The Summit of the Gods Review: Thought-Provoking and Visually Impressive

The Summit of the Gods aka ‘La Cumbre De Los Dioses’ on Netflix is a French-language animated film directed by Patrick Imbert. It is based on Jiro Taniguchi’s Japanese Manga series. The screenplay is written by Patrick, Magali Pouzol and Jean-Charles Ostorero. The music is by Amine Bouhafa. The voice cast includes Lazare Herson-Macarel, Eric Herson-Macarel, Damien Boisseau, Elisabeth Ventura, Kylian Rehlinger, and François Dunoyer. The duration of the film is 1 hour 35 minutes.

The synopsis reads, “A photojournalist’s obsessive quest for the truth about the first expedition to Mt. Everest leads him to search for an esteemed climber who went missing.”

Netflix’s The Summit of the Gods Review Contains No Spoilers

The Netflix film is based on a Japanese Manga, ‘Kamigami no Itadaki’. The Summit of the Gods is the story of a photojournalist Fukamachi who is sent to Mount Everest to click pictures of the people who attempt to climb it. However, Fukamachi (Damien Boisseau) is looking for more than just clicking pictures and comes across a camera that belongs to George Mallory. Mallory is the first Mt. Everest mountaineer who went missing.

While trying to look for Mallory’s camera, Fukamachi ends up seeing Habu Joji (Lazare Herson-Macarel). Habu, an outcast climber, was believed to have gone missing years ago. So the quest is not only about Mallory but about Habu’s truth too. While trying to find answers, the photojournalist experiences the obsession some people have with climbing higher. In the end, he finds himself towards the summit of the gods.

From the beginning of the film, Patrick Imbert’s narrative captures your attention. The director keeps us engaged until we uncover the answers. By introducing Fukamachi first, then teasing about Mallory and bringing in Habu, the screenplay is packed with solid elements. We see Habu’s life before he went missing while climbing the mountains when Fukamachi connects with individuals who once knew Habu Joji. Everyone is on the lookout for something, and we, as viewers, are no exception.

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Another part of Netflix’s The Summit of the Gods film that stands out is its animation. The snow-covered mountains and atmosphere appear to be quite realistic. The characters are drawn in a crisp manner, which helps us to see their expressions. Some scenes are so exquisite that you pause and admire them for a few seconds longer. The colours and emotions conveyed through the visuals are felt. Kudos to Alix Arrault, Ludmila Belova, Yannis Boultadakis, Julie Bousquet, Félicien Colmet-Daage, and the rest of the animation team (Refer to IMDb) for such fine animation.

Amin Bouhafa’s background score is fantastic. When there is silence, the makers play a soothing melody. The soundtrack intensifies the tension on screen as a storm approaches. As a result, we get a rush of adrenaline while things go wrong in the quest. There are not many dialogues in the Netflix film.  To be honest, you don’t need many words when the visual and characters’ portrayals tell the story. The voice performers have done a great job too.

The Summit of the Gods Review: Final Thoughts

The Summit of the Gods is a masterpiece. The tale engages you. It is thought-provoking and makes you want the answers that the protagonists seek. It’s visually impressive, has incredible music, and has deep and meaningful sequences that explain why people want to climb higher.

The film is now streaming on Netflix.

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