Everest - courtesy of Universal Pictures |
Iceland was first settled by Vikings, and every time an Icelander wanders into Venice, they seem to radiate the power of a harnessed Wagner opera. During the press conference for Everest, Kormakur was asked if the movie had any Icelandic qualities. Kormakur said, "I trained for the film every day as a kid, walking to school in a blizzard."
Everest - courtesy of Universal Pictures |
It is not a blockbuster in the Hollywood sense. It is an ensemble piece, about several different adventure-for-hire tour groups and their clients climbing up Mount Everest at the same time. With all the heavy-weather gear and goggles, it is often difficult to distinguish Jake Gyllenhaal from Jason Clarke. I found myself longing for a protagonist to hold onto; someone to get to know more intimately; a hero that triumphs over all odds. There is none of that -- every character has weaknesses and strengths; every character is likable and not. No one particularly stands out.
Everest - courtesy of Universal Pictures |
That eight people died on the same day was due to many factors, the most obvious one being that too many people were trying to reach the summit of Mount Everest on the same day, and there was too much congestion at a critical point -- about as glamorous as dying on the Los Angeles Freeway. In the picture, most of the people freeze to death rather undramatically -- but, again, it is a true story.
Everest - Courtesy Universal Pictures |
Maybe it takes a director from the Arctic Circle, the Land of the Midnight Sun and the Aurora Borealis, to tell the story of that fatal day on Mount Everest from the mountain's point of view.
Everest opens on September 18th.
Ciao from the Venice Film Festival,
Cat
Venetian Cat - The Venice Blog
P.S. Jake Gyllenhaal just gave some girls a thrill by signing autographs on the red carpet!
Jake Gyllenhaal |
Baltasar Kormakur, the director of Everest, the opening film of the 72nd Venice International Film Festival, is from Iceland, a geologically active land with erupting volcanoes, gushing geysers, as well as mountains and glaciers.
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