The White Hell of Piz Palu (1929) - Arnold Fanck and G. W. Pabst

Hard to believe it but there actually was such a genre known as the mountain film. Produced almost exclusively in Germany most are forgotten about now best known as the inspiration behind Guy Maddin's Careful. For those that remember Leni Reifenstahl as an innovative filmmaker of Nazi propaganda might be surprised what a small portion of her life that accounts for. Included among that everything is a career as a leading lady, and from what survives most sources cite The White Hell of Piz Palu as her best performance. The story is spectacular in its scope, full of avalanches, near death experiences, an exquisite nighttime torch rescue and countless bits of excitement. After all it does seem hard to stretch a people-trapped-in-a-mountain movie to 133 minutes, but filmmakers Fanck and Pabst do just that. I'm not sure who directed what but considering Fanck was also one of the screenwriters my money was on him being the main creative force behind the picture. It is rewarding and entertaining still today. The picture was re-released as sound feature in 1935 but this is the only version in circulation.