The Man Who Skied Down Everest (1975) User Reviews

A champion ski racer attempts a 40 degree Everest run ..

[Vic_max · 7/10 · 19 November 2007]

This was a serious mountain expedition movie. I really appreciate what was done here. Climbing Everest in 1970 (the actual date this was done) is one horrifically challenging thing, but attempting to ski straight down 40-45 degrees of hardened snow and ice rocks is unreal. Kudos to Miura for showing the world what it is like.

This is a documentary about Japanese skier Yuichiro Miura who launched an expedition to ski down Everest's South Col face (26,000 feet). His expedition consisted of 800 men and 2 tons of equipment. The poetic narration (done by Douglas Rain - the voice of HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey) is taken from his diary and writings.

The first thing to note is that Miura is an amazing individual. He was the world speed record holder in skiing in 1964 and became the oldest person to climb Everest in 2003 at the age of 70.

Just getting to the top of the South Col of Everest is an achievement. The tragic deaths that occurred during the expedition only underscore the risk involved. Performing the physically and mentally demanding activity of vertically skiing down the face with a parachute is amazing. He is lucky to be alive.

This is not a high-energy, rock music-filled extreme sports movie. Most people would probably die doing something like this. This is about a disciplined, world-class athlete near the peak of his skills doing something extraordinary.

If you like Everest expedition movies, definitely watch this.

Beautiful film of a bygone era of Everest climbing

[dflowerz · 8/10 · 4 September 2010]

I first saw this beautifully filmed documentary many years ago and never forgot it. The most interesting parts for me were the trek to base camp and traversing the ice fall. Many of the shots in the movie offered unique perspectives that really showcased the scale and grandeur of the region. I felt that sometimes the thoughts of Miura were overly philosophical and romantic, but what I was hearing was a translation from Japanese to English, so final conclusions are not possible without understanding Japanese. The actual skiing down Everest sequence was short but dramatic. I think that skiers could empathize more with the difficulties of trying to stay in control on such hard and bumpy ice! Crazy stuff! One reviewer had noted that Miura had died shortly afterward but this is not the case. Apparently he became the oldest person to summit Everest when he did it at age 75 in 2008. Quite a man! All these years later, The Man Who Skied Down Everest is as much about climbing Everest in 1970 as about actually skiing down Everest.

A Haunting Enjoyable Film

[benz2000e55-aa · 8/10 · 16 July 2005]

If you watch this movie because you expect a skiing movie, you will be disappointed. This is a movie about assaulting mount Everest and all that was involved in doing so in 1975. It is combined with a healthy dose of Japanese philosophy and a haunting narrative by Doulas Rain, the voice of Hal the computer in 2001. The narrator reads from the diary the skier kept during the assent. That combined with the music and the films overall look and pace makes it unlike anything I have every scene before. It is a dark journey up the mountain.

I found it very moving and throughly enjoyed it. If you are a sports guy, skip it... Otherwise, give it a try.

An extreme skier before extreme skiing.

[yenlo · 4 January 2000]

Before extreme skiing gained popularity there was Yuichiro Miura of Japan who pulled off the most and still extreme downhill run of all. A shot down the earth's highest peak Mt Everest. An interesting documentary which shows the preparations, ascent and eventual descent down Everest on skis. This 1975 film is rarely shown and with the apparent decline of skiing interest in the United States a film such as this one certainly can excite people about the sport. While the actual footage of Miuras descent on his skis is short in length the film essentially is about the determination of an individual to achieve a goal that seems both challenging and unrealistic. If you're a fan of skiing films the likes of what Warren Miller produces then you'll enjoy this one.

Very good movie

[razor444 · 10/10 · 10 January 2009]

OK I see some people here didn't know what they were watching or how it was in fact. First, Miura is not dead. And on 2008 he set record for climbing Everest as the oldest man in the world.

Second, Miura skied 6,600 feet (2000 m) in 2 minutes and 20 seconds and fell 1320 feet down the steep Lhotse face from the Yellow Band just below the South Col. Yes, thats almost 7000feet (2km) that he skied down and this was ~80% of all available slope to ski down. Only at the end he fell because it was so steep and pure ice, and he had to brake somehow because otherwise he would be dead as there was crevasse waiting for him. He stopped 250ft from it... The speed was aprox ~170kph (110mph) even with parachute. Camera just doesn't show the height and angle and speed that was in reality.

