Watch Scream of Stone For Free

How sad is this?

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Definitely one of the least interesting works of Werner Herzog but even so, as one fellow critic noted, even his failures are epic and he makes something good out of them. Once again he explores the conflict between man versus nature, the conflict of man against others and also against himself. While he treats the first in a good way, the second and the third are displeasing, flawed and lacking in depth which drags down most of the film almost downhill, or better saying down the mountain. Climbing the Cierro Torre, all the way up to the top they go. Who's they? One veteran climber (Vittorio Mezzogiorno), one acrobat/wall climber (Stefan Glowacz) trying the impossible for the first time going in one of the most difficult mountains of all, located in Patagonia (3000 meters, which is way shorter than the Everest but still a giant task), fighting against each other for the top of the mountain and for a woman's heart (she is played by Mathilda May). And their duel is followed by a sports reporter (Donald Sutherland) who thinks he's about to cover the event of the century. Plot twist: it looks like someone already had been there but can we trust this guy (Brad Dourif) who says he has left four fingers in there? Maybe...The problem with "Scream of Stone" is to be uninteresting and flat while dealing with themes that are better presented in other movies. The fight between fearless arrogance and defiance versus experience and talent is overdone, and it's not that brilliant in here. He doesn't bring profundity to any of those themes. The ethical aspect when it comes to present facts versus doubts, introduced when the younger guy claims to have been at the top of the Scream of Stone, was almost fascinating. He was questioned by the reporters and true professionals, and out of this moment of his being cornered, having nowhere to go, he accepts the challenge and goes again to the mountain. But even so, Herzog doesn't bring excitement neither to the story and neither to the climbing scenes, the adventure stays too much in the background while the characters are carelessly brought to the foreground but you can't relate with them for too long. The whole set up involving the female going from climber to the other doesn't convince, it's too simplistic and it's only used as a device for the upcoming third act (which works). I mean, she just happen to fall for the winners. You don't get the sense that she loves one or the other. It never reaches the splendorous, poetic and powerful images of "Aguirre, the Wrath of God" or "Fitzcarraldo" but there's beauty in some of them - the mountain has a gorgeous peak, magnificently visualized in the few aerial shots. The cast makes this worthwhile, specially the actor who plays the experienced alpinist. Overall, it's fine, Herzog is working with something he's very familiar with, to being aware of our ambitions and to conquer them regardless of consequences, living the dream even if they look like a nightmare. Just hoped this could be more impressive. 6/10

There have been times that Werner Herzog stood for quality films. Is this time long past? To my taste Scream of Stone is a terrible bore: soap-like acting with a cliché deep-voice performance of Sutherland, a cliché thin story based on the cliché opposition of intuitive versus experienced climbers, a failure to attain the cliché excitement of cliffhangers even even when the cliffs are at their steepest. Once more: a terrible bore!

Herzog succeeds to show simultaneously several issues related to climbing.The issue of the spectator: he is rather driven by roman circus spirit than by olympic ideals. The issues of the media: if there is an audience, there is money. The issues of the climbers: they are described as a king of athlete driven by a competitive spirit which allow betting its own life to reach a summit. The outdoors views of the famous Cerro Torre are beautiful and rare.Some spectators might feel bored by the way the film is conducted. Actually, this conduction reminds some Nouvelle Vague issues and many spectators felt bored by films directed by monsters of the Nouvelle Vague like Antonioni, Goddard etc... C'est la vie.Yet, Cerro Torre: Schrei aus Stein deserves to be seen by those who appreciate Herzog cinema.

I saw this at the Telluride Film Festival and was impressed by Herzog, but not in a positive way. He's a pompous ass. That doesn't necessarily detract from a movie, but I thought I'd mention it. This film has some absolutely stunning shots (especially of the incredible peak, Cerro Torre), but the human elements are a complete waste of time and film stock. There's actually not much climbing in it.I liked "Fitzcaraldo" and "Aguire" quite well; check those out instead.