Review: The Mountain

When a Calcutta-to-Paris bound plane crashes somewhere in the mountains, experienced climber Spencer Tracy (supposedly playing a Frenchman) is asked to lead a rescue (or recovery) mission. He politely refuses, claiming to be retired and frankly too old. His younger brother Robert Wagner wants to go up there for his own grave-robbing reasons, and although a past trauma up those mountains still haunts Tracy, he agrees to go up there with the kid (who is less experienced in climbing) to make sure he doesn’t die, and maybe even to get him to see sense. E.G. Marshall plays the leader of the initial search party, who aren’t as knowledgeable or skilled as Tracy, whilst Claire Trevor (who apparently didn’t think highly of the film at all) briefly appears as a local woman.

 

If you don’t mind the occasionally clunky dialogue, and can get past 56 year-old Spencer Tracy and the always cool Robert Wagner (26 years-old here, and he has such incredible genes that even in 2014 he still doesn’t look his now 84 years of age) being cast as brothers two years after they played father and son in “Broken Lance”, then this 1956 mountain-climbing/disaster movie/family squabble drama hybrid manages to actually deliver the goods somewhat. Directed by Edward Dmytryk (“Broken Lance”, “The Caine Mutiny”, “The Young Lions”) and scripted by Ranald MacDougall (who directed the highly underrated “The World, the Flesh, and the Devil”), it took me a while to swallow the casting, but Tracy and Wagner (whose hair is absolutely fantastic) are otherwise convincing, and once they head for the mountain, the film really gets going. It’s far from the best work either man has done, but it’s an entertaining yarn, even if it’s beneath its stars somewhat.

 

The blue screen work is obvious, but Tracy (as the tortured veteran climber who believes himself cursed) is such a pro that he really sucks you into feeling the tension and inherent danger. He looks nervous as hell yet super-focussed with the job at hand. It’s unbearably tense at times. The best thing by far is the lovely scenery captured by cinematographer Franz F. Planer (“Not as a Stranger”, “The Big Country”), it’s a stunningly well-shot film. I also liked the central hook of the film with the two brothers of different temperaments and moral compasses making the trek up the mountain for differing motives. It’s just that the screenplay doesn’t execute this premise brilliantly, and it’s a tad hokey, especially early on with the family back-story sounding awfully tacked-on. Bit of a waste of one of cinema’s greatest ever character actors, in E.G. Marshall, who disappears after the opening third. So that’s a shame.

 

If you’re a fan of the actors and like films about mountain climbing that aren’t as dull or offensive as say “The Eiger Sanction”, then give this one a go. That film might’ve had more dangerous climbing stunts, but this one actually makes you give a damn. It’s a B-movie with A+ leads and better than you’ve probably heard (if you’ve even heard of it at all).

 

Rating: B-