Seven Years in Tibet (1997)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Mike S

  
  Dazzling locations, swindling heights and breathtaking cinematography. A highly captivating film experience, even if the story lacks a clear and proper goal. We follow an Austrian mountain climber (Brad Pitt) as he embarks on a perilous journey into the isolated heart of Tibet. Pitt… More
  Dazzling locations, swindling heights and breathtaking cinematography. A highly captivating film experience, even if the story lacks a clear and proper goal. We follow an Austrian mountain climber (Brad Pitt) as he embarks on a perilous journey into the isolated heart of Tibet. Pitt does an excellent job with his role, despite the fact that his "Austrian" accent sounds awfully contrived. As previously inclined, there's a lot of water-treading progress-wise, and it could easily have been shortended down by at least 30 min. One thing I really liked though was the music score by John Williams. Much of the time, it stays quite anonymous in the background, but there are parts where it's reminiscent of the work he did for the Indiana Jones movies - which is a big plus point in my book. Had the story only possessed more drive and focus, this could have been a truly great motion picture. But due to mentioned drawbacks, it comes to a stop at the "good, but not amazing"-line on my enjoyment scale. In terms of beauty, however, it's close to being a full-pointer. A scenic pleasure that makes it more than worthwhile.

• Anthony L

  
  Once you get past the bad acting, dodgy props & sets and awful accents it?s not such a bad film. It?s not quite the epic it wants to be though and you can?t help but think it was a wasted opportunity, especially as the story is so strong (although historically inaccurate).

• Bruce B

  
  This is a Film From the 1997 Toronto International Film Festival, I remember seeing this one on the big screen and have watched it several times since, this time for review. First I will say I never get tired of watching it, its that good. Most who review it will tell you of Brad… More
  This is a Film From the 1997 Toronto International Film Festival, I remember seeing this one on the big screen and have watched it several times since, this time for review. First I will say I never get tired of watching it, its that good. Most who review it will tell you of Brad Pitt's performance, though I thought good, mastering the German accent early in his career. My hats off an a 5 star performance to Sonam Wangchuk and Jamyang Jamtsho Wangchuk who played the Dalai Lama. Brad is a Mountain Climber who is from Austria, when getting back to base camp he is arrested for being a Nazi and put in prison camp, he escapes and finds his way into Tibet, where we are given the pleasure to see some of the best photography that I have seen in a movie in a long time. All in all if you haven't seen it its worth the buy or rent, its a long one so be prepared for a night of fine entertainment. 4 1/2 stars.

• Candy R

  
  This is a long one. Based on a true story about an Austrian mountaineer. Brad tries to climate the Himalayas and is imprisoned in a prisoner of war camp. He escapes and tries to travel through Tibet but is kicked out as foreigners are forbidden until he befriends the Dahli Lama.

• Lady D

  
  Not exactly what I thought this film would be, but having a spiritual side I enjoyed the journey and of course a view of the place I would love to see more than any place in the world. Accent wise, not a great performance from Pitt, but the experience and story of the film are more… More
  Not exactly what I thought this film would be, but having a spiritual side I enjoyed the journey and of course a view of the place I would love to see more than any place in the world. Accent wise, not a great performance from Pitt, but the experience and story of the film are more important.

• Tsubaki S

  
  Seven minutes into this felt already too long. What a waste of David Thewlis.

• Curtis L

  
  Brad Pitt's Austrian accent needs a little help, but other wise this movie was good.

• Emile T

  
  It was badly made and I don't think Brad Pitt was ready for his role. But I still liked this movie.

• Drew S

  
  I've changed significantly in the two years since I've seen this, but I found it completely stifling and insufferable. All I could remember about it was the fact that I was bored stiff.

• Michael G

  
  A lot of people bash it, but this is one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen. And I cried for hours after I saw it.

• Cameron J

  
  Little development, very loose editing and periodically bad dialogue are pretty hard hits against this film. Still, it's reasonably engaging enough and with a reasonably good performance from Pitt, good cenimatography and a pretty heavy kick into high gear in the final acts, a… More
  Little development, very loose editing and periodically bad dialogue are pretty hard hits against this film. Still, it's reasonably engaging enough and with a reasonably good performance from Pitt, good cenimatography and a pretty heavy kick into high gear in the final acts, a tendency by a deal of Pitt's weaker films it seems. In the end though, "Seven Years in Tibet" isn't the most memorable film, but still makes for a decent watch.

• Deb S

  
  The story is about a self centered and arrogant Austrian mountain climber Heinrich Harrer (played by Brad Pitt, no doubt chosen for his mouthwatering blond Nordic good looks) who leaves his pregnant wife on the eve of World War II, setting out to conquer one of the highest mountains… More
  The story is about a self centered and arrogant Austrian mountain climber Heinrich Harrer (played by Brad Pitt, no doubt chosen for his mouthwatering blond Nordic good looks) who leaves his pregnant wife on the eve of World War II, setting out to conquer one of the highest mountains in the Himalayas to plant the Nazi Swastika flag on its summit. Failing to achieve his lifelong dream his team descends to India just as the war breaks out and he's arrested by the British as an enemy alien and sent to a POW camp. He escapes from the prison camp and stumbles into Tibet and the sacred city which is completely closed off to foreigners. Starving and cold, he eventually gains admittance, and through luck somehow becomes friends with the young Dalai Lama. It's the relationship between the two of them that changes Heinrich from a bitter, selfish, and self-absorbed young man into a diligent, thoughtful and courageous adult. Maybe it's the breathtaking Tibetan landscapes or the delightful portrayal of Tibet and its people and culture but I found this movie very appealing indeed and the ending is particularly touching when he is finally reunited with his son and takes him mountain climbing.

