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7.2/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 7.2/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Das Lied der Schwarzen Berge remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a soft spot for grainy, old-school adventure films where people wear heavy coats and look very serious while staring at cliffs, you might enjoy Das Lied der Schwarzen Berge. It’s definitely not for anyone who needs constant action or a snappy pace. It’s a slow burn, honestly.
Who is this for? Folks who like early 20th-century travelogues mixed with melodrama. If you’re a fan of something like Kivalina of the Ice Lands, you’ll probably dig the vibe here.
The whole thing feels like a postcard from a world that doesn't exist anymore. There is this one shot where they’re looking out over a valley, and the film just sits there. It doesn't rush to the next plot point. It just lets you look at the rocks for a solid minute.
It’s kind of funny how they frame the German characters as these geniuses who are going to "master" nature. They show up with their notebooks and their theories, and nature just kind of yawns at them. You can almost feel the mountain laughing.
The love story? It’s fine, I guess. It’s very polite and very stiff. It doesn't quite have the spark you see in Die Nacht gehört uns, but it serves its purpose as a bridge between the two cultures represented on screen.
The ending is a bit abrupt. It feels like they ran out of film stock or just decided they’d had enough of the mountains for one day. It doesn’t wrap everything up neatly with a bow, which is actually kind of refreshing.
It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s definitely not a total snooze. Just don’t expect it to change your life. It’s just a nice, weird, dusty trip to the past. 🏔️