A travelogue, but not quite
During the final decade of Heinrich Harrer's life, he knew what became of his beloved Tibet. "Seven Years in Tibet" recounted his experience as a salaried official in the Tibetan government and his friendship with the Dalai Lama. The Austrian, who was known for his daring conquest of the Eiger North Face, could be like any foreigner who spent a month or two in the Himalayas. The Buddhist culture would enchant outsiders, and the cries of the herd of goats in the morning could resonate for many years. It happened during World War II, though.
Harrer pressed his innocence after his return to his Motherland, insisting that he was young (and not in his sharpest faculty) when he joined the Nazi Party. In fact, Tibet became his refuge during the troubled time. The Austrian mountaineer wasn't naive of geopolitics, as Tibet was located in a strategic part of Central Asia. There might be a debate if the Tibetans have a similar fate to the Afghans, whose ancestors witnessed one foreign invader after another. "Seven Years in Tibet" could be seen as an ode to friendship, which changed Harrer. Before his death on January 7, 1993, he might have been saddened to know that the Tibet he once knew would be a figment of the imagination. This would be an intriguing aspect of Harrer's memoir.
"Seven Years in Tibet" would need an update, as China's growing status (as a superpower) changed the political landscape. Harrer might be bullish to see the Dalai Lama as a wise, benevolent human being, but the others would see a political figure who waged a courageous fight against invaders. There won't be any doubt about the author's earnest voice, as Harrer was like W. Somerset Maugham's Larry Darrell (in "The Razor's Edge"). Then again, this sentiment would be lost when the Himalayas turned into a playground of adventurous souls. It won't be Harrer's fault, though.
Jean-Jacques Annaud blew his chances when he filmed "Seven Years in Tibet". His debut film, "Black and White in Color", was a satiric indictment on the French settlers in Africa. Colonization had never looked so unpleasant, such that some French officials reportedly walked out during the premier. The young filmmaker could have used the same approach, but this was a Hollywood production. It didn't help that Brad Pitt bleached his hair (and played Harrer on the big screen). It could have been another actor, who had the ability to show his introspective thoughts whenever he would twitch his eyebrows or move his lips. It may be too much to ask such a thing from Pitt, though.
Robert Fraisse's cinematography was the standout, which saved the biographical film from oblivion. Fraisse collaborated with Annaud several times, receiving an Academy Award nomination for his work in "The Lover". The soft lights, which gave Indochina a nostalgic look, would reflect Marguerite Duras's bittersweet feelings about her teenage years in Vietnam. It wasn't much different in "Seven Years in Tibet", where Harrer's tender feelings towards his second home (and the Dalai Lama) could be seen in the sweeping views of the snowy mountain range. The view couldn't be better.
