User Reviews

Donald Sutherland plays a news reporter who goads a sport climber into challenging a legendary mountain climber. A 3000 meter supposedly unclimbable Patagonia peak is their place of destiny. "Scream of Stone" is an extremely uneven film, with abrupt editing and despite Werner Herzog directing, the whole thing really never pulls together. There is a battle of egos for most of the movie that eventually wears thin. I found the most interesting character to be "Fingerless", played by the always intriguing Brad Dourif. Despite the spectacular mountain vistas, the film has several near fatal flaws, including some really unfunny attempts at humor, a "bimbo" who's acting is atrocious, and an ending on the mountain that seriously lacks credibility. - MERK

This movie left me with mixed feelings. The filmography is beautiful but the acting not quite.

The good thing is that it is really a climbing movie, not an action movie wrapped up into a mountain scenery (like Cliffhanger or Vertical Limit). Some of the actors are real (and good) climbers and one gets a glimpse of the climbing ethics (or lack thereof when sponsors come into the field).

The scenario is very loosely based on the story of the first ascent of Cerro Torre, a hard Patagonian peak. Definitely worth seeing if you are into climbing.

Definitely one of the least interesting works of Werner Herzog but even so, as one fellow critic noted, even his failures are epic and he makes something good out of them. Once again he explores the conflict between man versus nature, the conflict of man against others and also against himself. While he treats the first in a good way, the second and the third are displeasing, flawed and lacking in depth which drags down most of the film almost downhill, or better saying down the mountain.

Climbing the Cierro Torre, all the way up to the top they go. Who's they? One veteran climber (Vittorio Mezzogiorno), one acrobat/wall climber (Stefan Glowacz) trying the impossible for the first time going in one of the most difficult mountains of all, located in Patagonia (3000 meters, which is way shorter than the Everest but still a giant task), fighting against each other for the top of the mountain and for a woman's heart (she is played by Mathilda May). And their duel is followed by a sports reporter (Donald Sutherland) who thinks he's about to cover the event of the century. Plot twist: it looks like someone already had been there but can we trust this guy (Brad Dourif) who says he has left four fingers in there? Maybe...

The problem with "Scream of Stone" is to be uninteresting and flat while dealing with themes that are better presented in other movies. The fight between fearless arrogance and defiance versus experience and talent is overdone, and it's not that brilliant in here. He doesn't bring profundity to any of those themes. The ethical aspect when it comes to present facts versus doubts, introduced when the younger guy claims to have been at the top of the Scream of Stone, was almost fascinating. He was questioned by the reporters and true professionals, and out of this moment of his being cornered, having nowhere to go, he accepts the challenge and goes again to the mountain. But even so, Herzog doesn't bring excitement neither to the story and neither to the climbing scenes, the adventure stays too much in the background while the characters are carelessly brought to the foreground but you can't relate with them for too long. The whole set up involving the female going from climber to the other doesn't convince, it's too simplistic and it's only used as a device for the upcoming third act (which works). I mean, she just happen to fall for the winners. You don't get the sense that she loves one or the other.

It never reaches the splendorous, poetic and powerful images of "Aguirre, the Wrath of God" or "Fitzcarraldo" but there's beauty in some of them - the mountain has a gorgeous peak, magnificently visualized in the few aerial shots. The cast makes this worthwhile, specially the actor who plays the experienced alpinist. Overall, it's fine, Herzog is working with something he's very familiar with, to being aware of our ambitions and to conquer them regardless of consequences, living the dream even if they look like a nightmare. Just hoped this could be more impressive. 6/10

This is probably one of Herzog's least known films in States,but it's definitely worth seeking out.As always his visuals are stunning.Especially in the Climbing sequences.There is this really great shot of the younger climber hanging on the edge of the cliff ,and the way Herzog holds this shot and let's us absorb it .He always has things like that in his movies,that's one of the things that makes a Werner herzog much more than just another movie.A note to Herzog fans,you'll find all of his trademarks in this movie if you look close enough.

I must say that I'm little disappointed after watching this movie. It's not this way because I've heard so much about it earlier. It's more like, Werner is trying to do His best because the industry is watching and He wants to show Hollywood His best (this one is even English, not German spoken film).

Maybe I'm wrong, I don't know. I've seen it few minutes ago (it's 7:54 am, 20/5/2002) and I consider this picture as one of Herzog's worse creations/works (from what I've seen so far). Why is it so? Well..

Firstly I do miss quotes! I cannot forgive this one! I love'em. Quote at the beginning of "The Mystery Of Kaspar Hauser", quote at the end of "Woyzeck"... These are just unforgettable. Here We've got none of this sort.

Second issue is this constant lack of feeling, feeling like "are We there.? Is it a dream?"... I personally caught myself few times changing into a daydreamer while watching "Aguirre Der Zorn Gottes" or "Herz Aus Gold" and believe my I am not addicted to drugs ;). Next case here is baddish script (I mean it). After all I gave "Cerro Torre..." 6/10. You may ask why... Well.. again: Donald Sutherland may wake You up if You fell asleep. There's one scene with cigarette (very short, but kept in lively manner) I really like. In my opinion Herzog doesn't focus on the main guy in the story as he did in His previous pictures. Shame on Him! :) This guy isn't bad at all, and PLEASE all of You... do me a favour ... Try to imagine that Kinski plays Roccia,okay? thanks. Mentioning actors, I cannot forget about Brad Dourif.. You'll love this fella. You could see Him in: "One flew over cuckoo's nest" for instance. What Herzog is doing with camera is His business, but I preferred when it was more static, showing more landscapes... etc. We saw it during "Aguirre", "Fitzcarraldo"... Well ! mr Herzog! these are mountains ... shouldn't We watch'em some more, instead of some naked bodies? Sounds coming from the screen are not those of heart-shaking type. One last thing, I believe. You liked it the way Werner put some music here, some music there in "Woyzeck"? Well forget about it... CONCLUSION is: That's not the step forwards, it's .. oops! I don't know exactly where I am, Klaus Kinski is dead (Great Man) and I feel like I must do something completely different. Hello? Is it Hollywood? I'm sorry I'm lost. I must have dialed the wrong number...