This was an amazing adventure, very risky and very dangerous. Its a one time experience that probably won't be repeated again. And its not about the skiing, its about whole adventure.And btw it did won Oscar.

Crazy stunt, but was it worth it?

[ProfessorFrink7 · 9/10 · 25 November 2020]

Reading the synopsis above does a pretty good job of explaining how crazy/ambitious of a stunt this was, but doesn't really do justice to the price that was paid by so many who were hired to help get Mr. Miura up Mount Everest so he could put on a pair of skis and do one of the craziest things a person has ever attempted. This film really is a dichotomy between the grandeur of the stunt vs. the price paid for this entirely self-indulgent, off the wall crazy foray into one's ego. The actual stunt itself is probably the most thrilling thing ever put on film and is incredibly exciting especially for a generation brought up with extreme sports, but only showing this scene betrays the intent of the film, which is to portray the unnecessary suffering of the poor Sherpa's who lost their lives because they had no other option but to accept the job. This film is incredibly sad and exciting at the same time and is a perfect metaphor for the first world (Miura's Japan) taking advantage of the third world (the ethnic Sherpa people of Nepal) for purely selfish means. For the classroom it checks several boxes because of the fact it is immensely exciting, borderline crazy, yet manages to illustrate how the inequality in economic power between nations can lead to pure exploitation, damaging the indigenous cultures so you can for instance, ski down Mount Everest!

Mystic Mountain

[Chukar · 8/10 · 9 March 2005]

This film is a documentary. It was filmed 30 years ago when things in the Everest region were quite a bit different than they are today. I have had this film for some time on VHS, and If it were to come out on DVD I would buy it if I could find it. This film is very well done, but you have to be someone who can appreciate it. Its perspective is that of a Japanese, and the film represents that culture and the Japanese outlook. It shows its age more than a bit, and Miura and company hike from Katmandu to Everest Basecamp, which is seldom done anymore. But that is a good point, as it has some beautiful shots of the walk in to Everest, and relationships with the people that inhabit the areas. Nowadays, people more often fly into an airstrip that is a few hours walk to Namche Bazzar, which is the last real town of any size before you reach Everest Basecamp.

The actual skiing incident, or should I say "accident," that gives the picture its title is not nearly as important, or as impressive, as the rest of the film. They could have almost talked about it rather than show it. The beauty of the film is in its cinematography and its Oriental viewpoint. There is some death in the film as there is a major accident in the Kumbu Icefall that takes the life of several Sherpas.

The film is different from any other climbing film I have, and I have a great many; and I take it out and watch it at least once a year. It presents you a picture of a time and place that is long past. Miura, himself, was killed not long after his Everest adventure, doing much the same thing. I am not absolutely sure, but I believe he was attempting to ski down Denali.

If you enjoy Japanese or Oriental culture, you should enjoy the film. For me the film was never dull, except for the mentioned ski accident. I love the mountains and wilderness. Perhaps my love for wild places gives me too much of a fondness for a film like this. I can only say that it is one of my favorites.

Chuk'r

Give the skier a break!

[movingwater · 8/10 · 18 November 2022]

After reading some reviews, I thought I might post a rejoinder. Others complain that the skier "only" actually skied a stretch of the Lho tse face, the glacier, which ruined their enjoyment as it does not live up to the title.

But to me, that seems like complaining "that a band produced only a single hit." Come on. How many hits did you produce? Remember, Yuichiro Miura, did not make the film. He didn't write the title. The film did use his admittedly pretentious diary accounts for the script, but he never talks about trying to ski from the summit to the base. He did ski very high on the mountain. I think that is an amazing achievement.

The film's critics also complain of the expedition size. But most Everest attempts used these huge parties to assault the mountain. The small, "Alpine style" was only just emerging in the west and didn't really start until with Reinhold Messner, when he and Peter Habeler climbed Gasherbrum I (K5) without oxygen equipment in 1975.

This is a beautiful film documenting a genuine mountaineering feat. The fact that he fell and slid much of the way doesn't detract from the effort of my interest in it. Sure, Miura gets a bit carried away in his writing style but that reflects more on the culture of the 60's in Nepal. This was the hippy era after all.

