North Face tells the story of the 1936 contest between four men — outfitted with little more than fiber ropes, wool mittens, and perhaps a death wish — to climb the previously unscaled northern wall of the Eiger, all in the shadow of Hitler’s rise to power.
Based on a true story, North Face brings to life a sub-plotline from one of the most storied peaks in mountaineering history. The 2008 film (in German, with subtitles) depicts the 1936 attempt of four men to make a first ascent of the notoriously deadly 5,900-foot north face of the Eiger.
During Hitler’s rise to power, the ascent of the unclimbed wall became a sort of proxy for Nazi superiority, not unlike the role a moon landing played in the Cold War space race. Against this political backdrop, director Philipp Stölzl fictionalizes the real attempt by Toni Kurz and Andi Hinterstoisser to be the first climbers to top out via the Nordwand.
If The White Spider — Heinrich Harrer’s account of his 1938 first ascent of the face — didn’t already produce enough nightmares, this dramatization of the attempt certainly will.
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North Face is in theaters now. Click here for tickets.
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February 1st, 2010 at 3:13 pm
The book was good and scary, especially if you have taken a climbing class at the Tetons and Yosemite. Looking forward to the movie, as Clint Eastwood’s EIGER SANCTION was more of a drama romp,,,and looked back lot plastic mountain.
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