Customer Reviews
Dedicated to the people of Tibet - By: Gary Selikow, 17 Jun 2008 
This review is dedicated to the people of Tibet , & the dream that one day Tibet may be free of the detestable Red Chinese occupation.
It is a brilliant movie , which shows the beautiful & peaceful Tibetan culture ,and then focuses on how it is cruelly destroyed by Mao's unspeakable regime.
It also focuses on the life of Austrian mountain climber Heinrich Harrer (Brad Pitt) focusing on how an arrogant & self-indulgent man learns humility & decency from Tibet , & from the boy Dalai Lama who was to become one of the greatest men of our time.
It begins in Nazi occupied Austria in 1939 . Harrer leaves to climb mountains ends up in Lhasa ,Tibet. Here we view a land of peace & spiritual enlightenment , such a contrast from a Europe which at the time was going through World War II & the Holocaust. After the end of World War II & the Third Reich , we see another monstrous tyranny ,Communist China emerge .Red China visits unspeakable horrors on peaceful Tibet , & they treat the pleas of the Dalai Lama for peace , with more & more terror.
It is interesting to see towards the end of the movie how the Red Chinese flag & portraits of Mao defacing Tibet in 1951 mirror those of the Swastika , & portraits of Hitler , at the beginning of the movie , defacing Europe in 1939.
Unfortunately Tibet is now largely forgotten by the world , & one wonders when the world will speak up against this diabolical occupation.
Mildly interesting - By: Brendan O. Clarke, 16 Nov 2007 
This film is directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud (Enemy at the Gates; Quest for Fire) & stars Pitt, we know that at the very least it will be nice to look at. And it is. Indeed, since the principal character, Heinrich Harrer, is for the most part a bleach-blond Aryan wise-ass, Pitt actuallly works quite well in the role. The front story of two westerners penetrating & living in isolated Tibet (essentiallly living a real-life version of the fantastical story told years before in Lost Horizon) during World War II is interesting enough, but the real reason to see the movie is to gain a better understanding of what happened in Tibet four to five decades ago. This film has undoubtedly embarrassed various political leaders, especiallly in China & the United States. And well it should.
In my humble opinion, this is Brad Pitt's finest movie yet. As the Austrian mountain climber, Heinrich Harrer, he brings a sexy warmth to a freezing climate. At first Heinrich is only concerned with his own existence & is quite out of touch with his spiritual self. He abruptly leaves his pregnant wife to fend for herself as he runs off to join an expedition to climb Nanga Parbat in India in 1939.
He seems to be on a personal journey with destiny lending a hand. While climbing, he is captured & spends time as a prisoner of war. Not even this experience breaks the chains that seems to hold his soul captive. In his case, the enemy doesn't help him to develop patience & compassion. It takes the heart of a child to show him why he should climb down from the mountain of his own pride, so he can take on a higher challlenge, love.
This is a beautiful story of two souls who find one another under the most hostile situation. For a brief moment in time, they know true friendship, despite the age & cultural differences. Unfortunately, mankind is rarely happy with what they have & when Tibet comes under attack, the tranquility & harmony of the Tibetan city of Lhasa is completely destroyed.
Quotes from the Dalai Lama I found recently:
"When you practice gratefulness, there is a sense of respect towards others."
"It is constructive & worthwhile to analyze our emotions, including compassion & our sense of caring, so that we can become more calm & happy. Hatred, jealousy, & fear hinder peace of mind. When you're angry or unforgiving, for example, your mental suffering is constant. It is better to forgive than to spoil your peace of mind with ill feelings."
Excellent film, contradictory Amazon information - By: S. G. Collier, 22 Aug 2007 This Blu-Ray is listed on Amazon UK as region A (1) but on the US site as alll regions. Which is right? Amazon should get its act together or continue to lose sales from the growing segment of hi-def film buyers. It is an excellent film though.
DAlai Lama never seems to age in this film - By: Jay, 27 Jun 2007 Historicallly it isn't very right. By the time China invades Tibet, the Kundu is 10 years old in the film, when he actuallly was near 18. And, now that I mentioned it, the guy spends 7 years in Tibet, but the Dalai Lama seems to be always the same age. Another thing that went wrong was that the movie was very looooooooooooooooong. Even when I was enjoying some parts of the movie I was always calculating how much time was left to the end. It's not either very good or bad, it's just good.
Quite Good - By: Mr. B. L. Rodin, 17 Jun 2007 
This is a nice film based upon Heinrich Harrer's true experiences in the Himalyas. It is in parts funny & in other parts moving.
However, having read the book & the Dalai Lama's memoirs, the film is not as true to historical events as it could be.
Also, I felt that rather than acting & becomming Heinrich Harrer, Brad Pitt plays himself. He could be acting the role of Tyler Durden in Fight Club or Rusty Ryan from Ocean's Eleven.
Watch it if you want to spend an evening in watching an enjoyable & decent film, but if you're expecting historical accuracy I wouldn't recommend it.
