User reviews

North Face (2008)

Well, this is one exhausting, harrowing, amazing experience on film. Even the actors, acting and not actually fighting for their lives, look like they've been through hell. The filming holds back nothing on the horror of being caught in a storm on the infamous North Face of the Eiger, in the Alps. These very talented, likable chaps (even though Germans just before WWII, yes), are up against it big time. And the movie makes the most of it.

It's a simple story, and a simple structure, contrasting the comfortable press corps down below with their fireplaces and wine, against the men on the cliff, night and day. A woman and a love story are a part of it as we go, but this is more a love/hate story of men against each other, against themselves, and against the mountain, weather systems included.

It's a relief to see a movie without heroes. There is a lot of heroism, for sure, and admirable human behavior up and down. But none of the throbbing music as one or the other of the men performs an impossible feat. This is about a real life and death confrontation, and breakdown, and impossibility. Well done, well done. High frustrating and nerve wracking to watch, but well done.

The cinematography here is brilliant. The film does a wonderful job in portraying the close-up atmosphere that's possible and lethal in some of these violent outdoor places. I think it's easily one of the best climbing-themed films out for this reason. Go and see the movie for breathtaking scenes.

I think it was let down (not much) by the way the climbing theme was tied to the sub-plots. A third of the film has no mountains in it at all, which is fine, but as long as it was going to branch into another kind of film, I think I would have enjoyed more character development. The Nazi theme is brushed over as background politics, with little attempt to show disturbing things were brewing. We barely learn anything about the attitudes of the people involved in the film. I guess this may have been fear of distracting from the film's main theme, but which I think could have made the entire story and characters stronger if it were done well and believably.

Some details of these sub-plots also directly interfered with the main climbing theme, and maybe believability. eg. The love story (presumably tacked on for interest) included Luise shouting into a storm and amazingly being heard. I found this very difficult to believe -- I've been in what I thought were similar storms at high altitude (not dangling from a cliff), and had trouble screaming and being heard by people a couple of metres in front of me. Since leaving I've also read conflicting stories about the ending sequence, and although there would clearly have to be much creative licence for much of this under the circumstances, I now also wonder how much even confirmed facts have been changed to romanticise the story more.

All of this is small nitpicking, though. If you want to see some awesome cinematography it's a brilliant mountain film which makes it one of my favourite films. It's also not such a bad story if you're less pedantic than myself.

"One has lived if one has loved." Luise

In 1936, Nazi Germany was eager to propagandize the race for "the last remaining problem in the Alps," scaling the face of the treacherous Eiger. Enter into the race dutiful Germans Toni (Benno Furmann) and Andi (Florian Lukas); the race is on with two Austrians as competitors in a climbing romance called North Face. Touching the Void (2004) was more harrowing and less boy-girl romantic, but this emphasis on non-climbing romance I can love or hate depending on how demanding I am at the moment about the purity of the climb.

The political subtext is apparent—as Germany is about to annex Austria and the Olympics are imminent, a win on the Eiger would be good for the Nazis. Much as this is a suspenseful adventure of love for climbing, based on a true story, it is also a love story, connecting climber Toni and Luise (Johanna Wolkolek), a photographer and childhood friend of both mountaineers. It is she who watches the adventurers throughout the suspenseful climb and return, kissing Toni only once.

That minimalism pervades the film as no kiss goes any further and no rappel is overly dramatized—they are what they are set against the majestic Alps and the cruel Swiss massif. (That the Eiger "ogre" waits to devour anyone who tries the North Face may be fanciful; nonetheless what happens to the best of climbers would give even the sternest skeptic reason to pause about that legend). The editing is first-rate: Never for a moment did I think it is a movie made not on location and with actors because the shots are believable and wild.

Parallel cutting to the comfortable lodge with waiting reporters, dignitaries, and telescope gawkers serves as a convenient counterpoint to the harrowing climb. At times, I wanted to throttle the insouciant ones who seemed oblivious to the life and death struggle on the mountain.

The most beautiful day I ever spent hiking was down the Jungfrau with the Eiger seemingly all around. My Facebook portrait is of me standing at a crest with that most dangerous Alpine rock face as background. I loved that day, that mountain, and this film.

The invention of the 'love interest' actually undermines the force of the tragedy here. If you are unaware of the real story you may well find this a bracing and dramatic experience. However, he filmmakers reluctance just to allow the depth of the actual event to speak for itself dilutes the film somewhat and renders it a little disappointing.

The reaction this film got at the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) in Pusan, South Korea, was better than any of the other big movies there.

This movie gets a 10 out of 10 from me. It is a harsh story about Germany in the 30s as the Nazis were rising and wishing to prove to the world that they were the best. The tale is about two German men who take on a very difficult climb. The story is quite riveting, and human. Full of laughs, tragedy, and ... a little bit of a love story.

