NORTH FACE (2008) ¢ ¢ ¢ ¢
D: Philipp Stölzl
Benno Fürmann, Florian Lukas, Johanna Wokalek
A gripping, bone-chilling adventure about the attempt in 1936 by two pairs of mountain climbers - two Germans and two Austrians - to scale the world's most notorious wall of rock: the North Face of the Eiger. The first team to the top gets an Olympic gold medal and the reflected glory the feat will bring to the Third Reich. For the Austrians, the political aspect is a motivating force. The Germans couldn't care less. Thrilling location work up on the mountain, and a charismatic performance by Benno Fürmann as the German team's more cautious member, who would still rather be scrambling up an Alp than cleaning latrines in Hitler's Mountain Division. Warning: If you watch this where it's air-conditioned, wear a coat. You can practically feel the ice crystals lashing your face and the mountain wind cutting through your clothes.
