The Movie

The story of China's tyranny over the sovereign, peace-loving country of Tibet, and the Dalai Lama's role in this conflict is one of the most fascinating and sad stories of our time. And although Seven Years In Tibet only briefly touches on the Dalai Lama and China's unjust and violent intrusion into Tibet, it still leaves you moved with its sense of history, and stories of courage and faith.

When this movie debuted back in 1997, many people turned up their noses to it before it even broke into theaters. By then it was well known that the $70 million Seven Years In Tibet would never have made it to production if Brad Pitt hadn't signed on to play the lead role. Many felt this was a movie made solely to capitalize on Pitt's name, rather than the movie iteself. Then even more people scoffed at the movie after viewing it, claiming that the wrong story was being told. They felt the real story was about the young Dalai Lama, and his struggle to keep a frightened and desperate country full of hope. And yes, I agree that the story of Tibet and the Dalai Lama is by far a greater epic tale than that of famed Austrian mountain climber Heinrich Harrer, but that's not what this movie is ultimately about. Seven Years In Tibet is about one man, and his dramatic emotional transformation he underwent after building a close relationship with the then teenage, Dalai Lama. This is the story being told, simple as that. It's a beautiful story, presented in a very convincing and compelling manner, and people need to just get over it.

Seven Years In Tibet is the true story of Heinrich Harrer (Brad Pitt) and how he changed from being a selfish, cocky, gold medallist mountain climber, and nazi party member, to a humble, compassionate, and loving man of faith. We follow Heinrich as he selfishly leaves his disgruntled wife and unborn child to go on a four-month journey to tackle the highest mountain range in the world, the Himalayas. But the expedition goes badly, and after two years of failing to reach the summit, Heinrich finds himself, along with his climbing crew, captured in a British prison camp due to the start of the Second World War. After many failed attempts to escape the camp, Heinrich later joins with several other prisoners to make one final go at freedom. They are successful at first, but in the end all but Heinrich and his fellow expedition leader Peter Aufschnaiter (played brilliantly by David Thewlis) are recaptured. Heinrich and Peter go their separate ways, but find each other again and reluctantly join forces in order to safely make it through Tibet. The two sneak their way into the sacred city of Lhasa, which is home to the Dalai Lama and forbidden to all foreigners. It is here where Heinrich's life begins to transform. He meets with the young Dalai Lama, (Jamtsho Wangchuk) and the two of them feed off each other to fill the void in their lives. For the Dalai Lama, it is knowledge for Western culture that he craves. For Heinrich, it is being a father figure to the young spiritual leader that helps him deal with his nonexistent relationship with his growing son back home.

Seven Years In Tibet is a fantastic movie, with breathtaking cinematography and larger than life characters. And even though you may be left with many unanswered questions about Tibet and its people's continued struggle with freedom, it's still a fascinating story that shows you how significant people can give direction to seemingly lost souls. It also gives you a glimpse of what Tibet must have been like during that harsh time of persecution in the late 40's to early 50's.

This DVD presents this wonderful movie in the absolute best condition yet to date. The picture is reference quality, and the sound is as clean as you're ever likely to find. If you liked the movie, you'll love this Superbit version.

The DVD

Video: Seven Years In Tibet is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. To put it very simply, this DVD looks absolutely stunning! The picture is sharp, clean, and looks about as good as good as you'll ever find on a non-hi-definition DVD. I guess it doesn't hurt that the original DVD release of this movie had a stunning transfer to begin with. So now in all its Superbit glory, it's just kind of showing off. Seriously though, this title looks phenomenal, and is without a doubt, one of, if not the best, DVD transfer I've ever seen. Colors look rich, and lush. Blacks are true as can be, and edge enhancement is not visibly apparent anywhere. Add to that the unlimited number of breathtakingly beautiful scenic shots littered throughout the movie, and you've got one hell of a reference disc on your hands.

Audio: All Superbit DVD's offer both a Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS audio tracks. Both audio tracks are superb, and offer near reference quality in clarity. However, it should be known this movie is not a dynamic movie in terms of sound, so most of the audio comes by way of dialogue from the center speaker. But when the rear speakers get a chance to breathe, they sound spectacular, which is most audible during the battle scenes toward the end of the film. So even though this is not a particularly active soundtrack, it still sounds outstanding.

Extras: Superbit DVD's utilize all available disc space for the sole purpose of video and audio at a cost of losing the space normally reserved for extra features. This ensures the highest possible quality for picture and sound currently available on the DVD format.


Final Thoughts
If you didn't know you were watching a DVD, you might swear you were watching a filmstrip. That's what will go through your head periodically when you watch this stunning superbit DVD. With a near perfect picture and an outstanding audio track, true lovers of Seven Years In Tibet cannot pass this DVD up. Highly Recommended