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6 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
An extreme skier before extreme skiing., 4 January 2000
Author: yenlo from Auburn, Me

Before extreme skiing gained popularity there was Yuichiro Miura of Japan who pulled off the most and still extreme downhill run of all. A shot down the earth's highest peak Mt Everest. An interesting documentary which shows the preparations, ascent and eventual descent down Everest on skis. This 1975 film is rarely shown and with the apparent decline of skiing interest in the United States a film such as this one certainly can excite people about the sport. While the actual footage of Miuras descent on his skis is short in length the film essentially is about the determination of an individual to achieve a goal that seems both challenging and unrealistic. If you're a fan of skiing films the likes of what Warren Miller produces then you'll enjoy this one.

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5 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
Well, *I* Liked It, 7 August 2004
Author: Mike Ciaraldi (ciaraldi) from Worcester, MA

I saw this movie many years ago on TV, and thoroughly enjoyed it. As a previous reviewer said, the title is somewhat misleading; I usually refer to it as "The Man Who Fell Down Everest"!

What struck me about this film is that the expedition is so *Japanese*. For example, all the equipment is stencilled "JESE" for "Japanese Everest Ski Expedition". They carry collapsible bridges for crossing crevasses. And they lugged old-style videotape equipment up the mountain so the skier could record and critique his practice runs; there is a funny scene of the Sherpas watching _Bonanza_ tapes dubbed into Japanese.

All in all, I found it fascinating. And it won the Oscar for best documentary that year.

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6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Mystic Mountain, 9 March 2005
8/10
Author: Chukar from Palm Desert, CA. USA

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This film is a documentary. It was filmed 30 years ago when things in the Everest region were quite a bit different than they are today. I have had this film for some time on VHS, and If it were to come out on DVD I would buy it if I could find it. This film is very well done, but you have to be someone who can appreciate it. Its perspective is that of a Japanese, and the film represents that culture and the Japanese outlook. It shows its age more than a bit, and Miura and company hike from Katmandu to Everest Basecamp, which is seldom done anymore. But that is a good point, as it has some beautiful shots of the walk in to Everest, and relationships with the people that inhabit the areas. Nowadays, people more often fly into an airstrip that is a few hours walk to Namche Bazzar, which is the last real town of any size before you reach Everest Basecamp.

The actual skiing incident, or should I say "accident," that gives the picture its title is not nearly as important, or as impressive, as the rest of the film. They could have almost talked about it rather than show it. The beauty of the film is in its cinematography and its Oriental viewpoint. There is some death in the film as there is a major accident in the Kumbu Icefall that takes the life of several Sherpas.

The film is different from any other climbing film I have, and I have a great many; and I take it out and watch it at least once a year. It presents you a picture of a time and place that is long past. Miura, himself, was killed not long after his Everest adventure, doing much the same thing. I am not absolutely sure, but I believe he was attempting to ski down Denali.

If you enjoy Japanese or Oriental culture, you should enjoy the film. For me the film was never dull, except for the mentioned ski accident. I love the mountains and wilderness. Perhaps my love for wild places gives me too much of a fondness for a film like this. I can only say that it is one of my favorites.

Chuk'r

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
he did it, 22 August 2006
Author: edt-9 from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

spoiler warning -- I reveal everything about what happened I'm a huge fan of skiing and mountain climbing, and if you're like me there's always this urge to combine the two, it's this itch that you just want to scratch. I'm also tired of the whole climb mount everest because it's the tallest mountain thing.

What a magnificent goal. To climb 3/4 of the way up Everest and then ski down to the bergschrund (the huge crevasse between the mountain and a glacier). Just the idea tantalizes.

Of course, if you do any skiing you have to realize, the actual ski event is nothing much. For instance, Blackcolme/Whistler has a vertical drop of somewhere around 5,000 feet, and I've done it a couple of times, the peak to creek trail, back when it was still out of bounds, it's an utterly magnificent run, and then I took the chair back up to the top and did it again! Anyway, the run on Everest would be less than 3,000 vertical feet, it would be all ice and rock, it would be quick and fast, and deadly. If he missed his stop he would fly into a crevasse. Needless to say he lived. Now the event itself was a mess, he got started, tried to do a plow, tried to do some turns, nothing would slow him down, so right from the start he realized he was in a hell of a position, so he just sat on his edges to try to stop, this ice was just as slick and hard as rock, of course his skis popped off, flying off into the air. He lived.

Wow. He was the first to try. Since then a dozen skiers and snowboarders have attempted to shred their way down mount everest. On Oct 7, 2000 Davo Karnicar succeeded skiing from the top of everest to base camp, including skiing over the khumbu icefall. But someone had to be first, and that someone was Yuichiro Miura. I'm pretty sure nobody since Miura has used a parachute, it doesn't do anything useful, but I guess he had to try it out.

If you have to ask yourself why spend weeks and months climbing a mountain, only to ski down it in minutes, then this movie is not for you.

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7 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
A Haunting Enjoyable Film, 16 July 2005
8/10
Author: benz2000e55-aa from United States

If you watch this movie because you expect a skiing movie, you will be disappointed. This is a movie about assaulting mount Everest and all that was involved in doing so in 1975. It is combined with a healthy dose of Japanese philosophy and a haunting narrative by Doulas Rain, the voice of Hal the computer in 2001. The narrator reads from the diary the skier kept during the assent. That combined with the music and the films overall look and pace makes it unlike anything I have every scene before. It is a dark journey up the mountain.

