Seven Years in Tibet





Starring
Brad Pitt, David Thewlis, Jamyang Wangchuk

Rating


Rating within genre


Rated
PG-13 for brief violence

Directed by
Jean-Jacques Annaud

Written by
Becky Johnston
Heinrich Harrer *book*

Genre
Drama-adventure

Film
Color; 2 hrs. 19 min.

Date of Release
1997

Filming Locations
Tibet
Campbell River, BC (Canada)
Vancouver, BC (Canada)
Warwickshire, England (UK)
Mendoza (Argentina)
Austria

Synopsis
A Nazi sympathizer joins a friend on a trip to climb Mt. Nanga Parbat of the Himalayas. When the war breaks out, both of them are sent to a POW camp, which they eventually escape from and run to the holy city of Lhasa, in Tibet. There, Heinrich becomes a close personal friend of the teenage Dalai Lama, and joins him in the peace-oriented fight against the Chinese.

Summary
Based on a true story, 'Seven Years in Tibet' is a beautifully done movie that is realistic and moving. All the actors do a very convincing job, and the storyline captures your interest and holds you all the way through. Though the whole movie isn't full of mind-blowing action, there is hardly a boring point for the duration of the film. So if you haven't seen this flick, any day's a good day to go and check it out.

Notable Quotes
* * * * * *

Reviews


Stygian Films: "Pitt and Thewlis do a beautiful job together, and the drama is intense and emotional."

Apollo Leisure Guide: "Brad Pitt is often maligned, but he's pretty well cast in this film as the poster boy for Aryan supremacy: blond, blue-eyed and beautiful. His performance in the role of Austrian mountaineer Harrer is adequate though overshadowed by the terrific performances of Wang Chuck and Thewlis."

Film.com: "Cinematographer Robert Fraisse's wide-screen images certainly impress, especially on a big screen. In a marketplace that's currently crammed with violent, racy, R-rated movies, this PG-13 tale of a Nazi transformed by the wonders of Tibet could even become a freak success."

Rough Cut: "There's a lot of up-front symbolism and foreshadowing to wade through, but that doesn't stop this from being the most unpretentious and big-hearted film of the year."

Roger Ebert: "From the moment of the first appearance of the Dalai Lama, the film takes on greater interest."

USA Today: "Pitt is no disgrace but is blown off the screen by a bright-eyed adolescent actor."


Cast List

Brad Pitt................................Heinrich Harrer
David Thewlis........................Peter Aufschnaiter
Jamyang Wangchuk...............Dalai Lama at age 14
Ric Young.............................General Chang Jing Wu
B.D. Wong............................Ngawang Jigme


At the end of the world his real journey began.






Also recommended
Everest
Kundun


Pictures taken from MovieWeb