Seven Years in Tibet

Great Movie, nothing like the book. I hope that the book is seen for its historical content as compared with the movies false personalities and story lines. The book adds a sincere sense of life and death that the group faced within the many months wandering from Indian through Tibeten countryside in winter. Eventually actualizing their dreams of reaching the forbidden city of Lhasa and being granted permission to live there during the war. Greeted constantly by the hospitality of the Tibetan people who gave of precious food supplies to support these two escaped German climbers considered prisoners of the English war efforts. With strict respect for ancient tradition the Tibetan people had effectively kept the outside world from deteriorating their strict love for one another and family and giving to all those in need. Refreshing to come across when compared to the society we currently live in. Granted it was not a perfect place, the upper plateaus of Tibet were littered with bandits who fall upon all they come across with lies and deceptions and tricks to steal all their possessions or murder them. Many of these bandits victims were pilgrims who had been traveling great distances at a serious cost to themselves and their standings. I could continue on and on about the book. Perhaps the primitive nature of their surroundings and customs that is most alluring to the senses longing for a society where all ants and worker bees fulfilled duties with an yearning to support the structure of the nest, hive, community, government, or country.

I love Brad Pitts work in Seven Years in Tibet and his other movies during that time period. But Heinrich Harrer is the true German climber of whom the story is told better in word than motion picture and hopefully someday they will make the movie of his story in Tibet.