The Mountain (1956)

Powerful

Just perfect...

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

I liked this movie when I was a child, watching it in black and white on TV. Liked it then for the story, the adventure, the good vs. evil. But now I appreciate it much more. Spencer Tracy is unique, there's not a moment when you don't see him as a man leading a simple life in a small alpine village, yet a courageous rock climber/mountain climber, and most important a man of integrity, showing kindness toward the injured woman, though he can't speak or understand her language, and you can guess at the kindness he's shown his brother all along, he will do anything for him. The best rope, the first bit of food or drink. As other reviewers said, he loves climbing, though he's older and experienced tragedy with the mountain. After a difficult ascent, he's joyful, and even forgets why he and his brother are on the mountain. It was different to see gorgeous, young Robert Wagner as such an unrelentingly mean and negative character. He doesn't give his brother even a little slack or respect, and no affection, even when his brother has just saved his life while injuring his own hands, and despite anything his brother does for him.In the end, Wagner's character gets what he deserves. He's awkwardly weighed down with the items he's stolen, but mostly with his own greed and anger. When he asks Zachary if a snow bridge over a crevasse is safe, Zachary tells him, "No!" But Chris can only think his brother is lying to stop him from descending with his loot; this is literally his downfall.I loved the beautiful scenery, and the taste of old-fashioned rural live in the alps. The scenes where they climbed a difficult overhang and chimney were still suspenseful, even though you knew these were sets mixed in with real mountain shots. I think those who appreciate or have done rock climbing will enjoy a look at that sport in the 1950's, and anyone will enjoy it for the drama and adventure, the questions of integrity and honesty, even the bit of loving dishonesty at the end.

I watched this old movie on DVD in 2012.A plane crashed on a mountain in the winter. It was too hard to climb so rescue attempt was halted. A man who lived nearby came up with the idea to climb the mountain to the crash site to rob the plane. His brother happened to be a retired rock climber, so he made him go along to help. When they reached the crash site, they found a surviver and things changed.The story is OK, not terribly exciting, but interesting enough that I watched it to the end. The main attraction is the rock climbing scenes. Many are done on a prop mountain with a mountain scene projected in the background. Sometimes you can see the prop moves against the background. But not bad for a 1956 effect.When the man suffers a rope burn trying to brake his brother's fall, it's because he wasn't using the rope correctly. So if this is to elicit sympathy for the rock climber, it didn't. It only showed he was not a good rock climber.BTW it's interesting to see the climbing gear in 1956 era. There's no harness or cams. Otherwise it's similar to present time.

I thought both Spencer Tracey and Robert Wagner put in great performances. The rivalry between the two brothers added to a surprise ending. You not only wondered if they could both climb the mountain to rescue survivors but I wondered if Robert Wagner was going to end up killing Spencer Tracey. Wagner played a dangerous weasel again in another film, "A Kiss Before Dying" in which he played a very convincing murderous Sociopath.This film reminded me of a film shot in the 1930's or 1940's in which an airplane crashed atop of a mountain. the only scene I remembered from it was when one of the passengers {an opera singer} had to sacrifice his singing voice to yell out for help as loud as he could. They were rescued but it cot him his singing career. Does anyone remember the title of the movie?

This movie is often described as simple and unidimensional. But in the context of spirituality and high moral character, this movie rates high.Spencer's character is described as dull, and his acting effort minor. But how else is a man reverent of nature and God supposed to be portrayed. The subtleties of this character are often overlooked in our glamorized, sensationalized society. Quiet reverence, devotion to God and family are the central messages of this movie. Observe how Tracy's character tolerates and endures the unruly "modern-ess" of his much younger brother, portrayed well by Wagner.This movie may be "sappy" to some, but I found it's moral message to be most uplifting and a pleasant departure from machine guns, gangster and starlets, sex and violence. Although, in a very minor respect, those elements are visible in this movie. This is a good family movie.