A magnificent film based on a true story

Rating: 8/10 (1 December 2013)

This is a movie based on a true story about a German mountain climber who hid in Tibet during World War II. Moreso, it is about the final days of the independence of Tibet and more of a protest against China's invasion and war crimes in Tibet. Even with that, the movie focuses on the character and we watch how he changes during the time he spends here, and how he grows to understand himself.
The movie begins with him running away from his responsibilities to his wife. His wife is about to have a baby, but he really does not want to be around. Instead he wants to climb Mount Everest and be the first person up there. This attitude ends up pushing his wife further away from him, and he discovers later that when he wants her, she is no longer there to help him.
This is important as it develops his character, but moreso it has to do with his son. He is imprisoned in a British POW camp in India and as such he never gets the chance to see his kid. Even though he has no interest in fighting the war, he does not want to be a prisoner either, so he constantly tries to escape, finally succeeding with a larger group, but being a very independent person he insists on going off on his own. But what we learn though is that even though he independent, he also is foolish as he squanders all of his food.
Tibet comes into it as he wishes to flee there to escape the British. Even then, the Tibetans do not want them in their land because they are simply foreigners, but they manage to escape there, and soon are welcomed in Tibet, especially since they are dying and hungry.
The main changes come when the Dali Llama decides that he wishes to meet with this German. He finds this guy's world interesting, and he comes to see the Dali Llama as the son that he never had, but the thing is that the Dali Llama knows that he is not the guy's son. As their relationship grows, so does his understanding of himself, and in the end he finds the courage to return to Germany and to see his son.
It is a long movie, but not only is it insightful, and we begin to feel for the plight of the Tibetans, it is also well made. Many films based on true stories generally fall down, but this is quite well done, and I enjoyed it.