notjustaboutsex

You ask me why I dwell in the green mountain;
I smile and make no reply for my heart is free of care.
As the peach-blossom flows down stream and is gone into the unknown,
I have a world apart that is not among men.

This poem Green Mountain by Li Bai  so simply describes the bond we feel when in the presence of a mountain. I grew up in Pennsylvania surrounded by The Seven Mountain range and I suppose took for granted that feeling of protection mixed with awe that was right outside my kitchen window.

Because I miss mountains and their majesty, I was drawn to the Australian film The Mountain. In many ways The Mountain is a beautifully filmed tone poem that moves the spirit with soaring cinematography. Director of the award- winning film The Sherpa Jennifer Peedom, was commissioned to make this film, with the intention of having it scored by The Australian Chamber Orchestra. It’s musically sound and works well, with Willem Dafoe’s narration guiding throughout.

The opening shot of a man scaling an unnamed mountain with what seems like no equipment is so daring… one could ask where do we go from here? But we go to many places, including the history of mountaineering, expedition footage and high- risk sports. I have never seen anything like this before; the walk on rope hung high between mountains suddenly puts the stroll of the great Philippe Petit at the World Trade Center in a very different zone.

All of the aerial shots are amazing, many shot with drones, and cinematographer and climber Renan Ozturk, who worked with Peedam on Sherpa, is a master.

Following the screening, I chatted to a skiier who had seen a lot of the sport footage before. Apparently, they had to cull from some of the world’s finest mountain material in order to cover many locales and for it to work with the music. I doubt many people will mind seeing these exquisite visuals over and over.

The philosophy for this film came from the Robert Macfarlane’s book Mountains of the Mind. He has a reverence for nature and her power. Man’s attempts at conquering the mountain, often seem foolhardy, but even the risk of falling won’t stop men from trying to reach the peak.

I wish Peedam had spent a little more time on the exploitation of the natural world by commercial outfits, but understandably the film was not to be a political endeavor.  She spoke by skype at a Q&A and is down to earth and caring.

The Mountain is a worthwhile experience. You feel this film, not just watch it.