It Has A Beginning. It Doesn't Have An Ending

Rating: 3/10 (10 December 2010)

Plot: The true story of an Austrian mountain climber called Heinrich Harrer and his experiences in Tibet, mainly his friendship with Dalai Lama at the time of China's invasion of Tibetan land.
You'll love Seven Years In Tibet if: You want great cinematography aaaaaand that's it I honestly can't find any really good thing about it besides the wonderful scenery. The great snowy mountains and the barren fields of Tibet look wonderful, (although in reality what we see is Peru). What else? Nothing really while there isn't anything really bad in here, I can't think of anything good either
You'll hate Seven Years In Tibet if: You want a movie that has a conclusion, is more historically accurate and if you expected a better adaptation of the book. What is the movie supposed to be about? Most people think it's the way Heinrich changes from a complete Nazi a$$ that doesn't care about anything to a humble, "changed" man through his relationship with Dalai Lama. The problem is that while that does happen we don't see how! How in the heck did he change? Why exactly Dalai Lama wanted to meet him? Because he knew a lot of things about the western world??? Others think that it was a movie that had to do with China's invasion in Tibet. Another failed attempt IMO. While I'm no historian I feel that the movie tends to have a propagandist style, with Tibetan monks and Dalai Lama portrayed as "angels" and Chinese as the evil invaders? Okay, lets say I'm stupid and didn't manage to get the point of the movie let's say there is something really good here. Unfortunately the pacing of the movie destroys that too. We see Heinrich in the beginning boarding a train, then we see Heinrich climbing the mountain, then we see him get caught by the British, then he escapes, then he climbs more mountains, then, then, then, then, then, then, then, then then he meets Dalai Lama, he becomes a great guy and returns home. Sweeeeeet!
FINAL VERDICT: And The Moral Of The Story Is? (3.2/10)
[+] Very good cinematography with great mountain landscapes.
[-] A story with a beginning but no real ending. Veeery slow pacing. Slight historical inaccuracies. Very different from the far better book.
Also Check: American History X (1998) – Au Revoir Les Enfants (1987) – Defiance (2008) – Kundun (1997)
P.S.: My purpose in all my IMDb Reviews is not to say "I like\don't like this movie" but to help you decide whether YOU will like it or not since everything is all about taste and expectations IMO...