"Scream of Stone" tells of a happenstance competition between a mountain climber and a rock climber to see who is first to the top of a foreboding 3000 ft needle of rock and ice in Patagonia, South America. As with most Herzog flicks, the film is rough hewn and one can imagine the filming crew is having more of an adventure than the characters. Plodding, dull at times, and subpar on most counts the film does feature some good climbing scenes. Pass on this one unless you're into climbing.

Or maybe it is the best. Characters are 100% convincing, shooting on location is terrific and the story itself is absolutely thrilling. It is another exploration of human obsession undertaken by Herzog with brilliant (as usual) results. Of course, one may question the technical side of the two solo climbs but here we can completely rely on the expertise of Reinhold Meissner. Unfortunately, it is not likely that this film will be ever appreciated by the mainstream American audience.

I saw this at the Telluride Film Festival and was impressed by Herzog, but not in a positive way. He's a pompous ass. That doesn't necessarily detract from a movie, but I thought I'd mention it. This film has some absolutely stunning shots (especially of the incredible peak, Cerro Torre), but the human elements are a complete waste of time and film stock. There's actually not much climbing in it.

I liked "Fitzcaraldo" and "Aguire" quite well; check those out instead.

Brad Dourif (Billy in Cukoo's Nest, Hazel in Wise Blood and the voice of Chucky) is hilarious as Fingerless, the other characters are the usual pathetic humanoids struggling with their dreams and weaknesses. The mountain is the obstacle to life's fulfillment, people are dammed to pursue their dreams to their own destruction and only the old woman in the house at the base of the mountain knows what life is all about. Call it documentary fiction with a cameo by Donald Sutherland as the climber's agent. My favorite scene has "Alpinists" on a fake German TV show debating the climbers using some of Herzog's usual crew of character actors to give that Alpine authenticity.

Boy am I glad Herzog finally found a vehicle to display his positive side.

There have been times that Werner Herzog stood for quality films. Is this time long past? To my taste Scream of Stone is a terrible bore: soap-like acting with a cliché deep-voice performance of Sutherland, a cliché thin story based on the cliché opposition of intuitive versus experienced climbers, a failure to attain the cliché excitement of cliffhangers even even when the cliffs are at their steepest. Once more: a terrible bore!

I saw this at the Seattle International Film Festival in 1991 and was very impressed. I was so surprised that it wasn't in American cinemas soon after. I now have read about the huge price Werner & his people were asking for it. Sometimes distribution issues can kill a film from being seen, and it is us, the audience who gets cheated.

Perhaps Werner could have toured the film in the same way that Warren Miller does his ski films. Warren never fails to get that $12 to $15 per ticket, and he doesn't have to worry about popcorn sales.

I'd love to see a fresh print of this film released theatrically in 2007 and tour the country. Are you reading this Landmark Theaters?

Im a mountain climber and love to watch movies about climbing, that stated most movies in this genre usually have really fake seaming climbing scene for example Cliff hanger with S Stalone climbing a huge wall in the Rockies(really Dolomites in Italy) with all the gear but using none of it or the bolt gun?(no such thing). Scream of Stone has plenty of fake stuff to stay in my contrived genre but is way more real, shot in Patigonia with a story by very famous climber (R Messner). There are some very real seaming climbing in this film. For a climbing film this is a ten as a real movie its really a five I gave it a eight as a compromise. All climbers will love this film enjoy

Herzog succeeds to show simultaneously several issues related to climbing.

The issue of the spectator: he is rather driven by roman circus spirit than by olympic ideals. The issues of the media: if there is an audience, there is money. The issues of the climbers: they are described as a king of athlete driven by a competitive spirit which allow betting its own life to reach a summit. The outdoors views of the famous Cerro Torre are beautiful and rare.

Some spectators might feel bored by the way the film is conducted. Actually, this conduction reminds some Nouvelle Vague issues and many spectators felt bored by films directed by monsters of the Nouvelle Vague like Antonioni, Goddard etc... C'est la vie.

Yet, Cerro Torre: Schrei aus Stein deserves to be seen by those who appreciate Herzog cinema.

It's hard to imagine that a great director (Herzog), a famous film actor (Sutherland) and one of the greatest climbers in the world (Messner) could have gotten mixed up in this mess. What little plot there is doesn't explain itself and the aimless acting rises so above criticism that it's almost interesting. Still . . . the Patagonian backgrounds are a plus, the brief insight into the new, frantic European competition-climbing scene had promise and the shots (many from high altitude helicopters) of the incredible Torres del Paine and Cerro Torre were spectacular. How they did the last ascent scenes on the frozen whipped cream summit of Cerro Torre is something I'd love to read about. Warning: If you don't love the mountains don't even think of going near this movie!