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Thursday, December 9, 2021

THE SUMMIT OF THE GODS / LE SOMMET DES DIEUX (2021)

First a Manga, then a Live-Action film, now this mountaineering tale well served via French animation.  The problem is its story.  A double prologue sees sports photo-journalist Fukamachi hooked on the possibility of getting hands on a Mount Everest relic, the compact camera lost when climbing pioneer George Mallory went up and never came down.  Prologue Number Two reveals the backstory of current world-class climber Habu, holding onto that 1924 relic for years as he deals with waves of uncontrollable self-reproach long after the death of a young acolyte during a climb, and now prepares for a solo assault on Everest.  So, when climber & journalist finally come together, they make a wary team, while you may find yourself less involved in these activities (and in the curlicues of mountaineering philosophy) than in the mystery of what may still be on that 1924 roll of film left in the camera.  That said, Patrick Imbert’s feature debut (earlier work includes the very different watercolor look of ERNEST & CELESTINE/’12) often makes spectacular pictures with a spare hand-drawn technique; not only in sky-grazing peaks, but also in atmospheric cityscapes and around simple tabletop conversations.  Maybe he’ll eventually show us those Mallory pics.*

DOUBLE-BILL: Imbert’s work on ERNEST & CELESTINE/’12 shows quite a range.   https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2015/10/ernest-and-celestine-2012.html

ATTENTION MUST BE PAID:  *Mallory did bring a camera up; not found when his body was discovered in 2017.  But was he on the way up . . . or coming down?  Just what the camera might have told us.

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