"Der heilige Berg" or "The Holy Mountain" is a German silent film in black-and-white from the year 1926, so this one has its 90th anniversary this year already. It was written and directed by German filmmaker Arnold Fanck, a man who is mostly known for his mountain-themed films from the first half of the 20th century. The cast includes Ernst Petersen, a regular in Fanck's films, Leni Riefenstahl before her days as a propaganda filmmaker, and Luis Trenker, a famous mountain climber who turned to acting. The film runs for 100 minutes approximately, but I have to say that in terms of the story and the plot 50 minutes would have been more than enough. The story is not the greatest strength here about a pair of climbers and a woman who stands between them, but this is a common problem with Fanck's works. However, his biggest strength also keeps this film from being a really boring or disastrous watch. Visually, it is way ahead of its time, no doubt about it. The snowy landscapes are a joy to watch and I can see why this film still appeals to people today. There are some genuinely beautiful shots in here. However, this is not enough to make up for the deficits in terms of story-telling and my overall verdict for this movie from between World Wars I and II is a negative one. Thumbs down and I do not recommend the watch. The good thing for foreign audiences is that this film also exists with English intertitles if they really want to see it. But I cannot really support this decision.
Review of The Holy Mountain