I found it very moving and throughly enjoyed it. If you are a sports guy, skip it... Otherwise, give it a try.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
A champion ski racer attempts a 40 degree Everest run .., 19 November 2007
7/10
Author: vram22 from United States

This was a serious mountain expedition movie. I really appreciate what was done here. Climbing Everest in 1970 (the actual date this was done) is one horrifically challenging thing, but attempting to ski straight down 40-45 degrees of hardened snow and ice rocks is unreal. Kudos to Miura for showing the world what it is like.

This is a documentary about Japanese skier Yuichiro Miura who launched an expedition to ski down Everest's South Col face (26,000 feet). His expedition consisted of 800 men and 2 tons of equipment. The poetic narration (done by Douglas Rain - the voice of HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey) is taken from his diary and writings.

The first thing to note is that Miura is an amazing individual. He was the world speed record holder in skiing in 1964 and became the oldest person to climb Everest in 2003 at the age of 70.

Just getting to the top of the South Col of Everest is an achievement. The tragic deaths that occurred during the expedition only underscore the risk involved. Performing the physically and mentally demanding activity of vertically skiing down the face with a parachute is amazing. He is lucky to be alive.

This is not a high-energy, rock music-filled extreme sports movie. Most people would probably die doing something like this. This is about a disciplined, world-class athlete near the peak of his skills doing something extraordinary.

If you like Everest expedition movies, definitely watch this.

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2 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Anti-climatic documentary, 26 December 2006
5/10
Author: jdavis68-1 from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This film has a two hour build-up involving the thoughts and preparations of a Japanese skier who wants to ski Everest, which culminates in an anti-climatic ski scene that lasts about 30 seconds. This is not a spoiler because this movie spoils itself. There was about 15 seconds of skiing and 15 seconds of sliding down the mountain.

There was a lot of gratuitous philosophy by this Japanese guy and it was especially galling when six Sherpas who were hauling his equipment died in a snowfall and the skier opined that it was worth it because you have to take risks in life to achieve great things or something like that.

There is some good photography of Everest and the way to Everest through Tibet. This film won an Academy Award for documentary in 1975.

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Very good movie, 10 January 2009
10/10
Author: razor444 from Lithuania

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

OK I see some people here didn't know what they were watching or how it was in fact. First, Miura is not dead. And on 2008 he set record for climbing Everest as the oldest man in the world.

Second, Miura skied 6,600 feet (2000 m) in 2 minutes and 20 seconds and fell 1320 feet down the steep Lhotse face from the Yellow Band just below the South Col. Yes, thats almost 7000feet (2km) that he skied down and this was ~80% of all available slope to ski down. Only at the end he fell because it was so steep and pure ice, and he had to brake somehow because otherwise he would be dead as there was crevasse waiting for him. He stopped 250ft from it... The speed was aprox ~170kph (110mph) even with parachute. Camera just doesn't show the height and angle and speed that was in reality.

This was an amazing adventure, very risky and very dangerous. Its a one time experience that probably won't be repeated again. And its not about the skiing, its about whole adventure.And btw it did won Oscar.

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1 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Only worth watching for the views of Mount Everest, 7 October 2006
1/10
Author: David Hart (dhart-2) from Boston, MA

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

If you are looking for a movie with beautiful shots of Mount Everest, then you may enjoy this movie. Just skip ahead to the views of the mountain.

(Spoiler Alert) However, if you, like me, believe that lives are precious and not to be wasted then this movie will leave a bad taste in your mouth. 6 people died, 5 Sherpas and a member of the Japanese party just so that one man could attempt to ski down Mount Everest.

The question is raised in the movie about whether the continuation of the expedition to meet his personal goal was still worth the cost in lives, and he answers an emphatic "Yes".

The part about skiing is in the last 15 minutes. He skis for a short time, then falls the rest of the way until he comes to a stop in the snow.

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2 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
a truly self-indulgent and self-aggrandizing waste of time, 21 September 2006
1/10
Author: Robert Hirschfeld (boberich@aol.com) from Dobbs Ferry, NY

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I saw this film when it came out. Let me see now--this guy who had earlier skied down Mount Fuji manages to accumulate the funding and hire personnel to document what sounds on the surface like a bold and daring act---to ski down the world's highest peak. Well--AND HERE COMES THE SPOILER--what happens, see, after a large crew of people manage to help him get near the top--and a life is lost in the bargain--he gets on his skis, manages to make it down a very very short way, at which point his PARACHUTE OPENS...and that's that. And instead of burning the footage to hide this amazingly anticlimactic ending to an embarrassing debacle, the guy goes ahead and releases it. SPOILER ENDS I do admire the amazing courage and effort it must have taken the film crew to get some of the stunning shots they got. ANOTHER SPOILER--Oh yes, one of the Sherpas is killed by falling into a crevasse. The narrator, who is quoting the "daredevil skier, casually remarks that, according to the Sherpa religion, since this man's body cannot be recovered his soul will roam the world forever and never know rest. Is it worth it, the narrator muses. YES he answers--because it served the purpose of letting this clown "ski down Everest." I can't remember ever seeing a more meretricious piece of celluloid. This is one to miss at all costs.

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