Although I haven't seen many other films about mountain climbing, I would agree with some of the reviewers who say it is the best film ever made about this dangerous sport. Since 1935, at least fifty climbers have died attempting the north face.
It is based on a true story, if one believes the publicity for the movie. Anyway, Wikipedia (if you trust the contributors to the site) confirms this, while providing many details that help explain the action; some parts of the movie are so gripping that the viewer can easily forget details.
In one part of the movie the female lead pleads with a rescue team to reach the climbers, who got stuck for several days in a storm. They only agree to go on the mission when the she replies positively to a question, that one of the climbers is her man, although in the story it is not clear how developed their relationship is, apart and beyond a long-term childhood friendship. They ascend in a cog-wheel railcar through a tunnel in the mountain, towards a tunnel window from which they hope to reach the stranded climbers. The camera moves from face to face in the railcar, and it becomes evident that the rescuers and heroine consider themselves as one family (or clan). It's not clear to me if the camera operator and/or film editor manipulated anything, but the faces do look as if they are from the same genetic strand.
***Spoilers below*** The film leaves out an important fact that sheds a different perspective on the chances of a successful return from the summit. The film plot would lead the viewer to believe the only back down is to retrace the route up. Given the perilous conditions, the viewer concludes that the climbers are crazy to risk their lives in this attempt. This is most likely true under any circumstances. However, from the top they could descend by the easy western route. This is what the successful 1938 team did; a four-man team of Austrian and German climbers reached the top in three days. Among them was Heinrich Harrar, author of "Seven Years in Tibet." A 1997 film was made of this true story, with Brad Pitt as the protagonist. In the foreword of his book, Harrar says that it was his dream to join the German-Austrian expedition to ascend the Diamir Face of Nanga Parbat (8125 m) in the Himalayas. Because he was a student from a modest family, he wasn't able to join the expedition as a contributing member, but, instead, felt that he had to distinguish himself in other ways and thus be selected to join the expedition. He decided to make a name for himself by climbing the north face of the Eiger. This he accomplished, with a team of three others, in 1938. The route they followed was the one identified by one of the 1936 team, and it includes the portion now known as the Hinterstoisser traverse. There is irony here: he wanted to be recognized as being capable for the ascent of the 8000+ m Nanga Parbat, and succeeded on the 3970 m Eiger where so many others had failed.
It is based on a true story, if one believes the publicity for the movie. Anyway, Wikipedia (if you trust the contributors to the site) confirms this, while providing many details that help explain the action; some parts of the movie are so gripping that the viewer can easily forget details.
In one part of the movie the female lead pleads with a rescue team to reach the climbers, who got stuck for several days in a storm. They only agree to go on the mission when the she replies positively to a question, that one of the climbers is her man, although in the story it is not clear how developed their relationship is, apart and beyond a long-term childhood friendship. They ascend in a cog-wheel railcar through a tunnel in the mountain, towards a tunnel window from which they hope to reach the stranded climbers. The camera moves from face to face in the railcar, and it becomes evident that the rescuers and heroine consider themselves as one family (or clan). It's not clear to me if the camera operator and/or film editor manipulated anything, but the faces do look as if they are from the same genetic strand.
***Spoilers below*** The film leaves out an important fact that sheds a different perspective on the chances of a successful return from the summit. The film plot would lead the viewer to believe the only back down is to retrace the route up. Given the perilous conditions, the viewer concludes that the climbers are crazy to risk their lives in this attempt. This is most likely true under any circumstances. However, from the top they could descend by the easy western route. This is what the successful 1938 team did; a four-man team of Austrian and German climbers reached the top in three days. Among them was Heinrich Harrar, author of "Seven Years in Tibet." A 1997 film was made of this true story, with Brad Pitt as the protagonist. In the foreword of his book, Harrar says that it was his dream to join the German-Austrian expedition to ascend the Diamir Face of Nanga Parbat (8125 m) in the Himalayas. Because he was a student from a modest family, he wasn't able to join the expedition as a contributing member, but, instead, felt that he had to distinguish himself in other ways and thus be selected to join the expedition. He decided to make a name for himself by climbing the north face of the Eiger. This he accomplished, with a team of three others, in 1938. The route they followed was the one identified by one of the 1936 team, and it includes the portion now known as the Hinterstoisser traverse. There is irony here: he wanted to be recognized as being capable for the ascent of the 8000+ m Nanga Parbat, and succeeded on the 3970 m Eiger where so many others had failed.
