The Film (4/5)

Diotima (Leni Riefenstahl) is a wild dancer who lives by the sea. She spends her days dreaming of discovering more of nature's wonders and beauty. She is one with her soul and body. So much so that she works as a dancer and preforms in different mountain towns. This is where she meets Karl and Vigo (Luis Trenker and Ernst Petersen) two skiers with their eyes set on her. As Diotima and Karl form a relationship, a misunderstanding with Vigo leads to some tragedy on the cliffs of one of the mightiest mountains.

THE HOLY MOUNTAIN (1926, aka DER HELIIGE BERG) is one of the infamous German mountain films, that celebrated traditions and the grand history of Germany. Something that made the films popular in a war-torn Germany, after World War 1, and during the rise of Adolf Hitler. The film also marked the screen debut of legendary actress and future director Leni Riefenstahl. Who made the controversial documentary TRIUMPH OF THE WILL (1935). A film about the 1934 Nazi Party rally in Nuremberg Germany. Something that would haunt the film like a gloomy shadow.

The film itself is not obviously anti-Semitic, but there is some problematic "pure" imagery. Something that knowing the history of the crew involved is hard to avoid reading deeper into. But most of this symbolism can be read into Director Arnold Fanck (S.O.S EISBERG) statement of the film being a drama poem. So, logic is pushed aside with dreamlike images and larger than life drama. But aside from the reading of the movie being a statement of the power of the German people, it works well as a grand melodramatic epic.

For a silent film, THE HOLY MOUNTAIN has some impressive and ahead of its time camerawork. An opening text crawl takes pride in the fact that most of the film was filmed in real locations over the course of a year and a half. Adding a layer of suspense to some of the mountain climbing scenes. There is also a heavy amount of slow motion and rack focus shots.  The biggest highlight of the production being the heavy snowstorms, which may be one of the most vivid in silent cinema.

The story itself is more about archetypes then characters. With the plot boiled down to the simplest details. Being told like an old fable. Which adds to the national pride of the piece. Visions of dream landscapes hidden being a hazy mist, offering a look at our heroes' desires.

Audio/Video (4/5)

Kino upgrades THE HOLY MOUNTAIN for a handsome Blu-ray release. The movie comes with a LPCM 2.0 channel Sound mix featuring a musical score by Aijoscha Zimmerman. The music sounds wonderful with the right balance of bass and silence. The rest of the picture has the original German intertitles with easy to read English subtitles.

The 1080p HD transfer is based on a new 2K Restoration. The print was sourced from a new photochemical master. Some of the film is completely beat up and nasty with some major print damage. While other scenes look like they were filmed yesterday. There is some film grain, but the focus is sharp. A truly impressive restoration.

Extras (3/5)

The major extra is an audio commentary by Film historian Travis Crawford. The track is lively and full of titbits on the German film industry during the 1920's and 1930's. Relaxed and calm with plenty of information. Worth a few listens. The second extra is interview footage with Riefenstahl and Trenker, taken from the 1993 documentary THE WONDERFUL, HORRIBLE LIFE OF LENI RIEFENSTAHL.

Overall (4/5)

THE HOLY MOUNTAIN is an impressive visual tour de force, and a fine example of German silent cinema during its epic excess. While some of the people involved with the production would have questionable connection to the Nazis, from a historical perspective it’s a minor landmark. Kino's Blu-ray is a handsome edition that is worth owning for all silent cinema fans. Highly Recommended.