Jennifer Peedom’s intriguing blend of documentary filmmaking and classical music comes to home theaters courtesy of a stunning Blu-ray release.
This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood
Jennifer Peedom’s essay film Mountain begins not with snow-capped summits or other skyward fantasias, but the tuning of an orchestra: instruments are assembled, the conductor readies his baton, and Willem Dafoe mutters in front of a microphone. It’s a fascinating decision to prepare her audience with the artifice of the film she’s about to prepare, like watching the orchestra warm up before an opera. Mountain is similarly operatic, an awesome spectacle that begs to be seen on the biggest screen possible. Mountain is now available on Blu-ray, and while your home theater may not achieve quite the same effect as the Sydney Opera House (which is where the film premiered), it’s an admirable release that captures the crispness and majesty of the doc’s sumptuous visuals.
Like her previous film Sherpa, Peedom treats Mountain more like an essay film than a narrative, more focused on instilling feelings than telling stories. There are no characters, no relationships, no arcs; just man’s aggregate push to reach the highest points of the world, and the spiritual importance that instills in us as a species. For all intents and purposes, it’s a concert film, something seemingly designed to accompany the plaintive, beautiful score by Richard Tognetti and the Australian Chamber Orchestra (which produced the film). Amongst the yearning strings and contemplative pianos, Dafoe’s sonorous voice croons the words of Robert MacFarlane from his 2003 book Mountains of the Mind, a much-needed narration to accompany the arresting, miles-high vistas captured by Renan Ozturk.
That being said, there is still a rough story being told, even if it’s not done through a cast of intriguing characters. Tracking the earliest recorded attempts to climb the world’s peaks by explorers and skiiers from around the globe, Mountain pulls back to old black-and-white archival footage of the earliest attempts to climb Mt. Everest before building up to Ozturk’s HD-ready aerial shots of some of the planet’s greatest geographical challenges. Whether in the early 1920s or now, Peedom frames these intrepid explorers as driven by the same goal to achieve, explore and understand.
At its core, Mountain is nature porn at its finest; between the lines, it becomes a beautiful extrapolation on the incessant drive for man to conquer nature, and in doing so to better understand it. “Because the mountains we climb are not just made of rock and ice, but also of dreams, and desire. The mountains we climb are the mountains of the mind.” The essential image of Mountain is a man or woman, climbing, skiing or biking their way through the most inhospitable terrain. Skiiers flip and twist in slow motion through the Alps, a ballet set in snow. Daredevils free-dive off nests of bungee cords stretched out for miles along mountain peaks. A cyclist stands with his bike atop a mountain, triumphant. We sail along vast mountain ranges along with a brave explorer swinging through the peaks in a wingsuit, freed of the shackles of gravity. It’s majestic, spiritual stuff.
Peedom’s subjects are far from supermen – their human desire to reach for the sun is not without a few stumbling blocks (as we see in a cringe-inducing montage of short falls, bloodied fingers, and anguished cries from the cavalcade of climbers who stumble in their ascent). However, all that pain is worth it, given the astonishing sights of gorgeous mountaintops peeking from above clouds, the existential thrill of reaching the summit. We never know these people by name, or spend much time with them, but we share in their joy.
While Mountain feels tailor-made for the cavernous heights of the big screen, it comes to home theaters courtesy of a crisp, flawless Blu-ray treatment that captures all the jaw-dropping scale of Ozturk’s brilliant nature cinematography. As extras go, the film comes with a sizeable number of bonus features, including a making-of documentary, a conversation with the director and Q&A with MacFarlane, and the trailer. Though it would have been excellent to have a feature-length commentary, perhaps the film doesn’t need that much explication. The mountains, and Dafoe’s narration, are enough.
Mountain is currently available on Blu-ray and DVD from Greenwich Entertainment.
