Sept ans au Tibet

I missed this film the fist time around and saw it for the first time last night on DVD. I was pleasantly surprised. It seemed to me that some extraordinary effort went into creating an accurate portrayal of the forbidden city of Lhasa, and the lives and culture of the Tibetans who are at the core of the movie.

On the acting side, Brad Pitt was not quite totally believable as a German but, accent-quibbles aside, he did inhabit the character in a way that was compelling and interesting. I thought the supporting cast of Mako and (mostly) Tibetan unknowns was good and the use of these unknowns added credibility to the movie.

The scenery was as beautiful as you would expect it to be -- breathtaking shots of the Himalayas dominating throughout much of the movie.

A movie is by definition a fictional tale. It may be based - more or less loosely - on real events, but it is still a fiction.

This part seems to have escaped many "reviewers" as it always does when a movie is based on "real events". In real life there are long periods when nothing exciting or interesting happens, but a movie cannot follow a character 24/7 in his daily life, even if that life takes place in Tibet.

This story is very loosely based on the experience of Austrian climber Heinrich Harrer, who embarked on a climbing expedition on the brink on WWII and ended up as POW in a British camp in India, for most of the war.

Having no reason to go back to Austria, he then ended up in Tibet where he met and became tutor to the 14th Dalai Lama. His adventure ended with the Chinese invasion of Tibet. That's it and it is already quite a lot.

The plot is a journey of discovery, not only geographical but also psychological. Thanks to his experience, Harrer turns from selfish, arrogant and uncaring into a gentler human being.

According to those who read Harrer account of his story, the film takes a lot of liberties, inventing episodes that - for me - are just supposed to make the story more cohesive. Also, I did not care much about Harrer involvement with the Nazi party, for which he apologised and that clearly was not the core of his existence.

Finally, for those who protest because the movie does not explore Tibetan culture, once more this is based on Harrer's tale, from is point of view. You want to know Tibetan history and Buddhist culture? There are thousand of non-fictional books and documentaries to fulfil this purpose.

This is a panoramic film exploring the wilderness of Tibet through the consciousness of an arrogant Austrian climber (Brat Pitt). As Pitt challenges Nanga Parbet, the ninth highest mountain in the world and one of the hardest to climb, the political chaos of late 1930's and 1940's, and his own demons, the nature of mankind is revealed as layers of civilization are peeled to reveal an inner self paradoxically more powerful and yet more vulnerable to the ebb and flow of inhumanity. His own philosophical journey is a reflection of political machinations of the time, the ontogeny recapitulating phylogenetic change of western civilization resulting in a complex modern world forever coiled for violence and warfare.

This film has a European pace unsuitable for those addicted to action figure movies with huge budgets and high body counts. I recommend it as a "good view" similar to a good read.

Personally, I find it hard to believe this movie is rated so lowly. It is at least a 7.5 in my books. Its far from perfect, but how many films out there actually question your beliefs and your actions and allows you to reflect on how you can live your life better? How many films make you want to know more about the film, the location, the people, the characters? Trust me, this film will make you more inquisitive and curious and probably open your eyes to the world beyond your borders.

Again, it is far from perfect, but watch it and try to see where I'm coming from. If you do not share my sentiments then, at least Brad Pitt's excellent acting and the gorgeous cinematography will keep your interest.

I saw this film for the first time last night after hearing a great many people recommend it to me. I don't know why I waited so long! This is a soul stirring movie that is perfect in its simplicity. I don't think it's the best performance Brad Pitt has ever offered, but he was quite good. David Thewlis (an amazing actor who never receives as much praise he deserves) gave a perfect performance. But the real beauty of the film is the Tibetan people and their lifestyle. The cinematography was breathtaking and perfectly matched the mood of the film. I loved this movie so much that I'm going to buy it immediately. I love uplifting epic types of movies and this is truly one of the better ones I've seen in a while. In fact, it's one the better movies I've seen in a while.