Seven Years in Tibet (Widescreen Edition)

Here is where the detailed shadings of Pitt's character are revealed, both through his amazing ability to both comprehend and display the nuances of his character and every half-smile and subtle gesture that bring his character to life. Through his interactions with the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet, we see Harrer change, slowly, from egotistical and uninterested to close confidant and caring teacher/father/friend. I'm not a Brad Pitt fan, but have you to give credit where credit is due.

The story is based on the true experiences of Heinrich Harrer and the Dalai Lama (who is an amazing speaker, if ever he wanders your way, definately check it out, he has this way of simplifying any problem to a matter of love and understanding no christian ever could). The story is poignant, as we see the impending war with China, the pathetic and futile attempts of the TIbetans to raise a military, and the inevitable conquest. They're still under communist rule, and sometimes you'll see hippies or Rage Against the Machine (RIP) fans with "Free Tibet" bumper stickers on their cars, and this is what they're referring to. Anyway, the story itself is touching and well-scripted. There are a few quibble-able points, though. First, you are told in no uncertain terms how to feel about almost every character and situation. That's pretty much true. Oh, well. Next point. Some would say it's too "hollywood". I would disagree, however, because the only signs of a hollywood influence are the budget and the talent. Both lended themselves perfectly to their parts (Worth mentioning: the scenery, something only attainable with that crazy hollywood budget, is breathtaking. Money well-spent. Absolutely gorgeous, each location in perfect tune with both the story and the seasons).

That's pretty much it. Great story held up by great acting (check out that kid who played the Dalai Lama; he blew me away!) and made to feel lush and alive with astonishing locations. Worth renting if you're not sure you'll dig it, worth buying if you know you do.


Brad Pitt's best performance , well almost   September 21, 2005
Harkanwar Anand (the land of dreamers)
8 out of 9 found this review helpful

I saw this film more than 14 months ago. At that time, I was not quite acquainted with films and didn't watch as many as I do now. This was surprisingly one of the first Brad Pitt films I had seen. To me he was only a good looking actor. After watching the epic like Seven years in Tibet, I know I am a fan for life.

When this film starts and Pitt is shown as an army officer somewhere in Europe (think it was Hungary) I thought it would be based on the war solely.This film brought the adventurer's spirit in me. There is more than nature,huge land masses,different kinds of people and hills in Seven Years In Tibet. This movie celebrates friendship in a way that is quite difficult for me to comprehend. The relationship between Dalai Lama & Pitt was heartening. What is more hearetening was Pitt's character in the film and how he stood alone in the windmills of time.

Pitt's character is both stupid and mentally very strong in the film. I'd rather not describe how it evolves into that of a satisfied mind. Tibet is beautiful. Being an Indian, I knew some of the places that are shown in this movie so it felt special.

Lastly, this is one of the most under rated films I have seen. I own this movie now. Amazon recommends Kundun if you like this film but I do not. There is no film of the same stature as Seven Years In Tibet.If you're a newbie and want to watch some other Brad Pitt epics then I suggest you watch "Seven" , "Sleepers" and the best film he did "Troy" Kundun was a rather slow documentary like film plus no Brad Pitt.




Disturbing but beautiful depiction of the plight of the Tibetan people.   May 15, 2006
Terence
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

The Chinese genocide of the Tibetans is one of the most disgusting and disturbing events in modern history, on par with the Nazi treatment of the Jews. This is doubled by the fact that the western powers did and are doing nothing as members of an ancient civilisation dedicated to spiritual practice are exterminated by the chinese.
There are those who will deny this fact, if you are that ignorant then do not watch this film and write pathetic, twisted comments.
If you are more of a human being then you will enjoy this film. Far from perfect, the depictions of what Lhasa once looked like before the Chinese invasion are breath taking. The film shows Tibetan Buddhist monks being shot in cold blood by Chinese soldiers. This is shocking as it should be. This is what happened to thousands of monks in 6,400 monasteries. In the words of the Dalai Lama, 1,200,000 Tibetans have died as a direct result of Chinese occupation policies.
If you view this film and enjoy it, you might want to read of the plight of Tibet by the Dalai Lama himself. 'My Land and my People,' is an excellent book.


a solid effort   January 11, 2001
Bryan Wilson (Lexington, MA United States)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

jean-jacques annaud does a praiseworthy job of directing this pretty hefty movie. it's a little long, but most of the scenes are crucial to the movie's integrity. this is a true story (for the most part), after all. brad pitt does and admirable job portraying the somewhat arrogant, but lonesome heinrich harrer. his austrian accent is pretty bad, but that's excusable. harrer's trek through the himalayas is interrupted by british officers who arrest him and his fellow climbers as POWs as WWII has started. he escapes with others, leaves them, only to be rejoined by peter, the expedition's former leader. they travel to tibet, only to be kicked out, but later return to the city of lhasa, where harrer eventually befriends the young dalai lama. the tibetan leader is portrayed as a wise, but curious youngster, who always hounds the austrian with questions about his world in the west. it's hard not to avoid the cliche of harrer playing a father to him, having essentially left his wife and child behind, but as the dalai lama points out, their relationship is "far too informal for that" to be true. harrer eventually leaves because of the chinese invasion, which is the major backdrop to this story, showing the horror of this important, but oft-ignored historical event. the movie gives us a chance to glimpse into tibetan life and culture before the chinese destroyed much of it. the book will point out a few inaccuracies of the film, but this is a fairly faithful translation. the scenery is beautiful throughout, and are enough to make this movie worthwhile on that alone. pitt has earned my respect even more, since "fight club" was his only other major film that i really enjoyed. this one is quite different though, don't be fooled.