Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, ‘Seven Years in Tibet’ re-tells the true story of an Austrian mountain climber, Heinrich Harrer, who gets captured by the British army in Himalaya as World War 2 begins. Heinrich succeeds to escape the POW camp, after several attempts, and finds himself in the holy city of Lhasa, Tibet, where he becomes close friends with the Dalai Lama.
What makes this film a must-see is first of all the plot: it’s such a beautiful, inspiring and emotional story – I was very moved by it and the fact that it’s based on a true story makes it even better. Moreover, the director was able to capture the Tibetan culture and the atrocity of the Chinese invasion in Tibet.
Second of all, the acting is breathtaking – Jean Jacques Annaud did an amazing job in directing his actors/actresses.
I was mostly impressed by the performance of Brad Pitt: the way he portrays his character is on point and from the first scene you understand what kind of character Heinrich Harrer is. Also, the way his character develops from being arrogant and selfish to being self-less and kind is gradual and realistic.
Third of all, I really loved the visuals; they highlight the beautiful landscapes of the Himalayas and Tibet. Furthermore, the color palette is on point – I did my research on what red and yellow mean to Tibetan buddhism and apparently red signifies force and preservation and yellow stands for rootedness and renunciation [which makes sense since the movie is about the Tibetan to have the force to defeat the Chinese and to keep their independence and their culture. But also, all along the film Heinrich learns to renounce his ego and his attachment to materialism]
I really enjoyed this film and I really advise you to watch it, especially that it revolves around a topic that not a lot of people talk about.
