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16 out of 17 people found the following review useful: Stunning cinematography, 31 March 2003 Author: ian_harris from London, England
This film is simply beautiful to watch. The cinematography is absolutely stunning, the music and directorial mood is captivating. The film is light on plot and the little bit of intrigue sort of fades away, but that really doesn't matter. I have been to the Himalayas (Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan) and it is really hard to capture the exquisite beauty of the place and the grace of the Buddhist people who dwell there. This film captures that beauty and grace. If you have any interest in that part of the world and its people, this film will hold your attention and inspire your imagination. How? I don't know, perhaps some of that Himalayan magic rubbed off on the film crew.
18 out of 21 people found the following review useful: Excellent ethnographic viewpoint, 14 July 2002 Author: artzau from Sacramento, CA
One reviewer asks if we (Westerners) can ever see the world through another's (non-Westerner) eyes. Good question. There's no 'yes' or 'no' answer because we can't get into people's heads. The cultural viewpoint from the standpoint of the actor in the cultural setting is always different from the outsider. As intruders into that world, we can observe, wonder and learn. Yes, indeed like voyeurs, my friend but these are not "primitive" people. These are people who have adapted to a way of life and developed means of coping with it. Since many of these people live isolated lives, the cultural diffusion of technology invades their worlds slowly. (We anthropologists see this fact as a mercy) This film is a wonder. As one reviewer asks, can we watch a film for over a 100 minutes of people walking? It depends. What do you want? Adventure? Rent a Hollywood spawn with phony chases, lots of CGI and god-awful writing. This is a simple story but one basic to the human condition. Loss, death, coming of age, transition, love and resurrection. This film is full of archetypes but without the contrived devices found in so many Western films. The adventure is that of the daily lives of these people who live always on the edge. It is most unfair to judge this simple tale and its depiction from the same viewpoint of another mythic journey. There's only the violence of nature and the triumph of human will to survive-- not happily ever after, but just for another day. As an anthropologist who spent over 25 years working with pastoralists (nomadic herders) in Africa, Central Asia, South America and the Middle East, I was delighted with this unpretentious story. I never worked with yak or reindeer [I highly recommend the exceptional "Pathfinder" for an excellent view of the Lapps]herders and the presentation certainly squared with everything I've read about these dynamic, wonderful people.
15 out of 16 people found the following review useful: a work of art, 23 July 2004 Author: ccasey-1 (ccasey@ix.netcom.com) from Santa Cruz, CA
If you believe film should be an artform, then you'll love Himalaya. As the director states in the bonus audio track, the production team did not identify and write to a "target market" when developing the screen writing, they did not follow the dreary Hollywood "recipe" for film-making, and, most importantly, they did use non-actors to portray almost all the lead and back-up roles. Tinle, the lead character, is a treasure. The first time I viewed the movie, I thought, 'what a wonderful actor.' His timing is exact yet unpredictable, his personality forceful, his face is exquisite, his form unique and authentic. A natural, I thought. Indeed, he plays himself in a quasi-autobiography, and what a wonderful character he is.This is a movie about an ancient civilization we are losing and, sadly, will soon be lost. Really, its a documentary, and, as the director states, will certainly be used by future historians as a visual artifact of what is soon to become the lost Dolpo civilization of Nepal. The soundtrack conditions you to this heartbreaking reality.The movie is successful on many levels: a mother's lost love (who hasn't seen her adult child since he was eight); a loving grandfather/grandson relationship, which is painfully lost; a wife who loses her husband, and a young boy who loses his father then attempts to make sense out of the loss; a young religious man who chooses the 'difficult' path over the easy monastic life; a classic confrontation between generations; and an old man whose entire life is built on strength, perseverance, and admiration, but then who ultimately must let go of it all to those who are destined to succeed him.I loved this movie. It made me think of my mother, an artist, whom I miss dearly. Himalaya is a work of art.
14 out of 15 people found the following review useful: The simple plot, told in every culture that has any notion of the grandeur of place and power, is a grand design of human struggle and triumph, figuratively and realistically represented in the salt caravans, 5 December 2001 Author: John DeSando (jdesando@columbus.rr.com) from Columbus, Ohio
I have climbed up a glacier in New Zealand and down a mountain in Switzerland, and it was rough going for a middle-aged film critic. However, truly rough it can be if you're old, live in the Himalayas, and need to spend a couple of weeks taking your yak and salt to get some grain for winter survival. Photographer Eric Valli's beautiful epic film `Himalaya' is the first Nepalese film to be nominated (in 1999) for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It is also a heroic fable of a small community's struggle to change the guard from old to young and retain the respect of the gods. The simple plot, told in every culture that has any notion of the grandeur of place and power, may deceive some into thinking this a small cliched film. It is rather a grand design of human struggle and triumph, figuratively and realistically represented in the salt caravans that still traverse the majestic Himalayan Mountains in Tibet.When one of the caravans tries to cut off 4 days by attempting a route reserved for the devils, the ensuing danger as yaks and humans walk the narrow path is so beautiful and harrowing that my glacier experience looks now like a picnic. Blue sky above, blue water below, and a path so dangerous indeed the gods themselves would have second thoughts. Valli's cinemascope is the perfect medium to catch the overpowering mountains and miniscule stones, both instruments of the terrible powers those gods still wield in this other world.The actors are handsome locals, and the story is right out of Shakespeare and Howard Hawks. See this film before you get too old to breathe its artistic air.
