HIMALAYA A film review by Steve Rhodes Copyright 2001 Steve Rhodes RATING (0 TO ****): *** 1/2
When it becomes a case of survival, who do you trust? Man or God? The wise old village elder or the strong young leader? In Eric Valli's exquisite HIMALAYA, the first Nepalese film ever to be nominated for an Academy Award, the villagers are faced with these simple but difficult questions.
As the story opens, the leader of the village's annual caravan has been killed in an accident so his head-strong father, Tinle (Thilen Lhondup), vows to lead the caravan instead. (The English title of the film was once CARAVAN, which is much more descriptive.) The aged Tinle seems to be in no shape to lead anything more than a trip to the well, but he insists that he can lead the caravan like he used to decades ago. First, however, he must consult the gods who will pick the best date to depart. As he labors over various religious tables, it begins to appear that he will never find an auspicious date to begin the long journey through the mountains.
As Tinle deliberates for what seems an eternity, Karma (Gurgon Kyap), a young upstart, desperately wants to lead the yak herd off before the winter storms come. It is dangerous to wait too long, he warns. The village needs the salt, which they mine, traded for grain so that they will not starve during the long, harsh winter. And, if the caravan waits too long, they will die in the deadly storms that grip the mountain passes.
Since Tinle doesn't trust Karma, he refuses to follow his lead. The rift causes the village to break into two caravans, one run by Karma and the younger men and the other led by Tinle and the elders. Their harrowing journey is visually astonishing. That the cinematography of rich browns and golds is breathtaking is obvious from the first scene. What isn't immediately obvious is that the film will become much more than just a gorgeous travelogue. The yaks, magnificent beasts of burden, become stars in their own right, but it is the human drama that captures our imagination. As they cope with their own conflicts, the caravanners have to fight a much bigger battle against the mountain. The senior citizen contingent, especially, appears to be headed for certain disaster. Maybe with some big Hollywood stars the film would seem a bit trite, but, with these honest, straightforward actors, the story is completely engrossing. You won't care about winners, you'll just be rooting for both sides to survive.
HIMALAYA runs 1:44. The film is Tibetan with English subtitles. It is not rated but could be a G since there is nothing to offend anyone of any age.
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