Directed by Philipp Stölzl from a screenplay by Stölzl, Christoph Silber, Johannes Naber, and Rupert Henning, the stunningly shot mountain-climbing drama North Face is currently playing in the Los Angeles area at Encino’s Town Center 5, West LA’s Royal Theatre, and Pasadena’s Playhouse 7, in addition to Irvine’s University Town Center. The adventure drama stars Benno Fürmann, Johanna Wokalek, Florian Lukas, Simon Schwarz, Georg Friedrich, and Ulrich Tukur (one of the leads in The White Ribbon).
A tale entwining melodrama, Nazis, Aryan superiority ideology, mind-blowing vistas, and some pretty awesome stunts, North Face won the best screenplay and best cinematography (Kolja Brandt) awards from the German Film Critics Association, and best cinematography and sound awards from the German Film Academy.
The synopsis below is from the North Face press release:
"Based on a true story, NORTH FACE is a gripping adventure drama about a competition to climb the most dangerous rock face in the Alps. In 1936, Nazi propaganda urges German Alpinists to conquer the unclimbed north face of the Swiss massif, the Eiger, bringing two reluctant climbers, Toni Kurz (BENNO FÜRMANN) and Andi Hinterstoisser (FLORIAN LUKAS), to begin their daring ascent and attempt to scale the infamous rock face, often called the Murder Wall.
"While preparing themselves at the foot of the North Face, Toni and Andi unexpectedly run into Luise (JOHANNA WOKALEK), the early love of Toni. Now a journalist, she has come with her boss Arau (ULRICH TUKUR), a loyal Nazi, to report about the first ascent. Toni begins the ascent of the North Face with Andi, closely followed by two Austrians Willy Angerer (SIMON SCHWARZ) and Edi Rainer (GEORG FRIEDRICH). All goes well at first as both rope teams make good headway but then the climbers lose their advantage over the mountain and the race against time and the forces of nature begins."
Also, Milan Records has digitally released the North Face soundtrack. Austrian composer Christian Kolonovits created the symphonic score. For more information, go to http://www.milanrecords.com.
Photos: Music Box Films.
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I enjoyed the score immensely.