Seven Years in Tibet (1997)

True story of Heinrich Harrer, an Austrian mountain climber who became friends with the Dalai Lama at the time of China's takeover of Tibet.

Director:

Jean-Jacques Annaud

Writers:

Heinrich Harrer (book), Becky Johnston (screenplay)

Stars:

Brad Pitt, David Thewlis, BD Wong

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Brad Pitt	...	Heinrich Harrer
David Thewlis	...	Peter Aufschnaiter
BD Wong	...	Ngawang Jigme (as B.D. Wong)
Mako	...	Kungo Tsarong
Danny Denzongpa	...	Regent
Victor Wong	...	Chinese 'Amban'
Ingeborga Dapkunaite	...	Ingrid Harrer
Jamyang Jamtsho Wangchuk	...	Dalai Lama, 14 Years Old
Lhakpa Tsamchoe	...	Pema Lhaki
Jetsun Pema	...	Great Mother
Ama Ashe Dongtse	...	Tashi
Sonam Wangchuk	...	Dalai Lama, 8 Years Old
Dorjee Tsering	...	Dalai Lama, 4 Years Old
Ric Young	...	General Chang Jing Wu
Ngawang Chojor	...	Lord Chamberlain (as Ven. Ngawang Chojor)

Storyline

After the death of 11 climbers, Austrian Heinrich Harrer (Brad Pitt) decides to add glory to his country and to the Austrian pride by climbing Nanga Parbat in British India, and leaves his expectant wife behind. An egoist and a loner, he does not get along with others on his team - but must bend to their wishes after bad weather threatens them. Then WWII breaks out, they are arrested and lodged in Dehra Dun's P.O.W. Camp. He attempts to break out several times in vain, but finally does succeed along with Peter Aufschnaiter (David Thewlis), and they end up in the holy city of Lhasa - a place banned to foreigners. They are provided food and shelter, and Peter ends up marrying a tailor, Pema Lhaki, while Heinrich befriends the Dalai Lama. They meet regularly; while he satiates the child's curiosity about the world, including Jack the Ripper and 'yellow hair'; he is exposed to the teachings of Lord Buddha, He even constructs a movie theater, while getting news of the end of the war, his ...

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Plot Keywords:

tibet | dalai lama | based on real person | 20th century | 1940s | 

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Taglines:

At the end of the world his real journey began.

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Genres:

Adventure | Biography | Drama | History | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some violent sequences

Did You Know?

Trivia

Richard Gere was considered for the role of Heinrich Harrer. Though he eventually did not appear in the film, Gere did a favor to the producers and sent the script to The Dalai Lama in order to gain his approval. The Dalai Lama indeed read the screenplay and was pleased with it.

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Goofs

When the Chinese troops attack the Tibetans at night we see a mortar crew firing at the Tibetan troops. The officer in charge gives the order to fire in Spanish by saying "fuego".

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Quotes

[first lines]
Heinrich Harrer: Why must you be this way? Why, why is there always a problem? It's a good question. Do you want to go home? Do you want to turn around?
Ingrid Harrer: Yes.
Heinrich Harrer: Would that make... It's the Himalayas! How long have I been talking about the Himalayas? How long?

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Crazy Credits

As the end credits roll, a view of the mountains of Tibet is seen.

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Connections

Referenced in Malibu, CA: Scott's Old Girlfriend (1998)

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Soundtracks

Yar-lung Tin-sang
Performed by Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA)

User Reviews

Totally underrated!

Personally, I find it hard to believe this movie is rated so lowly. It is at least a 7.5 in my books. Its far from perfect, but how many films out there actually question your beliefs and your actions and allows you to reflect on how you can live your life better? How many films make you want to know more about the film, the location, the people, the characters? Trust me, this film will make you more inquisitive and curious and probably open your eyes to the world beyond your borders.

Again, it is far from perfect, but watch it and try to see where I'm coming from. If you do not share my sentiments then, at least Brad Pitt's excellent acting and the gorgeous cinematography will keep your interest.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English German Mandarin Tibetan Hindi

Release Date:

10 October 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Seven Years in Tibet

Filming Locations:

Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$70,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,020,378, 12 October 1997

Gross USA:

$37,957,682

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$131,457,682

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mandalay Entertainment, Reperage & Vanguard Films, Applecross

Technical Specs

Runtime:

136 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS (8 channels)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1