Der stille Berg

Strange war movie that had a great deal of potential that turned cruel and unrealistic. The movie had good characters and casting but a poor storyline that left the viewer shaking their head at the ending.

This film is the first one I have seen focusing (very realistically) on the war which took place in the Alps between Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire during 1914-1916.

The movie's focus is divided between the love story between a young Austrian man (Anders) and a young Italian woman (Maria) who had been attending the marriage of her brother to Ander's sister, and who chose to remain in Ander's town at the outbreak of war, and the story of the often surreal and harrowing combat which took place at high altitude on mountain peaks in the Alps.

Anders is conscripted to join the Kaiserjager, which is assigned to defend their homes in the neighboring valley, while Maria's brother is conscripted into the Italian Army and fights to invade the same valley. Both Anders and his Brother-in-law experience different slices of insanity, loneliness and disillusionment with their respective side's military, and long to be reunited with their loves.

The love stories are told with sensitivity and plausibility, and do not detract from the historical qualities of the film. If you are interested in WW I, or simply curious about life in the movie's set, ..you owe it to yourself to view this film. I found it far more striking and poignant than any version of "Farewell to Arms".

The "White War" was a vicious Ww1 struggle between Austria-Hungary and Italy, relatively unknown to Amercans- one setting of Hemingway s "Farewell to Arms" was also set in this also set in The Austrian Tyrol and Italian Dolomites. It displays the brutal internicine fighting between both Both Austrian Tyroleans and their oft close Italian neighbors. The love stories center around two married couples, torn apart by the changing frontlines, one would end tragically, the other survive the ending, in rather a grim, somewhat bitter end. The fighting scenes, the acting are very well done and.rather emotionally taxing. The photography and spectacular scenery are, by themselves, a real visual treat.

Interesting to note that although Austrians won, in a hollow victory, the region was relegated at war's end to Italy, but the same ethnic mix has survived to this day.

When we think of WWI, we think of trenches and the barbed wire laden No Man's Land with machine gun fire on both sides. But this depicts a war between close neighbors on two sides of a border on different sides of the same mountain. The acting was very good and the cinematography just spectacular. This film deserved so much better than it received in reviews and attention. It is definitely worth watching!

The Silent Mountain is a movie about the war in WWI between the Austrians and the Italians fought in the Dolomite Mountains. I knew nothing of this war, which some have called the White War because more people died from the elements than from the fighting

The movie has a good mix of intrigue, mixed with a love story during a war, however

It takes on a completely new direction at the end which I found totally surprising and after checking, a true account of the events during this time.

I recommend to movie to everyone including families. Bloodshed, not any bad language I could remember, a few crude comments by solders and no nudity. Go see this movie!