Surely, 1993’s Cliffhanger has to be in the conversation for director Renny Harlin’s best film. I would also say that it’s Sylvester Stallone’s second-best film of the ‘90s, surpassed only by Demolition Man. May 28th marks the film's 30th birthday and with the recent announcement that a sequel is in the works, I figured it'd be a nice time to take a look back. In doing so, I was impressed all over again by the vertiginous camerawork and death-defying stunts.
Stallone plays Gabe Walker, a Rocky Mountains rescue ranger and world-class mountain climber. The film opens with Gabe meeting his best friend and fellow ranger Hal Tucker (fan favorite Michael Rooker) as well as Hal’s inexperienced girlfriend Sarah (Michelle Joyner) on a remote peak. It seems Hal has injured his knee and so the couple needs to be rescued. However, a freak accident leads to Sarah’s death.
Flash forward eight months and we find the guilt-stricken Gabe returning after a leave of absence to try to talk his girlfriend, rescue helicopter pilot Jessie Deighan (Janine Turner), into starting a new life somewhere else. Meanwhile, turncoat US treasury agent Richard Travers (Rex Linn) conspires with international thief Eric Qualen (scene chewing John Lithgow) and a crew that includes Kristel (Caroline Goodall), Kynette (Leon Robinson), and Delmar (Craig Fairbrass) to steal one hundred million dollars from a treasury plane in midflight. The plan goes awry and the would-be thieves crash in the Rockies, losing the cases of cash along the way.
Qualen and company then send out a fake distress call with the hope of hijacking a helicopter. As the location is unsuitable for that type of rescue, though, Hal makes the trek to find the group. Gabe accompanies him, even though Hal blames him for Sarah’s death. When they find the crash survivors, they are forced to help the thieves search for the money. Gabe soon escapes, leading to a thrilling race to find the money and rescue Hal. Other familiar faces include Paul Winfield, Ralph Waite, Vyto Ruginis, and Bruce McGill.
Alex Thomson’s cinematography is absolutely stunning. Partly shot on location at the Dolomite mountain range in Italy and in the Colorado Rockies, the starkly beautiful mountain vistas play a huge part in conveying the ever-present danger of the numerous action scenes. Aerial photography and dizzying camera angles give the film a truly bold presentation. I really can’t say enough about the visuals.
Though I know some of the film was shot on a soundstage, there are more than a few incredible stunts involving scaling the sides of sheer cliffs. Cliffhanger also entered the record books with the costliest aerial stunt ever performed which involved a stuntman crossing from one plane to another via cable at 15,000 feet. Besides the memorable locations and remarkable stunts, various helicopter sequences and practical explosions aid in making this a top-notch action flick.
Stallone revised Michael France’s script, which was based on a story that France thought up based on a premise by world-famous climber John Long. It’s structured well and plays to its action beats. Character work isn’t exactly subtle, with Stallone playing a standard sympathetic hero and Lithgow going big, but it’s all effective. Harlin is even able to wring some pathos and dramatic heft out of the piece with Gabe’s guilt and his estrangement from Hal and Jessie. In general, though, the performances are all fine, with Stallone’s physical prowess obviously being a highlight. The discord amongst the thieves is well done and is a nice counterpoint to the tension between the heroes and villains.
Man! Renny Harlin’s Cliffhanger has retained its ability to take your breath away. I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting it. It maximizes its setting/locations for a dazzling thrill ride. Any potential sequel will surely have its work cut out for it. Highly recommended for fans of dangling off of cliffs thousands of feet in the air, trudging through rugged and snowy wildernesses, and uncirculated $1000 bills.
Michael Cavender