Misleading title

[choatelodge · 1/10 · 28 April 2003]

I found this gem in a rack the local video rental store had of tapes which are exchanged among various rental outlets. 'The Man who Skied Down Everest'. Hmm... never heard about it. The box reads of some Japanese fellow who always wanted to ski down Everest and actually did it. Sounds interesting. I rented it. As expected it was documentary style. The first part can be summarized so: "I always wanted to ski down mount Everest". This is followed by some footage of preparation for the event. LOTS of preparation footage. OK, I suppose it takes a lot of preparation. Then we are treated to a protracted piece on the skier, Yuichiro Miura's philosophy on life etc. More filler follows and I begin to wonder where the skiing fits in to this show. More preparation is shown and they begin to make the trip to the mountain. More philosophy is shown. At last they arrive at the mountain and maybe perhaps he will get around to skiing down the friggin' thing. Lots of climbing footage later there is a description of the parachute device intended to slow Miuras' speed on the steep slope. Finally he straps on the skis and gets ready to go.

He's off... He skis about twenty feet and his skis shoot out from under him, he deploys the parachute and tumbles in an inglorious bundle for some distance down the mountain and that's that. End of story. What the heck was that?

OK I can buy that he always wanted to ski down Everest, made extensive preparations and actually tried it with camera crew in tow. It didn't work and he ended up tumbling down and almost killing himself, so what egregious hubris would inspire the man to release a film of it and call it skiing down Everest? Perhaps the title,"The Man Who's Feet Shot Out From Under Him and He Slid On His Ass Down Everest" was just too long for the tape box.

he did it

[edt-9 · 22 August 2006]

spoiler warning -- I reveal everything about what happened I'm a huge fan of skiing and mountain climbing, and if you're like me there's always this urge to combine the two, it's this itch that you just want to scratch. I'm also tired of the whole climb mount everest because it's the tallest mountain thing.

What a magnificent goal. To climb 3/4 of the way up Everest and then ski down to the bergschrund (the huge crevasse between the mountain and a glacier). Just the idea tantalizes.

Of course, if you do any skiing you have to realize, the actual ski event is nothing much. For instance, Blackcolme/Whistler has a vertical drop of somewhere around 5,000 feet, and I've done it a couple of times, the peak to creek trail, back when it was still out of bounds, it's an utterly magnificent run, and then I took the chair back up to the top and did it again! Anyway, the run on Everest would be less than 3,000 vertical feet, it would be all ice and rock, it would be quick and fast, and deadly. If he missed his stop he would fly into a crevasse. Needless to say he lived. Now the event itself was a mess, he got started, tried to do a plow, tried to do some turns, nothing would slow him down, so right from the start he realized he was in a hell of a position, so he just sat on his edges to try to stop, this ice was just as slick and hard as rock, of course his skis popped off, flying off into the air. He lived.

Wow. He was the first to try. Since then a dozen skiers and snowboarders have attempted to shred their way down mount everest. On Oct 7, 2000 Davo Karnicar succeeded skiing from the top of everest to base camp, including skiing over the khumbu icefall. But someone had to be first, and that someone was Yuichiro Miura. I'm pretty sure nobody since Miura has used a parachute, it doesn't do anything useful, but I guess he had to try it out.

If you have to ask yourself why spend weeks and months climbing a mountain, only to ski down it in minutes, then this movie is not for you.

quite a journey

[SnoopyStyle · 8/10 · 22 February 2024]

This follows Japanese adventurer Yuichiro Miura as he attempts to ski down Mount Everest. That's it. That's all there is and it's great. This has an Englishman narrating his diary entries. It's a neverending train of thought. He is part of a large group of Japanese scientists, fellow travelers, and local porters.

Real life Everest adventures are usually compelling although Miura's destination isn't all the way to the iconic top. That part is rather unusual. The visuals are amazing and I love the 70's aesthetics. He does need a 1st POV camera shoot going downhill. The cameras of that time may be too heavy for him to carry.

This one has the reality of the people. Miura makes himself very personable. There are real deaths and real bodies. This gets real real fast. I feel like I went on a journey with him and that is one of the highest praise for a documentary.

A beautiful film to ruffle feathers

[robstephens-06346 · 10/10 · 29 March 2024]

Why My title?