Although the movie starts a little slowly, it really picks up about one third the way in. The main characters (the two mountain climbers and the one female love interest) are all solid actors, well directed, and well casted. The director did a great job at capturing the climb. Everything was so convincingly shot, it makes you wonder if they actually filmed some of it on a real mountain. I suppose they must have used CGI, but it was used so sparingly and realistically that it must be commended. The contrast between the plight of the mountain climbers and that of the rich bystanders makes the movie so much more emotionally riveting. Some people in the audience cried.

This is a tragedy that must be seen. It captures humanity at its best and worst... and shows us that sometimes nature rules our lives, and that it is not forgiving.

Overall, I felt this movie was a small masterpiece. One that will probably not be seen by many. But for those who do, you will get a very special treat...

It was especially amazing to know that you, as the viewer, had more than a telescope to watch this climb with... unlike the bystanders in the movie, we were able to see more than just the ascent and the final moment. We saw the part that mattered the most: the climb.

10/10.. Solid

Interesting, gripping, docu-drama about a 1936 German expedition in its attempt to be the first to successfully climb the North Face of the Eiger. Moving story, well told.

Solid performances all round.

Nordwand moves along like a finely jeweled Swiss watch. It functions at many levels: It is the story of a young female trying to earn respect in a man's world of journalism in 1936 Berlin. It is the story of her boss, whose "nose for news" reflects the morbid fascination of a readership that craves either the heights of historic triumph or the depths of tragic failure -- any middle ground is not "newsworthy." It is the tale of young friends trying to make names for themselves by daring exploit.

The film poses many questions. Is our attraction to mortally dangerous acts powered by the same force that drew Roman crowds to the gladiator arena? Do adventurers seek glory for themselves, or are they goaded to risk their lives for the satisfaction of others? And if the daring cross the line between the heroic and the foolhardy, must their rescuers do the same?

This film is a travelogue back in time, from Berlin to Bavaria to the Swiss Alps by bicycle and train. It's an art film, with the Eiger providing photogenic backdrop. It's an adventure film. It's a love story. It's a tragedy. It is one part historic documentary and three parts cinematic drama, all in cadence. Oh yes, it is also a great film about climbing.

A German historical drama; A brutal and gripping account of the 1936 attempt by two Germans and two Austrians to summit on the North Face of the Eiger mountain before the 1938 Olympic games. The story is weighed down by the baggage of Nazi Aryanism, embodied over-candidly by a Berlin journalist with few scruples, who is observing their ascent. The romantic element feels unnecessary given the drama on the rock. The mountain action is terrific and it is photographed brilliantly.

I have seen a lot of climbing movies and this one tops them all. The climbing scenes are remarkable- it will keep you on the edge of your seat! To see these guys climbing thousands of feet up on this face with the old equipment is incredible, and you feel like you are actually there with the amazing cinematography. It left me asking, "how in the world did they film that?!" It is an astonishing true story. If you don't know about it, do yourself a favor and watch the movie before reading about it. Why don't they make more movies like this?? Hollywood needs to learn a lesson…tell a true story, be faithful to it, and don't rely on CGI and special effects.

If you are at all interested in mountain climbing- dangerous mountain climbing, or if you think you might want to learn more about risk taking mountain climbing this movie is for you. This is an award winning German film with English subtitles, set in Germany in 1936. The government has encouraged German mountain climbers to show the world how brave and strong they are by climbing this most difficult mountain. The chilling (and we do mean ice cold and freezing) attempt to do this feat is the main plot of this film. It is based on a true story. Most of it, including all the life and death parts of the movie, are based on known facts of an actual occurrence. One of the guests at our film screening was a young alpine mountain climber who not only had heard of the actual events shown but verified that all the situations on the mountain , pitfalls and climbing techniques with pitons and ropes etc were quite authentic. This was a period piece nicely depicting the lavish hotel setting at the base of the mountain. However, most of the two hours and one minute of this film take place in the outside bitter cold. We also learned that this movie is in the tradition of some great German mountain climbing movies which we haven't seen. While we were caught up with the suspense and adventure, we did feel there was too much time up there in the mountain with snow continually falling or alternating between flakes to avalanches. The movie was very skillfully done. The story line was interesting and painful, but wasn't complex and stimulating enough for all we had to bear in watching it.

This is one of the best mountaineering films I have ever seen. It is one of the great mountaineering stories in the history of climbing. If you have a chance to see it, go the extra mile to get there. I was fortunate enough to see it at UC Irvine, Sneak Previews with Michael Berlin. I have been climbing most of my long life and have been watching climbing films for 40 years, this one really gives a sense of what it is really like in full conditions. This movie opens in the USA in January in New York and in Feb in the Los Angeles area. I really hope that people will support this film and that it gets to travel to other more remote parts of the country. Made in Germany in 2008, and widely supported there, I was pleasantly surprised by the non Hollywood style. It is almost like it was filmed in 1936 when the actual event transpired. Enjoy and support!