Read next: The Spool's Best New Releases
Streaming guides
The Best Live TV Streaming Services With Free Trial
The praises of live TV streaming services don’t need to be further sung. By now, we all know that compared to clunky, commitment-heavy cable, live TV is cheaper and much easier to manage. But just in case you’re still on the fence about jumping over to the other side, or if you’re just unhappy with ... The Best Live TV Streaming Services With Free Trial
How to Watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3
Season 3 of the hotly anticipated Power spin-off, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, is arriving on Starz soon, so you know what that means: it’s the ’90s again in The Southside, and we’re back with the Thomas family as they navigate the ins and outs of the criminal underworld they’re helping build. Mekai Curtis is ... How to Watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3
How to Watch Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials
Ladies and gentlemen, we’re so back! To celebrate Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary, the BBC is producing a three-episode special starring none other than the Tenth/Fourteenth Doctor himself, David Tennant. And to the supreme delight of fans (that would be me, dear reader), the Doctor will be joined by old-time companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) and ... How to Watch Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials
Which Netflix Country Has Each Movie of The Hunger Games?
For whatever reason, The Hunger Games series isn’t available in the same countries around the world. You’ll find the first and second (aka the best) installments in Hong Kong, for instance, but not the third and fourth. It’s a frustrating dilemma, especially if you don’t even have a single entry in your region, which is ... Which Netflix Country Has Each Movie of The Hunger Games?
How to watch Lost Cities Revealed with Albert Lin Season 2
After a years-long hiatus, scientist and explorer Albert Lin is coming back to National Geographic with a fresh new season of Lost Cities, renamed “Lost Cities Revealed.” In the past, Lin, who is probably the closest we’ll ever get to a real-life Indiana Jones, has traveled everywhere from the ancient Knights Templar in Israel to ... How to watch Lost Cities Revealed with Albert Lin Season 2
How to Watch Paramount Network With a Free Trial
To date, Paramount Network has only two original shows on air right now: Yellowstone and Bar Rescue. The network seems to have its hands full with on-demand streaming service Paramount+, which is constantly stacked with a fresh supply of new shows. But Yellowstone and Bar Rescue are so sturdy and expansive that the network doesn’t ... How to Watch Paramount Network With a Free Trial
How to Watch WE TV With a Free Trial
Previously “Women’s Entertainment,” We TV has since rebranded to accurately reflect its name and be a more inclusive lifestyle channel. It’s home to addictive reality gems like Bold and Bougie, Bridezillas, Marriage Boot Camp, and The Untold Stories of Hip Hop. And when it’s not airing original titles, it has on syndicated shows like 9-1-1, ... How to Watch WE TV With a Free Trial
How to Watch FX With a Free Trial
You’d be hard-pressed to find a bad show airing on FX. The channel has made a name for itself as a bastion of high-brow TV, along with HBO and AMC. It’s produced shows like Atlanta, Fargo, The Americans, Archer, and more recently, Shogun. But because it’s owned by Disney, it still airs several blockbusters in ... How to Watch FX With a Free Trial
How to Watch A&E With A Free Trial
If you’re a fan of true crime and insider docu-shows like The First 48 and Court Cam, then you’re probably already familiar with A&E. The cable channel is home to other reality TV gems like Hoarders, Duck Dynasty, and Storage Wars (they’ve moved on to spin-offs like Road Wars, Customer Wars, and Prison Wars now). ... How to Watch A&E With A Free Trial
How to Watch Unimás With a Free Trial
As the sister channel of the much bigger Univision, Unimás is home to popular Spanish-language telenovelas and talk shows (yes, including El Gordo y La Flaca), as well as a couple of sports events and programs. Most notably, however, Unimás also operates a couple of station affiliates around the country, so it also reports local ... How to Watch Unimás With a Free Trial
How to Watch TNT With A Free Trial
For many sports fans, TNT is a non-negotiable. It broadcasts NBA, MLB, NHL, college basketball, and All Elite Wrestling matches. And, as a bonus, it also has reruns of shows like Supernatural, Charmed, and NCIS, as well as films like The Avengers, Dune, and Justice League. But while TNT used to be a cable staple, ... How to Watch TNT With A Free Trial