‘Explorer’ (2022) Review: A Motivating Documentary of a Master’s Testament
Matthew Dyas’ Explorer chronicles the life of “the world’s greatest living explorer.” Ranulph Fiennes is an ex-military man turned expedition explorer, who travelled from Pole to Pole, ran marathons, and became the oldest Brit to climb Mount Everest. The documentary covers the countless adventures he accomplished, despite the challenges he faced, all with the help of his childhood sweetheart, Ginny. It’s a fascinating look at Ranulph’s life as he reminisces the life he lived as an explorer and comes to terms with his old age.
At 78 years old, Ranulph cannot stop working. The documentary follows him in his silver Ford on his way to do a personal appearance and sleeps in his car in-between signing to “pay the gas bills,” as he calls it. For a man who has received one of the world’s biggest recognition as “the world’s greatest living explorer,” he stays humble and grateful for the life that he has lived. Throughout his exploring and mountaineering expeditions, he lost over and over again, but Ranulph’s secret is that he never gives up. Some might say that it is stubbornness, but it is Ranulph’s sheer determination and strength that keeps him motivated, and also Ginny’s support has gotten him this far. The documentary covers a lot of ground on how she became a driving force in his life and career. She is the mastermind behind all of his expeditions and Ranulph never lets the viewers forget that important information. There are a lot of stories, from surviving a heart attack, finishing seven marathons, and sawing off the tops of his fingers due to frostbite. And, who knows how his life would have turned differently if he made the last audition for James Bond?
Explorer covers the self-awareness of Ranulph’s experiences through his perspective. But the one question the documentary asks is, why does he do it? This interesting portrait of Ranulph shows that adventuring has always been part of him, even during his childhood. After he was assigned to a troop in Germany, he found it boring and chose to partake in something that excites him. Ranulph is the happiest when he’s got his adventure mode on, and this determination takes him from the South Pole to the North Pole, to the world-record Antarctic crossing, and top of Mount Everest. But that doesn’t stop him as he continued to complete seven marathons during his lifetime. While shooting the documentary, he tries to climb another mountain and even during his old age, it’s never going to stop him from doing what he loves.
It takes a certain kind of determination to be part of these adventures. One of the things that Explorer focuses on is Ginny, Ranulph’s first love. His relationship with his wife was important to him and central to the adventurer he is known to the world. She is behind all of the fundraisers and accompanies many of his adventures to support him. She’s always there. The documentary perceives a great sadness between the couple, which is that they were never able to have children of their own. After she died battling cancer, Ranulph recalls that she had told him to remarry and have children of his own. There’s an element of sadness that Dyas captures in Ranulph as he talks about his first wife. It’s such an affectionate way of portraying the life of someone who supported Ranulph’s life and adventures.
Explorer is a documentary made with care and respect for the subject. It peels back the curtains of “The World’s Greatest Living Explorer” and depicts him as an inspiration. Also, the documentary celebrates Ginny’s life and focuses on all of her contributions to Ranulph’s career, without whom it would never have happened. Even if Explorer doesn’t get into the depths of Ranulph’s passion for the sport, it shows a pleasant and motivating perspective of the world’s greatest to push himself to the limit.
