Why do men climb mountains?: Functions of Alpine motifs in literature and film in the 20th Century

Abstract

During the Interwar period, a new movie genre appeared in Germany, called “Bergfilm” (mountain film). Bergfilm, which depicted adventures of mountaineers and skiers facing extreme conditions in the Alps charmed German audiences in the 1930s. Some ideological characteristics (anti-modernism, heroism, and self-sacrifice) were displayed among the works of the best-known directors of the genre, such as Arnold Fanck, who is the pioneer of this genre, and his pupils. And it has been also observed that Bergfilm is a movie genre that is categorically unique to Germany, a result of Hitler’s ascending dictatorship and welcoming crowd in Germany hungry in the interwar period for stories of German heroes. It’s the purpose of this research to analyze how Alpine motifs were a mechanism that influenced emotional experiences thorough the use Bergfilm during the interwar period, when Germans were seeking a refuge from modern life and new heroes for the defeated country to idolize.