbers that will dominant the world.
This goes to show: "If you want to be the best, you have to be closest to the sun (closest to the best).