SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET: Blu-Ray (Columbia/Mandalay 1997) Sony Home Entertainment
Shot mostly in Argentina, Canada, Nepal and Austria,
and based on Austrian mountaineer, Heinrich Harrer's detailed autobiography,
director Jean-Jacques Annaud's Seven Years in Tibet (1997) is the kind
of sweeping and glamorous epic that harks back to the days of David Lean. That
the end result is a lot less Lean-esque, and very much intent on convincing us
its star, Brad Pitt can carry off a German accent is a shortcoming from which,
arguably, the movie never entirely recovers. Mercifully, there is lots here
apart from Pitt’s performance to admire, chiefly, Robert Fraisse’s
cinematography which manages to conceal the fact a lot of the movie was not
photographed in indigenous locales. Ditto for Hoang Thanh At’s production
design and John Williams’ magnificent score. When all else fails – and it doesn’t,
much – Seven Years in Tibet is always a visually arresting experience. The screenplay by Becky Johnston develops an
interesting alter-narrative to Harrer's biographical account of his journey
into the Himalayas – chalk it up to artistic license – while still managing to
capture the essential flavor and mood of the piece. Unable to shoot in Tibet, director,
Annaud achieved a minor coup by sneaking a second unit in to capture
approximately 20 min. of legitimate footage in and around the Forbidden City of
Lhasa.
This being Hollywood’s version of the truth, there are
discrepancies worth noting, beginning with the dissociation of Harrer from the
Nazi party. By all accounts, Harrer was unabashedly proud of his status as a Nazi
Schutzstaffel NCO. Yet, in the movie, he gets misrepresented as a reluctant
'sympathizer' of the Nationalist Socialist agenda, even correcting an interviewer
who refers to him as a German hero – “thank you, but I’m Austrian.” Harrer
agrees to plant the Swastika atop the Tibetan high plateau as a symbol of the climb
on their behalf. In all likelihood, the
real Harrer viewed this assignment as a great honor. The movie also makes an
issue of Harrer’s connection to his son even though in his book the real Harrer
makes no reference to either his wife, Ingrid (Ingeborga
Dapkūnaitė) or child. While Harrer was already divorced by the time he set out
to conquer the Himalayas, this movie infers his decision to climb just prior to
Ingrid giving birth is at the crux of the couple’s eventually dissolution – further
confirmed when, upon Harrer’s return home after seven years absence, he
discovers Ingrid since remarried; the boy, with no recollection of his real father,
reared by his stepfather. In reality, Harrer’s ex-wife’s new husband was killed
in the war and Harrer’s son was raised by his maternal grandmother. In Harrer’s
autobiography he further infers there was nothing to tie him to home, hence his
decision to remain in Tibet.
Arguably, for the sake of the movie’s continuity, much
of the actual historical timeline is taken out of sequence and context. Tenzin
Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama (first portrayed in the movie by Dorjee
Tsering, age 4; next, Sonam Wangchuk, age 8, and finally, Jamyang Jamtsho
Wangchuk, age 14) was actually enthroned as the temporal leader of Tibet on November
17th, 1950. After China invaded across the Jinsha River in Oct. of
that same year, a Tibetan delegation was sent to Beijing to discuss the
Seventeen Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet. The Dalai Lama was
forced to flee, taking refuge on the border with India and Sikkim, but later,
coming home to Lhasa. Loosely covering the years between 1944 and 1951, Seven
Years in Tibet opens with Harrer and his wife, Ingrid quarreling over his
latest mountain-climbing venture. Unsympathetic to Ingrid's emotional and
physical state (she is pregnant with their first child), Harrer entrusts his
good friend, Horst Immerhof (Gerardo Ebert) to look after Ingrid while he is
away. Egotistical, pompous and self-righteous to a fault, Harrer joins his
expedition team, fronted by Peter Autschanaiter (David Thewlis). Alas, their
relationship is tempestuous from the outset, mostly due to Harrer's inability
to consider himself as part of a team. Regrettably, Harrer's over-zealousness to
conquer the Himalayas turns rancid during a harrowing storm and avalanche. At
the outbreak of WWII, Harrer and the rest of the climbers are declared enemies
of the British Empire, arrested and taken to an internment camp in India. Over
the next several years, Harrer stages several daring escapes – all, to end with
his recapture.
Peter and several members from the climbing team
devise a more devious plan to impersonate British officers and local Indian laborer.
And although Harrer considers this plan most foolhardy – mostly, because he did
not think of it first, at the last possible moment he elects to join his fellow
escapees. The ruse gets Peter and Harrer past the camp. But now, Harrer’s old
habits return. Considering himself outside the parameters of the group, he
pares off, declaring he is better off alone. After nearly starving to death and
enduring a brutal bout of dysentery from eating spoiled food left as a
religious offering, Harrer and Peter are reunited. Peter plans to seek work in
China, a prospect that sounds promising to Harrer as well. But again, the two
men are taken hostage – this time, by marauding bandits. Again, they manage a
harrowing escape by night. To sustain themselves, Harrer and Peter slaughter
their horses and consume the raw meat. Left for dead in the middle of nowhere,
Harrer and Peter next encounter pilgrims en route to the forbidden city of
Lhasa.
