Chapter 591:

"Guys, you've been asking about Brad Pitt all day—let's talk about the movie."

"This is my first time directing, and honestly, I'm very satisfied with the result. Whether as a director or actor, I feel I've done the best I can at this stage in my career."

"You're asking why I chose this movie?"

"Well, obviously because the plot is simple and there aren't many characters. Haha, there are only three main roles, and most of the time it's a one-man show—just me. Nearly the entire story takes place in the same canyon. Isn't a project like this perfect for a first-time director?"

"For me, filming this movie was an incredible experience. It helped me truly understand the desperation Aaron once faced."

"Even during production, I felt like I was being tested—mentally and physically. I can't imagine what it was like for Aaron himself to live through it. No doubt about it—he's a real warrior, a true hero."

Just as Martin was being interviewed,Aaron Ralston arrived on the red carpet with his girlfriend, Jessica.

Although his name had gained traction across North America thanks to the film's promotion, not many people recognized him right away.

Fans lining both sides of the red carpet were murmuring: Who's that guy?It wasn't until they saw his girlfriend gently lifting his empty sleeve that realization struck.

Martin waved him over with a big smile and threw an arm around his shoulders.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's hear it for our hero. This man did something truly extraordinary!"

The moment Martin finished, a wave of applause broke out.Reporters respectfully shifted their attention to Aaron, asking several questions.

"When I was trapped, it was my family who gave me the strength to hold on," Aaron said. "My parents, my girlfriend Jessica—it was because of them, because I didn't want to leave the people I loved, that I was able to create this miracle."

Inside the theater.

The audience held their breath, waiting for the movie to begin.

Many film critics had come of their own accord, curious about Martin's directorial debut.

The screen lit up.The story began.

It started on a warm Saturday afternoon. Aaron Ralston had planned a casual hike in Utah's Canyonlands.

For the 27-year-old climber and outdoorsman, exploring the remote Blue John Canyon was a wintertime challenge—an attempt to conquer one of Colorado's most treacherous routes.

His journey began in the town of Aspen. From there, he drove toward the western edge of Canyonlands National Park.

Upon arrival, Aaron set off on what was meant to be a one-day solo hiking adventure.

He parked in the designated lot and hit the trail alone.

Along the way, he briefly encountered two lively female travelers and shared a few moments of friendly banter.But he didn't linger—his goal lay ahead.

By early afternoon, he reached Blue John Canyon.

This was a scene Aaron knew well and cherished: solitude amid nature's grandeur.

At 2:40 p.m., he began a descent.

Everything was going smoothly—until it wasn't.While climbing down a boulder, the rock suddenly shifted and, before he could react, it trapped his right hand against the canyon wall.

It was 2:45 p.m. on Saturday, April 26th.Thus began six days of living hell: no water, no food, no warm clothing for the freezing nights—and, perhaps worst of all, no one knew where he had gone.

Death loomed ever closer.

He was pinned halfway down a narrow canyon by an 800-pound boulder.

Still, Aaron refused to give up.

He anchored himself using a "rock plug" and a makeshift harness, hoping to relieve pressure on his legs and maintain some circulation.

In his backpack: two burritos, a few pieces of gum, and just 0.8 gallons of water.

He rationed carefully.But each attempt to free himself ended in failure.

As the days passed, food disappeared, strength faded, and desperation set in.

Nights were the hardest. Though it was April, the temperature in Utah plunged below freezing.

Wearing only a T-shirt and shorts, Aaron could only rely on his resilience to endure the cold.

And every time the light faded, fear, regret, anger, and helplessness flooded his mind.

Worse still, once the water ran out, dehydration began to take a brutal toll.Faced with death, Aaron began to despair.

He started filming farewell messages on his handheld camera.He recalled cherished memories.He wrote a will, hoping someone—someday—would find it.

What he didn't know was that, at that very moment, his family and friends had already begun searching for him.

Each time he was about to give up, the faces of his parents and girlfriend came to mind. It was that emotional anchor that kept him going.

Finally, on Thursday morning, Allen made a final, desperate decision.

Lose an arm… or lose his life.

But let's be real—how many people can actually cut off their own arm?

And all he had was a small, dull knife.

The horror of it was unimaginable.

There was an audible gasp in the theater.

It touched something ancient—a genetic fear.In prehistoric times, a missing limb was often a death sentence.

Thankfully, this was the modern world.

Aaron tied a tourniquet above his elbow. Holding a four-inch folding knife in his left hand, he began cutting.

The blade was dull. It took him over an hour just to slice through the muscle and soft tissue.

Next, he broke the radius bone near the wrist.

Then, using leverage and the rock wall for torque, he finally snapped the ulna in place.

Martin captured this scene with brutal authenticity. The audience squirmed in their seats.

The worst part came when Aaron sliced through the last nerves. The graphic depiction had people gagging in their seats.

But to Martin, this scene was the film's soul. The more real it felt, the more it honored Aaron's courage.

At last, Aaron freed himself from the rock, rappelled one-handed to the canyon floor, and stumbled into a dirty puddle to rehydrate.

But it wasn't over yet.

He still had to walk seven miles, bleeding and half-conscious, before he could hope to be rescued.

Perhaps fate took pity.

As he neared Horseshoe Canyon, two hikers from the Netherlands spotted him. Covered in blood, Aaron was barely recognizable.

The hikers immediately gave him water and food, then helped him move forward.

About a mile from his parked car, in the Grand Gallery area, a helicopter appeared overhead.

The search-and-rescue team had arrived.

The audience erupted into cheers.

And then came the final, unbelievable moment that left everyone stunned.

Aaron walked into the emergency room by himself—unaided.

A wave of applause rippled through the audience, rising into a full standing ovation.

Onscreen, the closing subtitles read:

"Afterward, local police returned to Blue John Canyon to search for Aaron's severed arm. They found it still wedged between the rocks, the climbing gear still hanging in place... The boulder weighed nearly 800 pounds—about the size of half a truck bed."

"There was dried blood around the site. Doctors confirmed that even if the arm had been retrieved with Aaron, reattachment would have been impossible..."

Then came the final Easter egg.

Real footage showed Aaron's life after his rescue and clips from the press conference for his autobiography Between a Rock and a Hard Place.

A voiceover played:

"It was incredibly hard. During those five days, I kept thinking about how to survive. I also thought about giving up. But my family—my girlfriend—they gave me the strength to hold on. I knew I had to stay calm... When I sat there on the rock wall, and the cold came every night, I imagined I was drinking…"

Life is often empty and monotonous.

Only in the wilderness do we find the chance to do something truly extraordinary.