Nordwand

The reaction this film got at the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) in Pusan, South Korea, was better than any of the other big movies there.

This movie gets a 10 out of 10 from me. It is a harsh story about Germany in the 30s as the Nazis were rising and wishing to prove to the world that they were the best. The tale is about two German men who take on a very difficult climb. The story is quite riveting, and human. Full of laughs, tragedy, and ... a little bit of a love story.

Although the movie starts a little slowly, it really picks up about one third the way in. The main characters (the two mountain climbers and the one female love interest) are all solid actors, well directed, and well casted. The director did a great job at capturing the climb. Everything was so convincingly shot, it makes you wonder if they actually filmed some of it on a real mountain. I suppose they must have used CGI, but it was used so sparingly and realistically that it must be commended. The contrast between the plight of the mountain climbers and that of the rich bystanders makes the movie so much more emotionally riveting. Some people in the audience cried.

This is a tragedy that must be seen. It captures humanity at its best and worst... and shows us that sometimes nature rules our lives, and that it is not forgiving.

Overall, I felt this movie was a small masterpiece. One that will probably not be seen by many. But for those who do, you will get a very special treat...

It was especially amazing to know that you, as the viewer, had more than a telescope to watch this climb with... unlike the bystanders in the movie, we were able to see more than just the ascent and the final moment. We saw the part that mattered the most: the climb.

10/10.. Solid

North Face (2008)

Well, this is one exhausting, harrowing, amazing experience on film. Even the actors, acting and not actually fighting for their lives, look like they've been through hell. The filming holds back nothing on the horror of being caught in a storm on the infamous North Face of the Eiger, in the Alps. These very talented, likable chaps (even though Germans just before WWII, yes), are up against it big time. And the movie makes the most of it.

It's a simple story, and a simple structure, contrasting the comfortable press corps down below with their fireplaces and wine, against the men on the cliff, night and day. A woman and a love story are a part of it as we go, but this is more a love/hate story of men against each other, against themselves, and against the mountain, weather systems included.

It's a relief to see a movie without heroes. There is a lot of heroism, for sure, and admirable human behavior up and down. But none of the throbbing music as one or the other of the men performs an impossible feat. This is about a real life and death confrontation, and breakdown, and impossibility. Well done, well done. High frustrating and nerve wracking to watch, but well done.

Nordwand moves along like a finely jeweled Swiss watch. It functions at many levels: It is the story of a young female trying to earn respect in a man's world of journalism in 1936 Berlin. It is the story of her boss, whose "nose for news" reflects the morbid fascination of a readership that craves either the heights of historic triumph or the depths of tragic failure -- any middle ground is not "newsworthy." It is the tale of young friends trying to make names for themselves by daring exploit.

The film poses many questions. Is our attraction to mortally dangerous acts powered by the same force that drew Roman crowds to the gladiator arena? Do adventurers seek glory for themselves, or are they goaded to risk their lives for the satisfaction of others? And if the daring cross the line between the heroic and the foolhardy, must their rescuers do the same?

This film is a travelogue back in time, from Berlin to Bavaria to the Swiss Alps by bicycle and train. It's an art film, with the Eiger providing photogenic backdrop. It's an adventure film. It's a love story. It's a tragedy. It is one part historic documentary and three parts cinematic drama, all in cadence. Oh yes, it is also a great film about climbing.

This is one of the best mountaineering films I have ever seen. It is one of the great mountaineering stories in the history of climbing. If you have a chance to see it, go the extra mile to get there. I was fortunate enough to see it at UC Irvine, Sneak Previews with Michael Berlin. I have been climbing most of my long life and have been watching climbing films for 40 years, this one really gives a sense of what it is really like in full conditions. This movie opens in the USA in January in New York and in Feb in the Los Angeles area. I really hope that people will support this film and that it gets to travel to other more remote parts of the country. Made in Germany in 2008, and widely supported there, I was pleasantly surprised by the non Hollywood style. It is almost like it was filmed in 1936 when the actual event transpired. Enjoy and support!

It's 1936. The Eiger North Face is last unconquered challenge in the Alps. The Nazi propaganda machine wants it defeated by German climbers before the upcoming Olympics. Luise Fellner is a secretary working in a Berlin newspaper. She tells her bosses that she knows men who could do the climb. She, Andi Hinterstoisser and Toni Kurz are childhood friends. Hinterstoisser is eager to try anything. Kurz is more level-headed and refuses to do the climb. Luise goes along with her boss Henry Arau anyways to cover two Austrians making the ascend. Kurz relents and the two friends make the attempt.

The relationship between Hinterstoisser and Kurz is great. The cynical sexist reporters are great. The romantic element isn't quite as compelling. I almost wish that part gets less attention after the climb starts although it's compelling to see the juxtaposition between the comfortable resort and the harsh climb. The climb up is harrowing. It treats mountain climbing seriously where rock falls causes real injuries. This doesn't feel fake except for the girlfriend.