The untold and inspiring tale of one of the most important mountain climbers in history who, with Edmund Hillary, became the first person to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
These days Mount Everest is perhaps as well known for the extraordinary lengths that wealthy, and often ill-equipped, Westerners will go to in attempting to climb it as it is for the achievement itself. Back in the early 1950s, however, reaching the summit was still considered a near-impossible dream, with numerous expeditions having failed in their attempts. ‘Tenzing’ tells the stirring story of Tenzing Norgay, the Sherpa mountaineer who, spoiler alert (!), alongside New Zealander Edmund Hillary, became one of the first two men to reach the summit in 1953. Genden Phuntsok plays Tenzing, whose lifelong ambition to climb the mountain eventually sees him join the British expedition led by Colonel John Hunt (Willem Dafoe), where he forms a partnership with Hillary (Tom Hiddleston) that would lead to one of the great achievements in mountaineering history.
It’s a largely conventional biographical drama, with the preparations for the expedition and the climb itself forming the main narrative, while flashbacks fill in Tenzing’s background and explain his long-standing connection to the mountain. There’s nothing particularly unusual about the way the story is told, but I don’t think there needs to be, as the events themselves are more than enough to sustain the film. Phuntsok is excellent in the leading role, conveying both Tenzing’s determination and the more personal significance that Everest holds for him. Hiddleston and Dafoe provide very good support, without taking attention away from Phuntsok, while the relationship between Tenzing and Hillary is particularly well handled, showing how two men from very different backgrounds came to rely on and respect one another.
The film is directed by Jennifer Peedom, whose previous documentaries include ‘Sherpa’ and ‘Mountain’, and with that background there are few filmmakers better equipped to bring this story to the screen. Peedom filmed on location in Nepal and New Zealand wherever possible, and the results are stunning, with some brilliant mountain photography that really brings home the scale of what the climbers were attempting. The conditions are incredibly harsh, and the film does a very good job of conveying both the physical demands of the ascent and the enormous risks involved, particularly given how limited the equipment and knowledge available to the climbers were compared with today.
I really enjoyed ‘Tenzing’, which is an old-fashioned adventure film in many respects, telling a remarkable true story of grit, determination and human endeavour. It’s also a story about collaboration across cultures, and I liked the way the film recognises the different motivations of those involved, particularly Tenzing’s spiritual connection to the mountain compared with the ambitions of the British expedition. The storytelling may be fairly conventional, but the performances are excellent, the scenery is spectacular and the achievement at the centre of it all remains extraordinary. It’s a well-made and stirring account of one of the great feats of the 20th century.
Rating: 4/5
Directed By: Jennifer Peedom
Starring: Genden Phuntsok, Tom Hiddleston, Caitriona Balfe, Johnny Flynn, Tenzin Dalha, Thinley Lhamo, Tenzin Jigmey, Samdrup Dorje Lama and Willem Dafoe
