NOT THE KIND OF BATTLE YOU'RE THINKING OF : NORDWAND / NORTH FACE

If you have had the patience to trawl through this humble blog for any amount of time, you may have noticed that your humble author has a soft spot for “true stories”. This is another one. Set in Nazi Germany in the late 30’s just before the Second World War it is not what you think if you have got thus far. No. Not a war movie this time. 
Well, it is 1936 and the race is on in the field of… Mountaineering!  But no, it is nothing to smile about actually, it was a truly serious business. The aim was to conquer one of the last natural “frontiers” in Europe the “unassailable” north face of the Eiger Mountain in Switzerland. Many attempts had been made and many lives lost in this quest. And in the political climate of the time being the nation to “conquer the Eiger” was a great matter of national pride, especially for Nazi Germany. North Face is the story of one of the boldest attempts to be “the ones” to conquer the Eiger. In the summer of 1936 teams from many countries all over Europe gathered in Switzerland in a “race” to the top of the North Face of the mountain. Among these teams was an extraordinary couple - Toni Kurz and Andreas Hinterstoisser from Nazi Germany. The two were well on the way to becoming famous in their field despite their young age and had actually had to leave their army posts to take up the challenge. North Face is the breath taking account of this attempt, documented by Luise Fellner their childhood friend who coincidentally was covering the attempt as a reporter…
Now, you may not be a great fan of sports movies. I could not agree with you more. And you might think “two guys on a mountain. So?” But no. The characters are so well portrayed and the filming so extraordinarily good that excitement reaches its “peak” (hoho) by the second half of the movie and you will, I guarantee it, be gripping the arms of your seats in anticipation. And the photography alone during the climbing scenes is something to be experienced. Definitely a good quality adventure for those who are seeking one from the safety of their living rooms…