11 out of 12 people found the following review useful: Real People, Rugged Place, 31 August 2007 Author: ccthemovieman-1 from Lockport, NY, United States
The film, set in a remote Himalayan village in Nepal, is gorgeous start-to-finish, a labor of love by those who made it over a long period of time. The cinematography gets a lot of good "press," and rightfully so, but what I really enjoyed was the soundtrack. I expected the good visuals, and got them, but I didn't expect such wonderful music.As for the look, it's different, with rugged barren mountain village terrain and snow-topped Himalayas in background, although we don't enjoy those until almost 50 minutes into the film.What's really different, however is the fact the film employed no professional actors. These were real people of that area! They also faces you won't soon forget.As for the story, the treks don't begin until 45 minutes has gone by in the film. You have to be patient. Much of that first part, people argue back and forth on the merits of making the trip and who would and should be going. Finally, we wind up with two separate camps: the younger guy "Karma" and his crowd and the older man, "Tinle," who takes his son, grandchild and his mother,and mainly older friends of the stubborn old coot of a leader.Old man Tinle does nothing but bitch and moan most of the movie but people do their share of complaining to him, too. Yet, I found nobody unlikable for some strange reason. Most of the time, nobody in this village appears happy. These people must love to argue!As one man say, speaking of Tinle: "Trying to talk to him is like trying to stop the snow from falling."I liked the following: when asked why he changed his mind about going on the trip with Tinle, his son and lama-artist "Norbou,"" told his father, "After you left the monastery, I remembered what one of my masters said: "when two paths open up before you, always take the hard one."I also thought the yaks were fascinating. . I'd like to know more about them after watching this movie.Overall, it's a dramatic and touching adventure story. that will reward you if you can hang with it for first three-quarters of an hour. It also will make you grateful you weren't born in this part of the country.
10 out of 11 people found the following review useful: A magnificent film on the essential trek, 31 May 2002 Author: roman-15 from Santiago, Chile
I had the privilege of seeing this film in a theater. Thus the magnificent panoramas and astounding beauty of the mountains and people can be fully appreciated. The movie is about the essential trek in life: about the passing of the torch from one generation to another. It revolves about the essential aspects of life, and also of its circular nature (the past is always related to the present and future). What is truly awesome is the magnificent level of acting that the Director obtained from true mountain people.All of the film is awesome, but the journey on the path by the border of the lake is a high point in the film.Coming from a mountain country myself, and also enjoying trekking, I found many parallels between the quest of these Nepalese and the quality of people I find up in the high Andes. No doubt there's more wisdom as regards life from the people many consider "backward" as opposed to those we feel are "civilized". Not to be missed.
7 out of 7 people found the following review useful: Essential Story, essential DVD, 26 March 2003 Author: roman-15 from Santiago, Chile
Previously I posted a comment on this film when I saw it in a film theater. I enjoyed the film so much, that I bought the DVD version.I'm happy to report that not only does the DVD version retain the mesmerizing qualities of the film, but that the extra material the DVD contains is worth the price of the DVD by itself. There's a wonderful documentary about the filming of Himalaya. When one sees the film, one suspects that it must have been a terrific effort. But the documentary shows the many MONTHS of work that went in to making this fantastic film.I feel that anybody who loves the outdoors, other ways of living and a wonderful story should see(own) Himalaya.
7 out of 8 people found the following review useful: Interesting, 14 June 2003 Author: Gordon-11 from Hong Kong
This film is about conflict & mistrust between generations. Walking is the minor element. The mutual mistrust between the 2 generations were very well portrayed. Although there was an obligatory change from mistrust to mutual respect, the story is still very convincing and gripping. The film almost seemed like a documentary of the villagers' life, which is what makes the film even more interesting.The location of filming were really stunning. The scenery of the barren mountains and snowy mountains were totally breathtaking. This film may be boring for some people, but for people interested in the Tibetan culture, this is a film for you.
5 out of 5 people found the following review useful: Have a nice trip!, 14 September 2001 Author: m67165
I'm glad I've seen this one at the movie theater! Such a beautiful piece of photography will, of course, look great on the TV, too. And the story is by no means secondary: a warm tale of human endurance, indeed. But watching those images of Nepal on the big screen was just something I thank heavens I was able to do! Delightful!
4 out of 4 people found the following review useful: A classic tale of wisdom and adventure., 11 February 2006 Author: Jessica Kolk from Brazil
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
''Himalaya - l'enfance d'un chef'' is the second movie I watched with Lhakpa Tsamchoe, an excellent actress who I saw for the first time in ''Seven Years in Tibet''. I discovered here in IMDb that she only worked in these two movies in her life, and that she is not actually an actress, as everyone else who acts in this movie are not actors. This is very surprising, because all their emotions and the scenes really looks made by professionals! 'Himalaya'' is a french production, in which the big interest is to show some of the Tibetan traditions that are disappearing in their culture. This movie also received an Academy Award nomination for the Best Foreign Film, and it really deserved it. Showing the stubborn and proud Tinle,who refuses to let Karma, his son's friend, to become the new chief,suspecting that he killed his son. Tinle is old, but anyway he organizes another caravan to take the salt to trade for grains and food. But their trip will not be fast and many difficulties will be in their way...
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