The real story of Toni Kurz and the tragedy on the Eiger is amazing and heartbreaking. Absolutely mesmerizing. Would have made a wonderful movie. And then someone decided to "fancy it up"...

I think of this as a Hollywood thing, but apparently it exists in Germany, too. You've got an amazing true story. One that would keep people on the edge of their seats. Perfect!

But, no, that's not enough for the movie producer/writer/studio executive/whoever. Let's introduce a totally made up character into an otherwise true story as a "love interest." Because, ya know, if it's all guys, someone might start thinking they're gay or something. Or maybe some executive said, "Women won't see this unless we add a girl." And thereby ruined the movie.

I basically got mad halfway through at the added garbage and skimmed through the rest, cursing the whole time.

There are some other annoying things, like creating a fake antagonism between the climbers, but the main thing that ruined the movie was the additional of the fake female character. (And no disrespect to the actress - she was excellent.)

I strongly suggest watching The Beckoning Silence instead if you want to see the real story.

I wasn't familiar with the story behind Nordwand which is absolutely essential to get the most out of this masterpiece. I also watched, like I always do, the movie in it's original language, German, with English subtitles. Even though I don't speak German I could tell the cast was absolutely stunning in their performance, perfectly casted and directed.

Due to the Swedish distributor Atlantic Films commercial need to picture Nordwand (a.k.a North Face) as a WWII-movie the Blu-ray cover is covered in Nazi-symbols and references to Der Führer. I thankfully found very little of this in the movie. Instead the director choose to invest the first third of the movie into the characters which he did great. Then the story moved to the Eiger and the Nordwand.

Watching Andi and Toni climb in their 1936-gear is breathtaking. I was totally on the edge of my seat most of the time, and remember, I didn't know how the story would end. The experience was amazing and I really connected with the actors and their story.

It's now been 12 hours since I finished watching Nordwand and I have been thinking about it ever since. Nordwand is a heartwarming story unlike everything that could ever come out of Hollywood. It's up there with another German masterpiece; Das Boot. A perfect 10 and a Must See!

North Face is a fantastic drama, man fighting against all odds and an unforgiving nature, based on a true story. Production and acting, everything is just excellent and gripping. There is only one but rather issue I got with this movie - the implementation of the role of Luise Fellner, which is completely fictional, and in my opinion, that role (well played, but nonetheless) is not only unnecessary but ends up in some real kitsch in the end (I hear the producer: we need some female lead heroin!). Anyway, the by far greatest part of the movie is a fine drama set in to the wonderful landscape of the Alps. North Face: still better than most movies of that kind of movies.

I have been at the Eiger twice myself, and i can just recommend it to visit Grindelwald/Eiger to everyone. The mountain with his north-face is very impressive. Like the K2 is one of the most difficult mountains for climbers nowadays, it was the Eiger in the 20s and 30s. So last time i was in Grindelwald (the village below the Eiger) this October, i saw in one advertising window of the local cinema the movie "Nordwand"! Unlucky the movie was booked out on that day, so i could not see the film until now! And what can i say, the story has everything, its thrilling and dramatic and also is a true story. There are a few untrue moments but you can overlook them. So my advice is, if you can see in the movies, don't wait, run and watch it!

I fully agree with lukasbrunner's review below.

Such a great story, such a mountain….really deserved something better.

As for historical accuracy? Rainer and Angerer were neither "bad Nazis", nor hostile to Hinterstoisser and Kurz: Actually they had decided to join forces before they started the climb.

The Nazis never pushed those guys into attempting the North face, nor supported them: If they had government support ,they wouldn't have to stay in tents, and travel to Switzerland…by bicycle!

Actually,Hinterstoisser and Kurz's commanding officer tried to stop them, but they chose to pretend they had never received the cable forbidding them to climb.

If you want to see what really happened, and who these people really were, watch Joe Simpson's "The beckoning silence"

Great climbing shots - but also shot-for-shot ripoffs of Clint Eastwood's "Eiger Sanctions". Loved the history, but lost interest when it turned into a rehash of the earlier film. I can't think of anything more challenging than conquering this mountain. And the fact that there were no hard-hats, no down sleeping bags for bivouacs back then. Just like those whose made it to the top of Everest with no oxygen. They were stronger back then, and I have nothing but admiration for those who made it back to tell the tale. I also recommend Jon Krakauer's "Into Thin Air" for a very real taste of those who have the stamina to ascend, and those in our modern age who are instead carried to the summit.