From the moment we pushed play for MOUNTAIN until the end credits rolled we were glued to the screen. My oldest daughter and I watched it with rapt attention, reveling in each new shot of tiny figures clinging to a rock face or standing above the clouds. My younger daughter could hardly watch as climbers free soloed or soared in wingsuits perilously close to the ground.
MOUNTAIN is full of epic shots of mountains from the air as the Australian Chamber Orchestra fills the room with music from Vivaldi and Beethoven. Willen Dafoe's voice provides a counterpoint to the often frenetic music as he reads selections from Robert Macfarlane's Mountains of the Mind.
Think of the movie as a love letter to the world's mountains. Even those not consumed by dreams of peaks and ridges can't help but feel the majesty of these snow covered summits.
What is missing is a discussion about the changes taking place in the mountains due to climate change and overcrowding. A too-short series of shots describes the problems facing Mt. Everest. "THIS ISN'T CLIMBING ANYMORE – IT'S QUEUING. THIS ISN'T EXPLORATION, IT'S CROWD-CONTROL." Then it's back to more glorious mountains with no one spoiling the vista on the screen.
