‘North face’ of vertical Swiss mountain

There are multiple ways to get high, with the method chosen by two heroic young men in the German adventure “North Face” being one of the most deadly.

In a story based on real-life events, they have chosen to climb the previously unconquered north face of the Eiger, a nearly vertical mountain of snow and ice in Switzerland that has proven a deathtrap for many.

It’s 1936, the eve of WWII, and the Nazis are determined that the mountain be conquered by Germans. And so two Bavarians, Andi and the reluctant Toni, find themselves facing death on ice.

Kolja Brandt’s hand-held cinematography (some on location, some in a refrigerated warehouse) and Philipp Stolzl’s direction keep the suspense level high.

Unfortunately, somebody decided to insert a superfluous love story involving a completely fabricated female photojournalist.

At some two hours, the film is 30 minutes too long. Cutting out the melodrama and sticking with the daring-do is the answer.

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