180° South: An Unexpected Adventure (Film Review)

In the movie, 180° South, the film follows Jeff Johnson as he retraces the epic 1968 journey of his heroes Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins to Patagonia. He takes a boat all the way down to Rapa Nui. It was a three month trip down to there. The reason they stopped there was because one night a storm snapped their mass so they only had enough fuel to motor to Rapa Nui. They stayed there and were taken in like family. They stayed there for months and Jeff met this woman who was the first woman to surf there. She wanted to come on the trip to Patagonia. Once they arrive in Patagonia they see all the production and harmful plants that are being built. He hears about how there is this group of people who ride horses through the capitol to protest. There is a plan to put up 5 Hydro dams in Chile. Jeff realizes how easy it is to be greedy when you don't see the consequences. After he spends time admiring the land he and friends went to spend time climbing up an unclimbed, unnamed peak that is part of a two-million acre preserve. They ended up climbing that and the movie ended with them at the top.

The themes of 180° South are adventure and inner peace. One line in the movie Jeff says, "It's not and adventure until something goes wrong." This is a theme for the rest of the movie because they have an adventure. When they have to go to Rapa Nui to fix their boat they meet a woman who ends up coming along with them. They have no boundaries of what they are going to do and that's what makes the trip one they will never forget. Inner peace is found along the trip in little pieces, but at the end of the trip it is full inside them. When Jeff was on the boat for 3 months, he said, "Every day you forget a little bit more about your old routine, and start to appreciate the things around you more.". Throughout the movie they gain little pieces like when they pick up the girl or when Keith Malloy found his peace at the sick surf spot where he rode the biggest wave of his life.

This documentary was a really inspirational film that conveys a strong message. It really does a great job at conveying all the adventure on this six month journey. From start to finish it is an exciting adventure for the viewer as well as the main characters. I really like how the movie is about more than just the adventure of climbing mountains and surfing, it ties them together with the problems that face modern day Patagonia. Also while the movie ties those two things together, it shows great character development. In my opinion, the best line of the movie is “The greatest trips are the ones that give you answers to questions you never thought of asking.” This line just really foreshadowed that the trip was more than an everyday vacation, but it was a life changing experience and gave the movie a lot of depth. I also enjoyed that they met local people of the country and gave them an opportunity to make their voices heard about the problems facing Patagonia's people and land. I think that is great because everyone that watches this documentary will be more aware of the issues and willing to support them. That said you should go watch this thrilling movie

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The different character's ideas and perspectives are very important throughout the movie. One of the main characters, Yvon Chouinard, is a surfer, a rock climber, and an environmental businessman. He was also one of the first people to climb Yosemite without ropes or harnesses. The other main character in this movie is named Doug Tompkins. Doug is very enthusiastic about the outdoors, and loves everything about it. He is a rock climber, environmentalist, and co-founder of the company "The North Face". The different views of the different characters are a great example of what makes it interesting. Each and every one of the characters in this film have their own unique talents from climbing, to surfing, to sailing, and many others. It is very interesting to learn about the different characters and their own inner journey as they travel through South America.