Everest [DVD]

This two part Canadian made for TV series, directed by Graeme Campbell, was first aired on CBC in 2008. It is based on Bruce Patterson's book "Canadians on Everest; The Courageous expedition of 1982", which was based on the true story of the Canadian attempt of that year to climb the worlds highest mountain. The series was produced by Alberta filmworks and shows high production values for a made for TV series, that lifts it well above the average climbing drama. Much of the filming was done in Canada, using that countries wonderful natural splendours to substitute for the Himalayas, which it achieves successfully.

We follow the story from the planning stages, which is thankfully brief, to the prolonged assault on Everest itself. The expedition is beset by problems. An avalanche kills three Sherpa's. An ice collapse kills another member of the team. The expedition leaders fight, the media turns against them and the exacerbated sponsors cut off supplies. The lead climber Laurie Skreslet then breaks three ribs jeopardising a summit attempt. But the team have enough determination and resolve despite these set backs, to make one last push for the summit from the exposed South Col.

The cast is made up of less well known actors, with the exception of course of William Shatner, who misleadingly appears on the DVD cover. He actually plays a support role as a newspaper reporter. Unsurprisingly given his advanced years he is not involved in the climbing. The film contains some pertinent reminders of the difficulties beset by such expeditions and the amount of logistical planning that is required. These are things that can be covered in its nearly 3 hour running time. Some of the mountain climbing scenes are very good indeed. Look out for the rather bizarre hallucinatory scene, where one of the climbers meets Mallory and Irvine in his befuddled dreams. They rather unsportingly refuse to answer the vital question every climber would like to know the answer to. Perhaps when and if I get to heaven I will make a bee line to them and pop the question. "Well, did you make the summit?" Sadly whatever the answer, we do know with certainty that they did not get back. Two victims of a mountain that was to exact a high toll in lives in the years to come.

The expedition members themselves and the author of the book Bruce Patterson were very critical of the film, believing that the climbers were not served well. The callous attitude of the fictional character Eric angered most of the team members. The divorce scene at the airport was added for melodrama. Roger Marshall did not go to the mountain in 1982, let alone punch anyone. The most positive comment made by one of the old team was "It could have been worse". Bruce Patterson himself wrote that the film did highlight some good truths, like the unwieldy size of the expedition and the friction between March and Marshall. It also showed the refusal of the team to accept March's order to leave the body of Blair Griffiths in the Khumbu ice fall.

Patterson astutely obseved that the film fitted the needs of the filmmakers to tell a gripping story, but it fell short of an authentic portrayal showing the climbers courage, resilience, compassion and sheer determination to achieve their goal. This seems a very honest assessment from the horse's mouth, that echoed the views of the climbers. But whatever the truth this is a very gripping film made in an almost home movie style at times, with the scenes of the groups banter especially. It is a much better film than those Hollywood productions "Vertical Limit" and "Cliffhanger", but perhaps falls short of those recent films "Touching the Void" and the very impressive "North Face". Despite the inaccuracies, which are to be expected, this is a very good series indeed and worth four stars. Recommended.

Usually mountaineering films are badly made, and this one not only does NOT escape this rule, it reinforces it. Watching it, you get the feeling that Everest is a flat place with some ice here and there. The "climbers" don't actually climb, they just walk around, occasionally being crushed by ice and rocks and then dust themselves off and go on. They never seem out of breath. Miraculously, there are tents and provisions waiting for them along the way; maybe some Supreme Being put them there for them. Most of the characters are downright annoying and don't look or act like mountaineers at all. Jason Priestley, featured on the cover, does not have any part in the plot whatsoever (he dies in the first 5 minutes, in Canada!!!) and fat mr. Shatner, also prominent on the cover, is an annoying reporter in Kathmandu, doing nothing.
This is a film to avoid watching, let alone buying. I made the second mistake, and then donated it to my local video club. It falls in the same quality abyss as "K2". If you want a real mountaineering film, I heartily suggest "The North Face" and "Die Berg Ruft" (the second one, a film made in 1938 (!!!) is actually a shining example of how to make a mountain film. It is STUNNING. It is very difficult to find it subtitled, but even if you don't speak German (I don't) it is great).

Enjoyed this film. Love the scenary and impact the 'story' based on true facts has. I feel it is for adults as younger children would not be interested as it does not move along quick enough for them. The questions the youngsters would ask to understand it would prevent the adult having the time to enjoy it. Appealing to men and women.