Direction: Jennifer Peedom
Country: USA / Australia / other
Australian documentarian Jennifer Peedom is known for documenting risky expeditions in films such as Solo (2008), Sherpa (2015), and Mountain (2017). Tenzing, which revisits the 1953 ascent of Mount Everest by Nepalese-Indian Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and New Zealand mountaineer Edmund Hillary, is her first feature-length narrative film. Written by Luke Davies, this biographical account stars Genden Phuntsok, Tom Hiddleston, and Willem Dafoe in the main roles.
In addition to leaning too heavily on sentimentality, Tenzing offers few thrills. Its narrative is constantly slowed down by clumsy flashbacks, while its characters lack nuance. It pays tribute to a forgotten hero through a conventional formula, carried by a capable cast bundled up in warm clothes. The film is actually more of a psychological portrait than a spectacular adventure.
The tensions revolve more around origins, class, and rivalries than the dangers of the mountain, and the best the film has to offer is its stunning vistas. This inspiring story deserved better treatment on screen, making for a somewhat frustrating experience. Still, the real heroes—those who see the mountain as an extension of themselves rather than as an enemy—are rightly celebrated.
