Captain John Noel (director)
BFI Films (studio)
Cert U (certificate)
87min (length)
27 January 2014 (released)
31 January 2014
This fascinating and newly restored nature drama is the official record of George Mallory and Sandy Irvine’s ill-fated attempt to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 1924.
In turns chilling but also innovative and artistic, pioneering photographer and cinematographer Captain Noel was chosen to accompany Mallory, Irvine and party when the two mountaineers embarked on their mission to conquer “Chomolungma” (Goddess Mother of Mountains), as the Tibetans call Mount Everest. Noel would painstakingly modify and design his photographic equipment for any condition he might face, and judging from the archive footage the design was the right one to film in extremely harsh and unpredictable weather conditions. Although Mallory would famously complain to Noel that he had not come to “Tibet to become a film star”, the recorded footage remains invaluable from a historic point of view – not only depicting the breath-taking landscape of the Himalayas and the Mountain itself, but also providing an (occasionally patronising) insight into the lives of the natives in 1920’s Tibet. With their distinct hairstyles, garments, elaborate jewellery and various rituals, the often poor but seemingly happy locals set an odd contrast to the invading Westerners. Images of Sherpa mums applying Yak butter to the bodies of their little ones, or de-lousing their children, suggest a native people on a far more primitive level than their complex structured life and hierarchy really is or was, for that matter.
As for Everest itself, Captain Noel brilliantly managed to capture the whole range of light (sun, shadow, nightfall) as well as providing the viewer with an overwhelming impression of the majestic beauty the Himalayan landscape has to offer. On the other end of the spectrum, treacherous weather conditions and the sheer challenge of the highest mountain in the world are juxtaposed with images from the base camp – a cheerful bunch filled with ambition and hope at first, yet turning to drama when the strenuous trek upwards claims its first victim.
Drama culminated in tragedy on 8th of June 1924, when Mallory and Irvine were last seen cresting the North-East Ridge and going strong to make it to the ‘roof of the world’ when the clouds rolled in… Captain Noel was among those at Camp III that day, peering through his telephoto lens. Despite the distance, he managed to capture the last view of the two mountaineers who then were only a few hundred meters from the summit… before they vanished into myth and memory (Mallory’s body was found in 1999, but Irvine’s body was never recovered).
At the end of the film, Captain Noel would ask: “If you had lived as they had lived and died in the heart of nature, would you, yourself, wish for any better grave?”
The deeply superstitious local population, however, contribute their own conclusion: the almighty Chomolungma is inhabited by spirits which shouldn’t be disturbed – least of all by mountaineers trespassing into sacred realms.
The restoration was undertaken in collaboration with Sandra Noel, Captain Noel’s daughter, and has transformed the quality of the film’s surviving elements and reintroduced the original coloured tints and tones.
The BFI furthermore commissioned a new score by Simon Fisher Turner, who already scored many feature films including Derek Jarman’s “Caravaggio”. The score, an epic of contemporary music making if ever there was one, is an evocative homage to the mountains and at its heart are a recurring group of complimentary sounds: harsh winds, deep breath and unexpected frequencies.
Composed, conducted and orchestrated by Turner, it also features Cosey Fanni Tutti on cornet, Andrew Blick on trumpet, James Brooks on brass, Asaf Sirkis on drums, Peter Gregson on cello, and the Nepalese Thapa family.
Epic special features on this Dual Format DVD/Blu-ray disc include:
• HD and Standard Definition
• Introducing The Epic Of Everest (2013): Sandra Noel and Bryony Dixon discuss the background and filming process.
• Scoring The Epic Of Everest: S. Fisher Turner discusses the new score
• Restoring The Epic Of Everest
• Alternative score – the original 1924 score recreated by Julie Brown and performed by the Cambridge University Chamber Orchestra
• Additional musical pieces that accompanied the film on its first screening at the Scala, London 1924
• Original 1924 film program (downloadable PDF, DVD only)
• 30 page illustrated booklet with various essay and contributions, plus notes on the musical extras and full credits.