• Joseph E

  
  What I do not know is why This film's Imapct on people wasn't as big, as most would expect. It was rather slow, and it's Story connecting into another Story , drove it down,throughtout it's 139 minutes compressed timing. It was Beautifully acted, and expertly… More
  What I do not know is why This film's Imapct on people wasn't as big, as most would expect. It was rather slow, and it's Story connecting into another Story , drove it down,throughtout it's 139 minutes compressed timing. It was Beautifully acted, and expertly shot, Yet this time Editing it's length, Might have made me enjoy it a little more. I wanted to so deeply conecct with this film, but only too the point inwhich i stoped enjoying it.

• Mike T

  
  What begins as a very appealing (but clumsily told) story crumbles into a bloated, jaggedly paced drama. Brad Pitt is an actor who I admire and respect, but this ranks among his weakest work to date. His emotional portrayal and physicality are mostly strong, but his accent is painful… More
  What begins as a very appealing (but clumsily told) story crumbles into a bloated, jaggedly paced drama. Brad Pitt is an actor who I admire and respect, but this ranks among his weakest work to date. His emotional portrayal and physicality are mostly strong, but his accent is painful to listen to and that ends up being detrimental to the positive aspects of his acting. David Thewlis, who I watched the movie for, is better than Pitt, but also struggles with the accent. The movie stumbles from scene to scene with very little polish and a nice aesthetic quality. Another overwrought, overlong and forgettable history film.

• Alec B

  
  While the story of the fall of Tibet following WWII is no doubt an important one to tell, and I have always found Buddhism to be a fascinating religion, this film's main focus on the friendship of Heinrich Harrer and the Dalai Lama is quite dull and uninteresting, mostly because… More
  While the story of the fall of Tibet following WWII is no doubt an important one to tell, and I have always found Buddhism to be a fascinating religion, this film's main focus on the friendship of Heinrich Harrer and the Dalai Lama is quite dull and uninteresting, mostly because it is handled unevenly by the director. He skips interesting details like how the language barrier is broken or even how Harrer was able to get so close to the Dalai Lama and instead focus' on the cliché' scenes of the westerner teaching the man from the east all the strange things he doesn't know and vice versa.

• Curt C

  
  Sure as hell felt like I spent seven years watching this.

• Bill C

  
  Brad Pitt is Heinrich Harrer a driven Austrian mountain climber. Pitt’s characters intense focus on reaching his goals places the rest of his life as inconsequential his wife, child and his fellow climbers. As a point of reference Austrian look down on Germans (the worlds generally… More
  Brad Pitt is Heinrich Harrer a driven Austrian mountain climber. Pitt’s characters intense focus on reaching his goals places the rest of his life as inconsequential his wife, child and his fellow climbers. As a point of reference Austrian look down on Germans (the worlds generally accepted most meticulous and driven people) as kind of careless and not very motivated. Found that out the hard way when I married and Austrian wife. A memorable role where Brad Pitt is acting outside his comfort zone and he excels. David Thewlis plays Peter the leader of his climb and On and Off friend. While climbing Mt. Nanga Parbat they are arrested by British Indian forces and placed in a prisoner of war camp when WWII breaks out. Pitt rebuffs the escape plans of his fellow mountaineers instead relying on his own plans and goes it alone which repeatedly get him caught. The finally escape but their only hope is to cross-over into neutral Tibet. After being rejected at the border, they finally make it across holding a picture of the Dali Lama and claiming they want to worship him. The story really begins there Pitt befriends the Lama who his both surprisingly young, interested in modern technology and very wise. The seven years there gradually teach Pitt to loose his hard driven edge and gain perspective on his life. They leave Lassa on the take over of Tibet by the Chinese and spend the last month of the war in the POW camp where they began.

• Marcus W

  
  If you go into this film expecting to see a well-made story of a man (played by Brad Pitt with a dodgy Austrian accent) who finds himself and learns to love others while hanging out with the Dalai Lama and teaching him about stuff and then advises him what to do when the Chinese… More
  If you go into this film expecting to see a well-made story of a man (played by Brad Pitt with a dodgy Austrian accent) who finds himself and learns to love others while hanging out with the Dalai Lama and teaching him about stuff and then advises him what to do when the Chinese attack and take over, then that's exactly what you'll get.

• Richard F

  
  Like "The Last King of Scotland", we get whisked into another culture, and witness the political atrocities through the eyes of an outsider. We get some strong character development from Brad Pitt's character, while this is one of Pitt's better performances. The… More
  Like "The Last King of Scotland", we get whisked into another culture, and witness the political atrocities through the eyes of an outsider. We get some strong character development from Brad Pitt's character, while this is one of Pitt's better performances. The film does a sufficient job of educating the audience of the history of Tibet, and the challenges it's people and culture face to this day. At times this film seems a bit long and lacks focus, but in the end the journey is enlightening.

• Jay R

  
  alittle slow... but an amazing true story... i liked it

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