Cerro Torre, le cri de la roche

"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.

Or maybe it is the best. Characters are 100% convincing, shooting on location is terrific and the story itself is absolutely thrilling. It is another exploration of human obsession undertaken by Herzog with brilliant (as usual) results. Of course, one may question the technical side of the two solo climbs but here we can completely rely on the expertise of Reinhold Meissner. Unfortunately, it is not likely that this film will be ever appreciated by the mainstream American audience.

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.

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!

Definitely one of the least interesting works of Werner Herzog but even so, as one fellow critic noted, even his failures are epic and he makes something good out of them. Once again he explores the conflict between man versus nature, the conflict of man against others and also against himself. While he treats the first in a good way, the second and the third are displeasing, flawed and lacking in depth which drags down most of the film almost downhill, or better saying down the mountain.

Climbing the Cierro Torre, all the way up to the top they go. Who's they? One veteran climber (Vittorio Mezzogiorno), one acrobat/wall climber (Stefan Glowacz) trying the impossible for the first time going in one of the most difficult mountains of all, located in Patagonia (3000 meters, which is way shorter than the Everest but still a giant task), fighting against each other for the top of the mountain and for a woman's heart (she is played by Mathilda May). And their duel is followed by a sports reporter (Donald Sutherland) who thinks he's about to cover the event of the century. Plot twist: it looks like someone already had been there but can we trust this guy (Brad Dourif) who says he has left four fingers in there? Maybe...

The problem with "Scream of Stone" is to be uninteresting and flat while dealing with themes that are better presented in other movies. The fight between fearless arrogance and defiance versus experience and talent is overdone, and it's not that brilliant in here. He doesn't bring profundity to any of those themes. The ethical aspect when it comes to present facts versus doubts, introduced when the younger guy claims to have been at the top of the Scream of Stone, was almost fascinating. He was questioned by the reporters and true professionals, and out of this moment of his being cornered, having nowhere to go, he accepts the challenge and goes again to the mountain. But even so, Herzog doesn't bring excitement neither to the story and neither to the climbing scenes, the adventure stays too much in the background while the characters are carelessly brought to the foreground but you can't relate with them for too long. The whole set up involving the female going from climber to the other doesn't convince, it's too simplistic and it's only used as a device for the upcoming third act (which works). I mean, she just happen to fall for the winners. You don't get the sense that she loves one or the other.

It never reaches the splendorous, poetic and powerful images of "Aguirre, the Wrath of God" or "Fitzcarraldo" but there's beauty in some of them - the mountain has a gorgeous peak, magnificently visualized in the few aerial shots. The cast makes this worthwhile, specially the actor who plays the experienced alpinist. Overall, it's fine, Herzog is working with something he's very familiar with, to being aware of our ambitions and to conquer them regardless of consequences, living the dream even if they look like a nightmare. Just hoped this could be more impressive. 6/10