A Tibetan version of "Lawrence of Arabia."

Rating: 10/10 (19 March 2014)

Like "Lawrence of Arabia", the scenery (Tibet and the Himalayan Mountains) add to the appeal of this film. But there is also a story line connection -- a British office/Austrian mountain climber with personal psychological issues becomes adviser to Prince Faisal/the Dalai Lama. That's about as far as I can stretch the analogy because Lawrence led the Bedouins to victory over the Turks while Heinrich Harrer (Brad Pitt) was not a military adviser and Tibet was had no victory over Communist China.
I thought that Brad Pitt did a splendid job of showing arrogance, disdain and sensitivity at the appropriate times of the story.
David Thewlis is perfection as Peter Aufschnaiter, a more disciplined and sensitive leader of a German mountain climbing expedition.
Harrer, who already is recognized as a champion European climber, is a member of Aufschnaiter expedition to conquer Nanga Parbat in British India. During the climb they encounter adverse weather conditions. Harrer want to continue to a higher level that he hopes will be above the storm, but team leader Aufschnaiter insists on descending instead. At the bottom they are imprisoned as enemy aliens as World War II has begun and Germany is now an enemy of the British. (Note:Austria was annexed into Germany before the Allies declared war on Germany.) They plot to escape but have limited options of where to escape to. Tibet is the closest independent nation but no foreigners are allowed in Tibet.