Is this anymore or less 'pretentious' than modern day 'influences raving on about some holiday locations?

Or other Everest climbers, lots died there only because it's there so don't pile your judgement on this guy because 6 died so he can ski down if.

Btw. I loved every moment of this film. To say he waffles on and on is racist because he is viewing at as a Japanese with Japanese thinking. I like this Japanese thinking in this.

And he did not die not long after this either.

A remarkable film and effort that puts modem 'expeditions' to shame as these days it's not a long trek from an airport.

This guy and his team trekked from Kathmandu!

The man who skied down a little, bitty portion of Everest, actually.

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 9 August 2013]

"The Man Who Skied Down Everest" won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature back in 1976. I most of this is because of the amazing cinematography. That's because apart from that, I found the film a bit pretentious, boring and disingenuous.

The film consists of a western actor reading the journal entries of a Japanese guy who loves skiing in extreme situations. Some of these entries are insightful and interesting, others extremely pretentious. Regardless, you get LOTS of talk, when the film would have been so much better had it had some quiet moments. Additionally, when he eventually gets to this feat, you learn that he only went NEAR the top of this huge mountain and then skied down a very small portion. It's an amazing act, but not at all what you'd expect given the film's title. The bottom line is that I found myself nodding off a lot as I watched this film and that is not a good sign. Easy to skip.

Well, *I* Liked It

[Mike_McDuck · 7 August 2004]

I saw this movie many years ago on TV, and thoroughly enjoyed it. As a previous reviewer said, the title is somewhat misleading; I usually refer to it as "The Man Who Fell Down Everest"!

What struck me about this film is that the expedition is so *Japanese*. For example, all the equipment is stencilled "JESE" for "Japanese Everest Ski Expedition". They carry collapsible bridges for crossing crevasses. And they lugged old-style videotape equipment up the mountain so the skier could record and critique his practice runs; there is a funny scene of the Sherpas watching _Bonanza_ tapes dubbed into Japanese.

All in all, I found it fascinating. And it won the Oscar for best documentary that year.

Anti-climatic documentary

[jdavis68-1 · 5/10 · 26 December 2006]

This film has a two hour build-up involving the thoughts and preparations of a Japanese skier who wants to ski Everest, which culminates in an anti-climatic ski scene that lasts about 30 seconds. This is not a spoiler because this movie spoils itself. There was about 15 seconds of skiing and 15 seconds of sliding down the mountain.

There was a lot of gratuitous philosophy by this Japanese guy and it was especially galling when six Sherpas who were hauling his equipment died in a snowfall and the skier opined that it was worth it because you have to take risks in life to achieve great things or something like that.

There is some good photography of Everest and the way to Everest through Tibet. This film won an Academy Award for documentary in 1975.

pretentious and self-centered

[Manko99 · 5/10 · 2 April 2011]

The movie is well made with great photography and narration. However, the subject of the film takes himself way too seriously. His actual feat of skiing "down Everest" is massively exaggerated. From what I could tell, he appears to be skiing down about half of the Lhotse face. The narrator claims that he is skiing from a level where the 1952 Swiss expedition reached. Not true. They reached 28,500 feet, just short of the Hillary step. Miuri starts from somewhere below the South Col (26,000 feet) with the aid of a parachute too slow him down. He tries to hold a wedge shape (an amateur move to control speed) then sits down on a traverse at about 24,000 feet and subsequently slides/bounces on his butt another 500 to 1,000 feet. I figure he skied from about 25,500 to 23,000 feet.

This is presented as a successful and amazing run. Miuri states "I cant believe I'm alive" and "why have I been allowed to survive?", blah blah blah...etc. I'd like to know how the 800 porters, sherpas, other climbers, and families of the 6 dead men feel about this. I'm surprised the Japanese expedition didn't try to put some climbers on the summit while they were there. Apparently, it was all about Miuri and his lame ski run.

a truly self-indulgent and self-aggrandizing waste of time

[Bobbyh-2 · 1/10 · 21 September 2006]

