Nordwand (North Face)
2008
***½
Director: Philipp Stölzl
Cast: Benno Fürmann, Johanna Wokalek, Florian Lukas, Simon Schwarz, Georg Friedrich, Ulrich Tukur, Erwin Steinhauer, Branko Samarovski, Petra Morzé
By July 1936, no one has successfully climbed the north face of Eiger in the Swiss Alps. Two Bavarian climbers, Toni Kurz and Andi Hinterstoisser, are determined to be the first, but they have two Nazi-backed Austrians on their heels. However, the competition is quickly put aside when both teams face the wrath of the infamously hostile mountain. This tense German drama is based on a true story, but it is flourished with some fictional romantic elements. The scenes on the mountain are gripping, well acted, and wonderfully staged. The scenes on the ground are not as compelling.
