Cheap Seven Years in Tibet (Widescreen Edition) (Video) (Jean-Jacques Annaud) Price

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Customer Reviews of Seven Years in Tibet (Widescreen Edition)

A rousing, real-life adventure . . . with flaws
Based on Austrian mountain-climbing Olympian Heinrich Harrer's memoir, Seven Years in Tibet is the story of West meets East. After escaping from a World War II British prison camp in India, Harrer (Brad Pitt) makes his way to the then-sovereign Tibet and, later in the film, forges an unlikely friendship with the young Dalai Lama. <
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>Strong points: <
>1) The awesome photography of the Himalayas and of Tibet. The mist-shrouded mountain peaks and enoromous fields of tawny grass help kindle the sense of adventure and wonder. <
>2) John William's score, which I believe is one of his best. The main theme makes the hair on your arms stand up. I truly believe that the film would be half as good without his score. <
>3) David Thewlis' performance as Harrer's travel companion. Thewlis is one of the best character actors working today. I wish that he had played Harrer instead of Brad Pitt. <
>4) The terse editing. There's a lot of time and events in this film, and the editing crew did a fine job keeping the pace brisk without compromising the story (too much, anyway). <
>5) The portrait of the young Dalai Lama. The filmmakers never foget that he is, foremost, a child, and therefore he has child-like tendencies (spying, forgeting religious protocol). In many scenes, however, his maturity and wisdom are surprising, and the actor does an excellent job. You don't doubt him for a second. <
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>Weak points: <
>1) Brad Pitt's performance. What can I say? He would have been one of my last picks to play Harrer. His accent is embarrassingly bad, and there's a silliness and frivolity about his performance that undermines the serious attitude of the film. Pitt excells at playing cocky characters, and, yes, Harrer is a bit of a bastard occasionally, but Pitt overdoes it. And I'm unconviced that Pitt's Harrer would be the least bit interested in making friends with the Dalai Lama. <
>2) The transition from book to film. Usually I like to read the book before the film, but this time, I did the reverse and found that the film served as an excellent "introduction" to the book, which is far superior and offers a much more intimate portrait of the Tibetan people before the Chinese invaded it. There were many moments in the book that seemed like a no-brainer to be put in the film but, amazingly, weren't. <
>3) The isse of language. Harrer spoke German and the Dalai Lama spoke Tibetan (or whatever their language is called). Everyone in the film, obviously, speaks English, whether they're really speaking German or Tibetan, so it's never clear when Harrer makes the transition from German to Tibetan. Can the Tibetans understand him at first? Can he understand them? They're both speaking English, yes, but one is speaking German, presumedly, and the other Tibetan . . . right? <
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>Overall, this would have been a great film had someone else besides Pitt been cast as Harrer, but I guess the filmmakers felt the subject matter wasn't interesting enough for an American audience to justify casting a lesser-known (and perhaps better) actor.

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Brad Pitt's best performance , well almost
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. <
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>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. <
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>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. <
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>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. <
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Epic Adventure as Brad Pitt undergoes a Personality Makeover with the Dahli Lama
In this lengthy (132 min) basically true tale, Brad Pitt portrays an egotistical, selfish, pompous, despicable, Nazi jerk (admittedly, not a pleasant combination of characteristics) whose abhorrent personality ruins his marriage and alienates all around him. While on a mountain climbing expedition, he is captured and imprisoned by the British in India. After numerous escape attempts, he finally does achieve freedom and begins a long trek to the relative safety of independent Tibet. Unfortunately, outsiders are not welcome in Tibet, and thus begins a 7+ year ordeal which culminates in his becoming a tutor and friend of the youthful Dahli Lama. Through their interaction and strongly influenced by Tibetan culture, Pitt's character achieves a complete reversal of personality, emerging an infinitely better individual. How all this happens is both believable and beautifully presented. <
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>I found Pitt's uneven German accent to be inaccurate and highly distracting, but this is my only complaint about the production. Photography, music and settings are magnificent....successfully capturing the essence of the Himalayas and 1940's Tibetan culture. For those not familiar with the Dahli Lama's current exile to India, this movie provides a clear and honest historical review of events that made it necessary. You will come to understand why, to this day, so many people support him and his country so fervently. <
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>I recommend the movie to all mature viewers who appreciate superb scenery, epic scope, excellent acting (accents aside), insights into history and exotic cultures, and a heart-warming character renaissance. <
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