Based on a true story, North Face is a suspenseful adventure film about a competition to climb the most dangerous rock face in the Alps. Set in 1936, as Nazi propaganda urges the nation's Alpinists to conquer the unclimbed north face of the Swiss massif - the Eiger - two reluctant German climbers begin their daring ascent. Summary written by Irishlass240
And so my fascination with German films continues, "North Face" being one of the more striking examples. It's nail-bitingly suspenseful, historically-interesting and visually-stunning. It's a little-known story, at least in the US, I would imagine, but another example of Germany's mindset in the 1930's right before the war, but deeper than that, a glimpse into the sheer fearlessness climbers have to possess to do what they do, and the cost of that fearlessness.
I liked the acting in general, although the film's heroine Luisa seemed to have two states: happy or devastated. She has the face of a less-structured Cate Blanchett but lacked the timelessness and elegance, which worked, because her character is a country mouse at heart. Maybe that innocence explains her polarized expressions, but I dunno. The two climbers were much more interesting, Andi and Toni. Toni appears to be the elder, at least at heart, with a melancholy nature and longing eyes. Andi is excitable and the bolder of the two. They had wonderful chemistry as best friends.
The true star of the movie though is, of course, the mountain. The camera work is excellent, capturing angles I can only begin to imagine to perform. The north face is merciless and barren and definitely earns its place as the most dangerous slope in the Alps. In the movie, it's known as "The Last Problem of the Alps."
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