I saw this film when it came out. Let me see now--this guy who had earlier skied down Mount Fuji manages to accumulate the funding and hire personnel to document what sounds on the surface like a bold and daring act---to ski down the world's highest peak. Well--AND HERE COMES THE SPOILER--what happens, see, after a large crew of people manage to help him get near the top--and a life is lost in the bargain--he gets on his skis, manages to make it down a very very short way, at which point his PARACHUTE OPENS...and that's that. And instead of burning the footage to hide this amazingly anticlimactic ending to an embarrassing debacle, the guy goes ahead and releases it. SPOILER ENDS I do admire the amazing courage and effort it must have taken the film crew to get some of the stunning shots they got. ANOTHER SPOILER--Oh yes, one of the Sherpas is killed by falling into a crevasse. The narrator, who is quoting the "daredevil skier, casually remarks that, according to the Sherpa religion, since this man's body cannot be recovered his soul will roam the world forever and never know rest. Is it worth it, the narrator muses. YES he answers--because it served the purpose of letting this clown "ski down Everest." I can't remember ever seeing a more meretricious piece of celluloid. This is one to miss at all costs.

Only worth watching for the views of Mount Everest

[dhart-2 · 1/10 · 7 October 2006]

If you are looking for a movie with beautiful shots of Mount Everest, then you may enjoy this movie. Just skip ahead to the views of the mountain.

(Spoiler Alert) However, if you, like me, believe that lives are precious and not to be wasted then this movie will leave a bad taste in your mouth. 6 people died, 5 Sherpas and a member of the Japanese party just so that one man could attempt to ski down Mount Everest.

The question is raised in the movie about whether the continuation of the expedition to meet his personal goal was still worth the cost in lives, and he answers an emphatic "Yes".

The part about skiing is in the last 15 minutes. He skis for a short time, then falls the rest of the way until he comes to a stop in the snow.

The man who fell on Everest

[ebeattiesmith · 2/10 · 29 January 2022]

I'm fascinated by all things Mt. Everest. This was a waste of so much effort of so many people, not to mention the numerous lives lost in its pursuit. He skied approximately 20 feet and then tumbled for a while, accompanied by some horrible music. I assumed he would summit and ski from there. Not even close.

Woody Allen-esqe

[jparker-985-769124 · 1/10 · 12 March 2020]

This oddball disappoints in classic fashion. Given the movie's rather impressive title, I had hoped for a well paced adventure documentary featuring a fearless "Bill Johnson" type, first battling to the summit of Mount Everest and then carving tight turns all the way to base camp. (Perhaps I expected too much given the stunts and daredevils of today) What I was actually treated to was a brutally slow slog of a movie narrated by a sleep inducing brooding narcissist who finally starts an ill-fated ski run nowhere near the summit. Comically, he dons a helmet, a pair of cartoon goggles, throws out a ridiculous parachute ( Im thinking of a cape at this juncture) and then snowplows, tumbles and skids on his arse a couple of thousand vertical feet. Quite funny actually given the serious nature of being high on Everest. While the ignominious pratfall was likely an Everest first, it apparently only rates a comical footnote in Everest lore. My advice for this forgettable film, use the fast forward button and simply watch the comic finish. Woody Allen would be proud.

the man who skied down everest

[mossgrymk · 5/10 · 8 March 2024]

Although I commend Yuchiro Miura for ascending Mount Everest at the age of eighty (I'm seventy five and hearing such things tends to lift my spirits) I have to say that I came away from this documentary with a cordial dislike of the fellow. He makes Sandy Hill, the entitled villainess of "Into Thin Air", seem Gandhi like in comparison. The last straw was that, after six Sherpas died so that this guy could go blissfully skiing and following his rather disappointing downhill, complete with extended spill and slide, he opines that he was spared death out of "love". I guess if you're okay with this New Age/post "Siddhartha" gush then you'll adore this film. I'm not and I didn't. Solid C.

This Filled Me With Disgust

[boblipton · 4/10 · 25 February 2024]

This movie shows the Japanese expedition to allow Yûichirô Miura to.... well, the title tells you.

I approached this movie without much sympathy for its goal, which struck me -- and still does -- as the actions of a very rich adolescent with too much time on his hands and a desire to be famous for something, anything, like a 1970s Mr. Beast or Kardashian. Six men died on this frolic, but I suppose that since five of them were Sherpas, and Miura says he felt like a samurai after not falling into a crevasse and dying, it was totally worth it.

The photography by six camera men under the supervision of Mitsuji Kanau is stunning. Douglas Rain narrates from Miura's diary.