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Climbing the Matterhorn

Name: Climbing the Matterhorn
Director: Irving Allen
Released: 1947
Duration: 21 min

Representation Score

0.4/10

Minimal

1947

Director

Irving Allen

Runtime

21 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Climbing the Matterhorn is a classic product of its time, emphasizing technical achievement and natural social structures. The film operates as a traditional documentary that upholds mid-century social hierarchies without challenging them. The narrative is centered around a specific demographic that aligns with the era's norms, providing limited perspectives on diversity. Ultimately, the film serves as a straightforward celebration of human endurance, focusing on the physical struggles of a largely uniform group of climbers.

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Category Breakdown

Does Climbing the Matterhorn have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film follows a conventional framework that assumes everyone is straight and cisgender, typical of 1940s adventure cinema. There is no evidence of characters with non-traditional gender identities or same-sex relationships.

How does Climbing the Matterhorn portray gender?

Limited

Women are part of the climbing team, but the story mainly focuses on male leadership and physical struggles. The film upholds the gender roles of the post-war period without challenging traditional roles.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Climbing the Matterhorn?

Minimal

The cast is mostly white and homogeneous, reflecting the European setting of 1947. The production lacks diverse ethnic perspectives or intentional inclusion of different backgrounds.

How does Climbing the Matterhorn represent religion and culture?

Limited

The documentary celebrates traditional Western values of adventure and collective effort. It portrays a positive view of human achievements against nature without questioning Western institutions.

Does Climbing the Matterhorn include disability representation?

Minimal

The story focuses solely on the physical abilities of able-bodied climbers. There is no representation of disabilities, visible or invisible, in the film.

Present on Screen

Captures the high-stakes, perilous ascent of the Matterhorn through technical documentary filmmaking.
Provides a historical perspective on mid-century mountaineering and traditional social cohesion.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation of diverse racial, ethnic, or gender identities.
Reinforces rigid post-war gender roles and traditionalist social norms.
Excludes perspectives on disability or non-traditional gender identities.

Official Synopsis

Starting from the Swiss village of Zermatt, two people and a guide make a perilous ascent of the Matterhorn. Local villagers mount a torchlight rescue of a British couple trapped on the famous mountain. Irving Allen shot footage for this documentary while filming his feature film 'High Conquest'. Filmed in Ansocolor, the documentary won the Academy Award for Best Short Film in 1947.

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