Cerro Torre, le cri de la roche

Herzog succeeds to show simultaneously several issues related to climbing.

The issue of the spectator: he is rather driven by roman circus spirit than by olympic ideals. The issues of the media: if there is an audience, there is money. The issues of the climbers: they are described as a king of athlete driven by a competitive spirit which allow betting its own life to reach a summit. The outdoors views of the famous Cerro Torre are beautiful and rare.

Some spectators might feel bored by the way the film is conducted. Actually, this conduction reminds some Nouvelle Vague issues and many spectators felt bored by films directed by monsters of the Nouvelle Vague like Antonioni, Goddard etc... C'est la vie.

Yet, Cerro Torre: Schrei aus Stein deserves to be seen by those who appreciate Herzog cinema.

This is probably one of Herzog's least known films in States,but it's definitely worth seeking out.As always his visuals are stunning.Especially in the Climbing sequences.There is this really great shot of the younger climber hanging on the edge of the cliff ,and the way Herzog holds this shot and let's us absorb it .He always has things like that in his movies,that's one of the things that makes a Werner herzog much more than just another movie.A note to Herzog fans,you'll find all of his trademarks in this movie if you look close enough.

"Scream of Stone" tells of a happenstance competition between a mountain climber and a rock climber to see who is first to the top of a foreboding 3000 ft needle of rock and ice in Patagonia, South America. As with most Herzog flicks, the film is rough hewn and one can imagine the filming crew is having more of an adventure than the characters. Plodding, dull at times, and subpar on most counts the film does feature some good climbing scenes. Pass on this one unless you're into climbing.

Im a mountain climber and love to watch movies about climbing, that stated most movies in this genre usually have really fake seaming climbing scene for example Cliff hanger with S Stalone climbing a huge wall in the Rockies(really Dolomites in Italy) with all the gear but using none of it or the bolt gun?(no such thing). Scream of Stone has plenty of fake stuff to stay in my contrived genre but is way more real, shot in Patigonia with a story by very famous climber (R Messner). There are some very real seaming climbing in this film. For a climbing film this is a ten as a real movie its really a five I gave it a eight as a compromise. All climbers will love this film enjoy

It's hard to imagine that a great director (Herzog), a famous film actor (Sutherland) and one of the greatest climbers in the world (Messner) could have gotten mixed up in this mess. What little plot there is doesn't explain itself and the aimless acting rises so above criticism that it's almost interesting. Still . . . the Patagonian backgrounds are a plus, the brief insight into the new, frantic European competition-climbing scene had promise and the shots (many from high altitude helicopters) of the incredible Torres del Paine and Cerro Torre were spectacular. How they did the last ascent scenes on the frozen whipped cream summit of Cerro Torre is something I'd love to read about. Warning: If you don't love the mountains don't even think of going near this movie!