Their presence is hardly welcomed by the locals who
consider Europeans the devil. Only the Lord Chamberlain (Ngawang Chojor) and
Gnawwang Jigme (B.D. Wong) advisor to his Holiness, the Dali Lama (Jamyang
Jamtsho Wangchuk) take a personal interest in these weary travelers - the
former, offering them the comforts of his modest home, the latter, making
Harrer and Peter a gift of new clothes hand-sewn by local tailor, Perma Lhaki
(Lhakpa Tsamchoe). Harrer is smitten with Perma, strutting at every opportunity
to win her affections. Perma is hardly impressed. She quickly makes it known to
Harrer that her heart is not stirred by such ostentatious behavior. Moreover, she
is much drawn to the more reserved and introspective Peter. Time passes. Peter
and Perma are wed, relocating to a remote farm on the outskirts of the
Forbidden City. It is a bitter pill for Harrer to swallow until he is informed
by Great Mother (Jetsun Pema) of the Dali Lama’s express wishes to meet with
him. From here the movie’s narrative shifts its focus almost exclusively to
Harrer's paternal affections toward the enlightened one, associating their friendship
as a surrogate for Harrer's guilt and to justify having abandoned his own son
back home.
In the meantime, the winds of change have brought
political unrest to Lhasa's inhabitants. A visit from the
People's Republic of China, Gen. Chang Jing Wu (Ric Young) is hardly
reassuring, particularly after the General and his advisors desecrate an
intricate floor mosaic the Tibetan monks have been toiling over for more than a
month as a gesture of goodwill toward their Chinese invaders. Ngawang Jigme
makes a critical error by surrendering a mere eleven days after several
villages are attacked, blowing up the Tibetan ammunitions’ depot and thereby
dismantling all hope of a counter attack. As Chinese forces take hold of Tibet,
Harrer condemns Ngawang Jigme as a traitor to his Holiness. Now, Harrer returns
to the High Lama with a plan of escape. This, alas, is thwarted when the Lama
explains to Harrer he cannot leave his people when they need him most. It is
through the Lama's compassion, understanding and finally, blunt assertion to
Harrer - he never considered him as a father – that finally convince Harrer it
is time to leave Tibet and return home, to Austria. Becky Johnston’s screenplay
concludes on a note or restrained optimism. Harrer is reunited with his son,
Rolf (Sebastian Zevalia as a child/Phillip Kreichbaum as a teenager). A bond
begins to form, with the implication being that Harrer has found renewed
purpose in his life as a father-figure. In reality, Harrer would remain
estranged from his son for the rest of his life.
Despite its artistic alterations, Seven Years in
Tibet remains a masterful entertainment, marginally marred by its miscasting
of Brad Pitt as Harrer, who so incredibly fractures his ‘Austrian’ accent there
is not a word to escape his lips that can be believably absorbed as truth. Pitt
would have done better to forego the accent entirely, as Robert Redford had
done when playing Denys Finch Hatton – a Brit – in Out of Africa (1985).
But no – we get Pitt trying desperately to affect an accent he only picks up in
a few words, but otherwise mangles as rank parody. His pronunciation of the ‘Himalayas’
is ruthlessly awful. History does not escape Hollywood’s artistic scrutiny. As
example: China's Gen. Wu is depicted as a heartless Communist who equates
religion to poison and encouraged his soldiers in their desecration of the Tibetan
village. But this too is a fabrication of Becky Johnston's imagination, as the
picture’s third act needed a villain. So enraged were Chinese officials after
pre-screening Seven Years in Tibet, that Jean-Jacques Annaud and his star, Brad
Pitt were officially banned from ever entering China. Finally, Johnston's
screenplay lacks in expressing Harrer's contributions while in Tibet. Instead,
Harrer's pomposity is meant as a counterbalance to Peter’s generosity, his
ultimately enlightenment before the final fade out, made admirable for fiction,
if virtually to emasculate the real Harrer's flaws. These are far more detailed
in Harrer’s autobiography - and arguably, far more captivating as they illustrate
a sincerity to reflect upon his life with a genuine and critical eye. Pitt’s
Harrer suffers not from such genuine introspection. Oh well, as Hitchcock would
say, “It’s only a movie.”
Sony's Blu-Ray is a marvel, perhaps not altogether surprising
since, even in the early days of hi-def remastering, Sony was at the forefront –
having, not only established the Blu-ray format as the clear winner of the
hi-def format war, but also, under Grover Crisp’s asset management, to serve as
a guiding exemplar of how to properly preserve and restore Columbia/Tri-Star’s
movie catalog to disc for home video consumption. Seven Years in Tibet is a visual
masterpiece, given over to a rich, bold and vibrant presentation in hi-def
Blu-ray. Colors pop. Flesh tones have been accurately reproduced. Fine detail
takes a quantum leap forward. The audio is DTS 5.1 and very aggressive in spots
- most noticeably in its music cues. Dialogue is natural sounding and crisp.
SFX are well integrated. Extras are limited to a brief ‘puff piece’ featurette
and trailers. Bottom line: while not historically accurate, Seven Years in
Tibet is an oft absorbing motion picture meant to be experiences in hi-def.
This Blu-ray, does the movie justice. Recommended!
FILM RATING (out of 5 - 5 being the best)
3.5
VIDEO/AUDIO
4.5
EXTRAS
1
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