Mountain (2018)

By: Mike Ward on Saturday, June 16

PG Running Time: 74 mins

SHOULD I SEE IT?

YES

  • The visuals alone are enough to take your breath away.

  • Mountain finds a wonderful balance between dizzying footage, introspective narration from Willem Dafoe, and a gorgeous orchestral score from the Australian Chamber Orchestra.

  • A massive effort to pull together, work from over 40 cinematographers and footage for more than 20 different countries comprise an essay on our obsession with mountains.

NO

  • Dafoe’s stream-of-consciousness dialogue, no specific narrative structure - some will lose interest in this fast.

  • Alert for those with sensitivity to heights and motion sickness. There potentially are moments in Mountain which will be a challenge for you.

  • As the movie goes on, Dafoe gets more poetic, which has led a few naysayers to request a non-narrated version of the film.


OUR REVIEW

Featuring the work of more than 40 credited cinematographers and footage acquired from more than 20 countries around the world, you will not find a more breathtaking visual treat in the summer of 2018, than Jennifer Peedom’s stunning new documentary Mountain.

Narrated by the wonderful Willem Dafoe, Mountain is not a conventional documentary. Think of this as more of an extended IMAX film on steroids. Peedom explores the human fascination with mountains – and asks why we climb them, desire to conquer them, and hold them in such grand esteem.

What she presents in a scant 74 minutes, consists of some of the most astonishing footage in a nature-oriented documentary I have ever seen. Peedom offers dizzying, disorienting footage of daredevils, mountaineers, and climbing enthusiasts, all putting themselves in some potential risk, as they seek an inner peace and tranquility that apparently comes with striving to attempt the nearly impossible and/or reach the highest of heights.

Dafoe’s narration is poetic, and, admittedly, a bit on-the-nose at times. However, his voice, layered over a nearly constant and gorgeous compilation score by the Australian Chamber Orchestra, makes this an immersive, memorable experience.

See this on as big a screen as possible, you won’t regret it.

CAST & CREW

Documentary Featuring: Willem Dafoe, the Australian Chamber Orchestra

Director: Jennifer Peedom
Written by: Robert Macfarlane, Jennifer Peedom.
Release Date: May 11, 2018
Greenwich Entertainment