Nordwand (North Face) Movie

[goatboy]

For Seattle folks:

 

I saw this movie yesterday and really enjoyed it (in an excrutiating sort of way).

 

It tells the now-famous tale of Austrian and German alpinists in the 1930's making attempts to do the FA of the NF of the Eiger. Needless to say, there is drama and high-angle suspense (especially if you don't know the whole story on which this is based). There is a book about this climb, by the way, called "The Climb up to Hell."

 

The movie has been bashed a bit for a lifeless romance as a subplot, but that's not the reason to go see it. The footage of actual climbing, scenery, and their attempt to replicate old-school climbing techniques and equipment, is outstanding.

 

I highly recommend it. Currently playing at the Harvard Exit Theatre at somewhat inconvenient times (3:45 and 8:30).

 

I also noticed that Olympic Mountain Rescue is showing this movie as part of a fundraiser (details in a separate thread under events).

 

Official Trailer: [video:youtube]

[layton]

Hope it's not gayer than "The Alps" - the fucking lamest p.o.s. i've seen in a long time

[Sunnyside_up]

Don't worry, it is much better than The Alps. And even though you already know what's going to happen, it is easy to get lost in the struggle and enjoy the film. The filming is great for the climbing scenes. The romantic parts or the parts where they make Kurtz and Hinto out to be not-really-bad Nazis are obviously the producer appeasement.

But still, I enjoyed Joe Simpson's Beckoning Silence on You Tube even more than Nordwand and only wish that one could be seen on the big screen. The scenes on there of the traverse really show you a thing or two.

 

[mountainmatt]

I don't know, I thought the movie reminded me a little bit of the Passion of the Christ in that you know what is going to happen, and there are people screaming in pain/fear for an hour.

 

I did like the movie (especially the first half or so), but I would definitely eliminate the girl screaming 'Toni Toni' over and over at the end.

 

.

[sobo]

There is a book about this climb, by the way, called "The Climb up to Hell."

Goatboy-

Just to clarify, this book you mention is about the NF of the Eiger, but not about the FA. It takes place in 1957, and is the story of two Italian friends, Stefano Longhi and Claudio Corti, who came to test their mettle on the climb. They meet up with a team of two Germans after about three days on the route (neither team initially knows that the other team is on the mountain).

 

Both of the Germans die, as does Longhi. Only Corti lives after an incredible rescue operation, but with remorse for the way he endangered his partners. IIRC, no one would climb with Corti again after the event and the demise of the others was not without some suspicion about Corti having had a hand in their deaths in order to save his own hide.

 

I read this book about 12 years ago in about two sittings, it was that good. The author's name is Jack Olsen, who was more popularly known as an early version of Ann Rule and her true crime genre. This book would make an equally exciting movie, much like Touching the Void, if the director and screenwriter were to keep to the actual story.

 

[img:left]http://www.jackolsen.com/jack-hell.jpg[/img] [img:right]http://www.jackolsen.com/covers/climbrev.jpg[/img]

 

 

[goatboy]

Ahh, thanks for the clarification . . . I've read bits and pieces about the events on which this movie is based, but is there a definitive account of it published?

[EastCoastBastard]

The White Spider (henirich harrer) has a pretty good accounting of it. It's a great movie, I saw it last year (it's been out for a long time). Throwing the girl into the story is a little silly, but it's still a very good climbing movie.

[Alpine_Tom]

I thought it was excellent. The authentic use of the 'state-of-the-art' gear was maybe the scariest part: people used to climb like that? Those primitive tents! that primitive clothing!

But, two guys "quitting" Hitler's army to go on a climb? Who knew the Wehrmacht was so liberal back then?

 

After watching it, I dug out my copy of The White Spider and re-read the chapter on the tragedy. The information on the book is pretty sketchy and novelistic, perhaps that's all the factual information there is on it. (He says the soldiers were on leave, which seems rather more plausible.)

Edited March 15, 2010 by Alpine_Tom

[Le Piston]

Thanks Goatboy...that is an awesome film. I got it on a Blueray disc. The cinematography and climbing sequences were impressive. It was certainly one of the better additions to my film library. My only mistake was watching it with my wife...now I have to negotiate even harder for my climbing trips!

[LostCamKenny]

saw it at cinema 21 in portland about 6 weeks ago and thought it was a great piece of entertainment for the climber. the romance was an unnecessary addition to the flic, but in hindsight i'd still pay to see it again - actually i wouldn't cause it is on netflix now

 

many inaccuracies concerning some of the story (if you look at it from the perspective of "the white spider") but it still doesn't take away from the awesome shots and emotion portrayed by the climbers/actors. in a way the viewer actually felt like they were there - that's probably as close to the nf of the eiger as i'll ever get....

[curtveld]

The authentic use of the 'state-of-the-art' gear was maybe the scariest part: people used to climb like that? Those primitive tents! that primitive clothing!

I thought the hardware and rope techniques were reasonably sophisticated for the 30s. The scary part was to imagine going up on a huge route with absolutely no weather forecast.

 

Overall a good, but not great, movie. Most climbers will enjoy it, but I definitely wouldn't encourage any non-climbing family members.