MovieChat Forums > Everest (2015) Discussion > Andy Harris and the oxygen bottles...SPO...

Andy Harris and the oxygen bottles...SPOILERS!

posted 8 years ago by Gabe1972
5 replies | jump to latest

I know that in reality there is thought that Andy Harris was suffering from delirium due to oxygen deprivation, which often happens on high altitude climbs.

Although they didn't really suggest this in the film, and one can only speculate, I did see something that I thought was a bit odd, especially for an experienced climber. Whether it was something that was done on purpose, or a simple movie goof, I have no idea.

When Andy was checking the oxygen bottles left by the Sherpas, and claimed that they were empty, he is seen shaking one. This makes zero sense, as oxygen doesn't liquefy under pressure at normal temperatures, nor at the freezing temperatures on Everest. Other gasses do, like propane and acetylene and others, but not oxygen. I found this interesting.

Did anyone notice this and found it odd? Is this a subtle attempt by the filmmakers to suggest that he was suffering from hypoxia? What I've read suggests that he was, and he mistakenly thought they were empty, but the movie doesn't make that distinction. They movie leaves it open to interpretation.

Time wounds all heels.

[–] i_justius 8 years ago

Why does the Millenium Falcon bank in space flight when it wouldn't need to?

Not trying to be a jerk but I think it is to show he is "checking" them. To the untrained (practically everyone in the theater) this would indictate that he is noticing they are depleted. Much like a banking space ship resembles how we recognize planes and jets to move. To move differently would raise questions.

[–] johnston.scot 8 years ago

My guess is that the actor, knowing he was supposed to check the bottle and find it empty, just decided to shake it. It's possible the director was pursuing the more elaborate scheme the OP suggests, but it seems unlikely, if only because virtually no one would understand it. If the intention was to communicate that the character wasn't thinking clearly, I think they would've done so in a way that was more likely to be understood.

I suppose it's possible that he was shaking the oxygen bottles to make sure the pressure gauge (which would tell if they were full) wasn't stuck. I'm not sure that makes a ton of sense, since (not sure about this) the pressure gauge would be on the regulator or the valve assembly that's used to attach the regulator, rather than the bare bottle. If so, the only way to check would be to attach each bottle to a regulator or valve assembly, which would be kind of involved to show onscreen in real time.

Incidentally: the reason a spacecraft might bank in a vacuum is so that the direction of the acceleration on the occupants and the ship itself would be vertical in the frame of reference of the ship, i.e. so that the passengers would experience it as "getting heavy" rather than being thrown sideways, and so that the structure of the ship would be accelerated in a manner it was designed to withstand.

Of course - in the case of the Millennium Falcon - that leaves one to wonder why the passengers aren't weightless when the ship isn't turning ... and, for that matter, why they don't black out (or flat-out die) when exposed to the insanely high Gs that the maneuvers we see on screen would produce. But that's moviemaking.

[–] Gabe1972 8 years ago

Star Wars. I just love those films, especially the original trilogy (it's what I grew up on), but scientifically speaking, it's hilarious. I just love how the ships fly like atmospheric fighter planes, zooming in and out of things as if space gives drag and lift.

And heck, blacking out? How about when they jump to light speed? The ship, and the people inside, should just about disintegrate. Talk about Gs! LMAO.

Still great films, though. And, as you said, it's moviemaking Meant to entertain, not educate.

Time wounds all heels.

[–] theredgiant 8 years ago

Not answering your question, but adding a bit of trivia: the bottles were actually full. Andy's pressure gauge was jammed at zero so each bottle he checked registered empty even though there were quite a number of full bottles there. Jon and someone else (I forgot who) discovered this but they couldn't make Andy understand, who was delirious of hypoxia, that there were full bottles up there.

When Rob asked over the radio whether there is oxygen available at the south summit, Andy replied no. Jon tried to cut in and correct him leaving Rob confused. He didn't know who to believe.

Source: I read the book.

[–] Gabe1972 8 years ago

No one can know for sure.

There have been so much back and forth about what happened that it's impossible to truly know. Of the people that were there, one person says one thing and another says another.

Unfortunately, there's really no way that there can be a definitive answer one way or the other.

Logically speaking, though, what you read is probably what happened.

Time wounds all heels.