Scream of Stone
In this battle, there can be no winners...

Format	DVD	Category	Fiction
Title	Scream of Stone	Mins	106
Starring	Donald Sutherland, Stefan Glowacz, Mathilda May	RRP
Director	Werner Herzog	Reviews	5
Edition		Ave Rating	(2.00 of 5)

User	Comments
Rupert 10/15/2004	Scream of Stone – 106 Minutes A film by Werner Herzog, based on an idea by Reinhold Messner. Starring Donald Southerland, Vittorio Mezogiorno, Mathilda May and Stefan Glowacz When I first spied this title in the Specials bin at my local DVD retailer, I was immediately taken in by the cover which features a very recognisable picture of the legendary Australian climb Kachoong at Mount Arapiles. What threw me a little was the background scenery; instead of the half dried up Mitre Lake that I remember from my last trip to the Wimmera, I was a little surprised to see snow covered mountains and a glacial lake! Perhaps my memory is getting hazy. After turning the cover over, you are greeted by another shot of Kachoong, this time as most of us would remember it. However, it is the three inset photos which really confuse. At a cursory glance this would appear to be a climbing movie mainly about screaming into handheld radios – and perhaps that’s where the title comes from. From the cover blurb: “Cerro Torre is the most difficult peak on earth and the greatest alpine challenge. Roccia, an experienced champion mountaineer and Martin, a top sports climber, join forces to conquer Cerro Torre. The expedition results in betrayal and the tragic death of Roccia’s long time climbing partner, but Martin claims that he has reached the summit. Put under pressure by the public suspicion of his unsupported claim, Martin is compelled to tackle the mountain a second time. Again he is challenged by Roccia and the two begin a bitter climbing duel with a fatal outcome”. I’ll cut to it – this film is very ordinary. However, there are some ‘watchable’ sequences; Stefan Glowacz’s impromptu trip to Arapiles halfway through the film, comes as a surprise that has nothing to do with the plot, but it does give us one of the better climbing scenes as he solos Kachoong. This is followed by a drift round Lake Toolondo in a boat as he dreams of being back in Patagonia. The scene of one of the members of the expedition abseiling off the end of a rope (deliberately) and falling about 30 feet onto a snow bank will make you cringe, guaranteed. There is some really spectacular climbing footage, but it is thinly spaced between the even thinner plot. There is also a pretty spectacular final scene through the ‘mushrooms’ on the summit. Really, the highlight for me was the scene where someone shows us his amputated fingers, using a trick that I’m sure I used to show my kid when she was 5. It didn’t work then and it doesn’t really work now. Still, for $4.99, what more do you want? [See Also: Forum Thread]
albion 9/20/2007	Half a star for the Araps scene and another half for the scene where that drugged out guy (Billy B from 'One flew over the cuckoo's nest') whispers about the 'scream of stone' - never laughed so much. Another half a star for the appalling acting - Sutherland is probably one of the most consistently bad actors I've seen. His voice over work was almost indecipherable and his work crossing that rickety bridge is superb.
mountbeckworth 10/2/2007	I agree with both reviews. Nice climbing at Arapiles, ludicrous plot, clunky acting. And Herzog is supposed to be one of the great film makers. Glowacz was embarrassed by the film, but said it got him 6 months of paid climbing.
Zebedee 12/5/2007	Borrowed this from the library today=free. It was sh!t. No actors implausible plot. Even the sex interest was a waste. Though I did note that Eric Jones was credited as a climber. Could this be the Natimukian one? I certainly didn't see him. Some climbing at Arapiles as noted above but apart from that no good climbing.
dougal 2/18/2009	...............I''''m able to make this review now that I''''m out of therapy. This is a MUST SEE climbing epic if only for the OSCAR award winning performance of Brad Dourif (Exorcist III, Bride of Chucky (voice of Chucky - yes that''''s right!) who plays the crazed Mae West groupie amputee (hilarious!) mountaineer. I''ll lift a quote from another of the Maestro Brads flicks The Hazing (chainsaw wielding hookers) - "live through this" You will never be the same again.