127 hours, the alternatives

[Edwin]

I haven't seen the film yet but it isn't a spoiler to say that it is about a chap trapped by the arm who cuts it off to free himself.

It seems very drastic to self-amputate when he was able to carve his name etc in the sandstone walls of the canyon. Couldn't he have whittled away at the boulder, given that his knife could make an impression on the rock? I see that he spent two days chipping at the rock so why not spend more time doing so?

I can sympathise and empathise with his predicament but I wonder there wasn't some sort of hysteria present and a fixed idea formed as to the only way to escape. Or I might just be a mean person of course.

[comanighttrain]

Wouldnt he have got toxic shock when the dead stuff from his crushed hands were reconnected to the body? Like a tourniquet?

[robin]

I have seen the film and enjoyed it and this post may contain SPOILERS so you may not want to read on.

He did start to whittle away the boulder but thought that it was going to take far to long considering the small amount of water he had with him. There definitely was 'some sort of hysteria' due to the situation and the lack of water, panic would surely set in no matter how well prepared we think our minds are. He kept his head for quite some time but stuck in a crevice, all alone and cold would affect the way the mind works. I know from my own experience that just plain old tiredness, without the addition of the threat to life, affects judgement and causes us to make mistakes.

His biggest mistake occurred before he even set out on his journey and that was that he had not told anyone of his route or the length of time he expected to be out. The film has made me think a great deal about safety and preparation for even the smallest of jaunts. My local moor is quite small but if I were to become trapped or stuck somewhere I could still find myself in a situation where I may not be discovered for several days or weeks and that could be disastrous. I also have a habit of entering old disused addits on the moor and if one were to partially collapse whilst I was inside, no one would have a clue I was there, however much shouting or whistle blowing I did.

Because of this film I have now started telling people where I am going and when I expect to return, something I never thought I needed to do before. If I change my plans whilst out a quick phone call can be made to update people.

Until I'm put into a situation like his I don't know what I would do but I have a gut feeling that I would probably self amputate my arm to survive but only if I was incapable of finding another solution. It was a terrible predicament to be in and he was completely reliant upon himself to escape and make his way home.

Having watched the film I am not sure that he had any real choice in the matter. Would you keep chipping away at the rock for days on end risking your demise, or would you try to get out of the situation as quickly as possible and therefore enhance you chances of survival? I think the very fact that he survived to tell his story goes a long way to show he made the right decision.

[Realbark]

Thers going to be a sequel called "127 Legs Later" about the millipede trapped beside him...........saw the film, boring.