AdventureDramaHistory

Seven Years in Tibet

- At the end of the world his real journey began.

Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer journeys to the Himalayas without his family to head an expedition in 1939. But when World War II breaks out, the arrogant Harrer falls into Allied forces' hands as a prisoner of war. He escapes with a fellow detainee and makes his way to Llaso, Tibet, where he meets the 14-year-old Dalai Lama, whose friendship ultimately transforms his outlook on life.

Release Date : 1997-09-12

Language :MandarinEnglishHindiPortugueseGermanTibetan

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : TriStar PicturesMandalay EntertainmentApplecrossReperage & Vanguard FilmsSony Pictures

Production Country : United KingdomUnited States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Heinrich Harrer

Original Name : Brad Pitt

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dalai Lama, 14 Years Old

Original Name : Jamyang Jamtsho Wangchuk

Gender : Male

Character Name : Peter Aufschnaiter

Original Name : David Thewlis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ngawang Jigme

Original Name : BD Wong

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kungo Tsarong

Original Name : Mako

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pema Lhaki

Original Name : Lhakpa Tsamchoe

Gender : Female

Character Name : Ingrid Harrer

Original Name : Ингеборга Дапкунайте

Gender : Female

Character Name : British Officer

Original Name : Duncan Fraser

Gender : Male

Character Name : Regent

Original Name : Danny Denzongpa

Gender : Male

Character Name : Chinese 'Amban'

Original Name : Victor Wong

Gender : Male

Character Name : Great Mother

Original Name : Jetsun Pema

Gender : Female

Character Name : Tashi

Original Name : Ama Ashe Dongtse

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dalai Lama, 8 Years Old

Original Name : Sonam Wangchuk

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dalai Lama, 4 Years Old

Original Name : Dorjee Tsering

Gender : Male

Character Name : General Chang Jing Wu

Original Name : Ric Young

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lord Chamberlain (as Ven. Ngawang Chojor)

Original Name : Ngawang Chojor

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nazi Official

Original Name : Benedick Blythe

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lutz Chicken

Original Name : Tom Raudaschl

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hans Lobenhoffer

Original Name : Wolfgang Tonninger

Gender : Male

Character Name : The Garpon

Original Name : Samdup Dhargyal

Gender : Male

Character Name : Garpon's Agent

Original Name : Chemchok

Gender : Male

Character Name : Declaration Monk Official (as Ven. Tenzin Jangschub)

Original Name : Tenzin Jangchub

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tibetan General (as Major Angphurba Sherpa)

Original Name : Angphurba Sherpa

Gender : Male

Character Name : Burly Guide

Original Name : Tsering Wangdue

Gender : Male

Character Name : Burly Guide

Original Name : Yama Ngudup Cheshatsang

Gender : Male

Character Name : Vendor Ice-Skates

Original Name : Kalsang Dhundop Lungtok

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jacket Vendor

Original Name : Sonam Bidhartsang

Gender : Male

Character Name : Watch Vendor

Original Name : Lama Champa Tsondu

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ling Rinpoche

Original Name : Geshe Lobsang Nyma

Gender : Male

Character Name : Trijang Rinpoche

Original Name : Geshe Yeshi Tsultrim

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dalai Lama's Room Attendant

Original Name : Lama Champa Chandu

Gender : Male

Character Name : Young Sherpa

Original Name : Pemba Norbu Sherpa

Gender : Male

Character Name : Messenger to Great Mother

Original Name : Karma Apo-Tsang

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jokhang Monk Official (as Ven. Ngawang Tenzin Gyatso)

Original Name : Ngawang Tenzingyatso

Gender : Male

Character Name : Military Instructor

Original Name : Choeden Tsering

Gender : Male

Character Name : Monk Head of Security

Original Name : Lama Jampa Lekshe

Gender : Male

Character Name : Head of Security's Aide

Original Name : Lama Thupten Nugdup

Gender : Male

Character Name : Marchese

Original Name : Daniel Tedeschi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Horst Immerhof

Original Name : Gerardo Ebert

Gender : Male

Character Name : Younger Rolf Harrer

Original Name : Sebastian Zevalia

Gender : Male

Character Name : Older Rolf Harrer

Original Name : Philipp Kriechbaum

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tibetan

Original Name : Lobsang Gendun Rinpoche

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tibetan

Original Name : Tenzin Gyaltsen Rinpoche

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tibetan

Original Name : Sharpa Tulku Rinpoche

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tibetan

Original Name : Zongra Tulku Rinpoche

Gender : Male

Reviews

Wuchak

@Wuchak

2021-06-23

_**Twelve years in the Tibet area, 1939-1951**_ “Seven Years in Tibet” (1997) is a biographical historical drama about Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer (Brad Pitt) and his time in Tibet and friendship with the Dalai Lama, a boy, just before & during WW2, as well as the build-up to the invasion of Tibet in 1950 by Communist Chinese forces and the immediate aftermath. David Thewlis is on hand as Heinrich’s German mountaineer friend. The movie’s similar to other realistic walk-to-salvation wilderness adventures, like “The Way Back” (2010). Pitt is charismatic as the pompous mountaineer who is slowly humbled in the highest region of the globe. The movie couldn’t be made today since it paints the Chinese Communist Party in a negative light; in other words, it’s truthful. The film runs 2 hours, 16 minutes and the bulk of it was shot in Argentina at the city of La Plata and the Andes Mountains in the Mendoza Province, while about 20 minutes of footage was secretly shot in Tibet. GRADE: B

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-01-17

Brad Pitt is acclaimed Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer who leaves his expectant wife to climb in the Himalayas. A couple of high-altitude mishaps and the commencement of WWII see him and colleague Peter Aufschnaiter (David Thewlis) interred by the British and confined to a POW camp. After a few failed attempts, the pair manage to escape and after some perilous trekking through the hostile wilderness, they find themselves at the gates of the holy city of Lhasa. Foreigners are not especially welcome here, but they are fed and watered and gradually become accepted to the point where Harrer is introduced to the Great Mother and thence to the young, curious and engaging Dalai Lama himself. The spiritual leader takes a shine to his new friend with golden hair and the older man regales him with tales of wonder from the outside world. Simultaneously, their much larger and increasingly more territorial neighbour has clear designs on Tibet. With troops massing on the borders, the precarious nature of the independence of this small country becomes more obvious and, well history is never far from the narrative. I think Pitt plays well as the arrogant climber and as the story develops so does his character - from a selfish loner to one who learns to care for things greater than just himself. To that end, Thewlis also delivers strongly as the pair bond - despite themselves, sometimes - and "Jamyang Jamtsho Wangchuk positively oozes a decency and spiritualism as the boy who is fighting a losing battle against those who think religion is a "disease". Though it does rather oversimplify the politics, this film is beautifully shot with some genuine Tibetan scenes around the amazing architecture that is the Potala Palace and by the denouement you can't help but empathise with a nation that just wanted to be left in peace to live in peace.