Tempest In The Montblanc decora [Stürme Über Dem Montblanc] (1930) by Arnold Fanck | The Cabinet of Dr. Mabuse
The film before us today is one of the greatest representatives of the genre of mountain films, which had its golden age particularly in Germany in the late '20s and early '30s. The German public had a special fascination for those movies featuring heroic climbers decora attempting to reach the highest peaks defy nature. More insurance decora sociologist would have much to say about the relationship between these films and their relationship Germanic spirit, but if I let us limit ourselves to the cinematic aspects.
The great architect of the genre was the director decora Arnold Fanck. Expert climber, Fanck was like a fish in the water shooting their films in real space mountain - could not say the same actors suffered - and capturing nature in its most pure and wild. His most famous works are performed by the dancer Leni Riefenstahl, who years later became the director of the official documentary of the Nazi regime The Spirit of the Will (1935) and Olympia (1938). Fanck achieve fame in the silent era with films like L to Holy Mountain (1926) or to claim that teacher called Hell of Piz Palü Blanc (1929) work - co-directed with great GW Pabst.
Tempest in the Mont Blanc would be his first sound film, and although decora it has the same characteristics as their previous works is a clear step backwards qualitatively. The premise is the same: a love triangle with the dangers of the mountain background. In this case the main characters are Hannes, a meteorologist who lives isolated decora in an observatory at the top of Mont Blanc and Hella Armstrong, the daughter of an old astronomer who communicates with the radio but have not seen in person. Hella and her father go to visit Hannes his cabin in the mountains but the old man accidentally dies. To comfort her, Hannes gives the direction of Walter, a musician friend who expects her company, which is an unfortunate idea since both fall in love with her. When Hannes suspected his friend and Hella have become lovers, decides not to return decora to civilization, but a storm threatens your life and rescue expedition led by Hella starts.
Make no mistake, decora the argument is simple and stupid simple and characters have an almost childish behavior, but in general this type of films have never excelled in this aspect, decora where what matters is not the story or the construction decora of the characters, but the representation of nature scenes and risky rescue. The problem of Tempest in the Mont Blanc is not from there but precisely that overemphasize what is one of the weaknesses of this kind of movies. In previous works, Fanck outlined a very basic story and then focus on what really mattered, but for some reason in this film too many minutes of footage devoted to the relationship of the characters, and that makes her terribly obvious shortcomings - also adding a new: it shows that it is still his first talkie.
The film starts to boot later when Hannes gets trapped in the mountains. Is this the best time of the film as it was in the past. The storm scene is superb, showing Meteorologist valiant attempts to survive and return to his shelter barely. Fanck also makes a clever use of sound when one of the windows of the cottage decora breaks and heard all over the mountain melodramatic music played on the radio, giving decora the scene an even more epic tone. Upon arrival at the shelter, everything is covered in snow because the door was broken. Their survival will therefore depend on someone to rescue in time.
Rescue scenes are also not up to the previous films, but again spotlessly filmed and allow you to indulge in Fanck scenic beauty and its constant idea of nature decora as a character in his films that forces the protagonists to be tested themselves. In those years, few filmmakers knew so well served the natural scenery in his movies as Fanck (Scandinavian films with big directors like Swedish Mauritz Stiller and Victor Sjöstrom would be the clearest precedent). It is probably because this was a real climber and managed to convey in his genuine admiration and respect he felt towards the mountains and toward the mountaineer spirit. Tempest in the Mont Blanc does not reach the level of his previous works but the spirit remains intact.
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November 2013 MTWTFSS & laq
The film before us today is one of the greatest representatives of the genre of mountain films, which had its golden age particularly in Germany in the late '20s and early '30s. The German public had a special fascination for those movies featuring heroic climbers decora attempting to reach the highest peaks defy nature. More insurance decora sociologist would have much to say about the relationship between these films and their relationship Germanic spirit, but if I let us limit ourselves to the cinematic aspects.
The great architect of the genre was the director decora Arnold Fanck. Expert climber, Fanck was like a fish in the water shooting their films in real space mountain - could not say the same actors suffered - and capturing nature in its most pure and wild. His most famous works are performed by the dancer Leni Riefenstahl, who years later became the director of the official documentary of the Nazi regime The Spirit of the Will (1935) and Olympia (1938). Fanck achieve fame in the silent era with films like L to Holy Mountain (1926) or to claim that teacher called Hell of Piz Palü Blanc (1929) work - co-directed with great GW Pabst.
Tempest in the Mont Blanc would be his first sound film, and although decora it has the same characteristics as their previous works is a clear step backwards qualitatively. The premise is the same: a love triangle with the dangers of the mountain background. In this case the main characters are Hannes, a meteorologist who lives isolated decora in an observatory at the top of Mont Blanc and Hella Armstrong, the daughter of an old astronomer who communicates with the radio but have not seen in person. Hella and her father go to visit Hannes his cabin in the mountains but the old man accidentally dies. To comfort her, Hannes gives the direction of Walter, a musician friend who expects her company, which is an unfortunate idea since both fall in love with her. When Hannes suspected his friend and Hella have become lovers, decides not to return decora to civilization, but a storm threatens your life and rescue expedition led by Hella starts.
Make no mistake, decora the argument is simple and stupid simple and characters have an almost childish behavior, but in general this type of films have never excelled in this aspect, decora where what matters is not the story or the construction decora of the characters, but the representation of nature scenes and risky rescue. The problem of Tempest in the Mont Blanc is not from there but precisely that overemphasize what is one of the weaknesses of this kind of movies. In previous works, Fanck outlined a very basic story and then focus on what really mattered, but for some reason in this film too many minutes of footage devoted to the relationship of the characters, and that makes her terribly obvious shortcomings - also adding a new: it shows that it is still his first talkie.
The film starts to boot later when Hannes gets trapped in the mountains. Is this the best time of the film as it was in the past. The storm scene is superb, showing Meteorologist valiant attempts to survive and return to his shelter barely. Fanck also makes a clever use of sound when one of the windows of the cottage decora breaks and heard all over the mountain melodramatic music played on the radio, giving decora the scene an even more epic tone. Upon arrival at the shelter, everything is covered in snow because the door was broken. Their survival will therefore depend on someone to rescue in time.
Rescue scenes are also not up to the previous films, but again spotlessly filmed and allow you to indulge in Fanck scenic beauty and its constant idea of nature decora as a character in his films that forces the protagonists to be tested themselves. In those years, few filmmakers knew so well served the natural scenery in his movies as Fanck (Scandinavian films with big directors like Swedish Mauritz Stiller and Victor Sjöstrom would be the clearest precedent). It is probably because this was a real climber and managed to convey in his genuine admiration and respect he felt towards the mountains and toward the mountaineer spirit. Tempest in the Mont Blanc does not reach the level of his previous works but the spirit remains intact.
You are commenting using your Facebook account. (Log Out / Change)
November 2013 MTWTFSS & laq
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