Le sommet des dieux

...that chronicles the tragedies and triumphs of obsession and ambition like no other film I've ever seen.

The hand-drawn animation is among the most gorgeous ever put to screen, emphasising the sheer beastly size of the landscapes that these mountaineers attempt to scale. It really makes the futility of their goals all the more tangible.

Yet at the same time, the rich emotion experienced by these characters' successes and failures is also on full display, and it serves as a reminder that our physical insignificance easily pales in comparison to the passions and persistence in our humanity.

This is easily among the top 5 best films of 2021.

The Summit of the Gods: French animated film based on a Japanese Manga comic. About mountaineering and Everest in particular. A photo-journalist encounters a Japanese climber who has been missing for years, he seems to have Mallory's camera. This could answer the question: did Mallory and Irvine reach the summit of Mount Everest? The climber has a chequered past, tragedies as well as triumphs. After the death of a young climber he had a breakdown. A quest ensues, not just for the camera as the photographer realises that he has to accompany the climber on his attempt to climb Everest. A tale of derring-do and an exploration of what motivates people to risk their lives in pursuit of a dream. The animation makes the terror of avalanches, slips and hanging from a rope come to life but also the triumphs of achieving an objective. The story of Mallory and Irvine is intertwined with a fictional tale of obsession to good effect. Directed & co-written by Patrick Imbert. On Netflix. 7.5/10.

This movie delivers an intense atmospheric tale of substantial heft in its limited run time The best compliment I can pay to this feature is that it made me forget that I was watching an animated movie. The narrative says a lot without using too many words. The characters feel close to you without being intrusive. The tale, though limited in its scope, is not just engaging but also satisfying.

The direction is impeccable. The animation is great without being exceptional. The climbing scenes are realistic and exceptionally choreographed. The narrative never lags but doesn't feel rushed either.

Very Impressive! I recommend it without any hesitation.

Excellent!

This excellent watch lets you in on the minds and hearts of the mountain-climbers. I'm no mountain climber, but watching Habu Joji's journey made me realise -

Mountain climbing is one of the few places that demands you to live-in-the-moment. One miss and you risk your life. In that sense, it is one of the few places where the thrill of living-on-the-edge intersects with truly living-in-the-now.

And those who've experienced this first-hand find any other way to live too dull to be considered "living". And at that point, it's either "living" climbing-mountains and taking risks or not living. And, when you look at things from this perspective, all the risk mountain climbers take starts to makes sense..

If you ever had passion in life, passion for anything no matter what, this is a movie to watch. Beautifully animated, written, well paced and satisfying from beginning to the end. Definitely another movie worth watching on Netflix and another animated gem.