SCREAM OF STONE (1991)

Cast

Plot

Indie darling, Werner Herzog, bagged himself a sizeable budget for this movie and it appears it was to its detriment. The formulaic movie follows two rival climbers battling it out in a contest over who can climb the terrifying peak of Cerro Torre in Patagonia. The story becomes slightly overcooked with the introduction of a love interest, on top of the death of a mutual friend, which seems a contrived way to emphasised the chasm between them. Donald Sutherland provides support as a wealthy journalist who makes a bet on the race, bringing in the TV cameras to cover the event. Low on insight, heavy on symbolism and fundamentally lacking in the action department (not a lot of climbing for a mountain climbing movie!), it's a bit disappointing. It smacks of the worst aspect of movies which rely on collaboration to get them made: compromise. Check out ‘Touching The Void' instead.