UKH

I don't watch much TV but I've just seen "Mountain" on BBC 4. It's probably been on many times before and everybody else have seen it ages ago. I thought it had some of the best camerawork I've seen - incredible footage. Anybody else see it?

I saw it at the cinema, yes the cinematography is incredible. Best watched with the sound off, I thought the commentary was annoyingly vacuous and cliché-ridden. 

I've recorded it because I liked the Blencathra one but I've heard a lot of negative comment about this one.

Edit: was the op talking about the Helvellyn thing or the thing that was on after it?

But then you lose the music which was superb.

I missed the first 10 minutes and came in to old 1920s footage. This was followed by superb footage of high altitude climbing, mountaineering and skiing. Agree that the commentary was tedious at times but the music made up for it. Some subtle sound editing required.

If you mean Helvellyn programme I thought it was excellent, Really enjoyed the photography, and the enthusiasm of the commentators. 

I agree it was different from the Blencathra one, but just as good and interesting in it's own right. Got a bit confused by the sequence of Striding edge and Swirral Edge - they seemed to jump between the two, sometimes going up and sometimes down, it didn't flow as a day out!

Must be a different "Mountain".  No mention of the Lake District -this was all greater ranges mountaineering.

It's based on Robert McFarlane's book Mountains Of The Mind, that's where the words are from, read by Willem Dafoe I think.

McFarlane does end up overdoing it and veering into waffle for me but I do enjoy his writing (in short bursts)

Ah! There were two consecutive programmes on last night. Helvellyn was the first one and a sequel to the Blencathra one from earlier years.

If you enjoyed that there's also Upstream on the iPlayer for a few days.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0008z3c

Follows the river Dee upstream in winter.

Very much drone, both footage and the music. Relaxing way to spend half an hour.

Yes, I did enjoy the music. I recall Gordon Stainforth having strong opinions on this. Hopefully he may chip in on this thread, his view would be worth hearing considering his background.

But I'd opt to put some background music on instead, the commentary made me want to leave the cinema early. The filming made me stay, but we did leave after 5-10 minutes of the  profoundly empty discussion at the end between R. McFarlane and some young guy who had climbed Everest. This isn't on the iplayer version, thank goodness. 

Dave HK: Helvellyn is a different film, by Terry Abrahams. I've not seen it but if 'Life of a Mountain: Blencathra' and 'Life of a Mountain: Scafell' are anything to go by it will be well worth watching.

Oh how funny, I assumed someone had taken the Jim Perrin/John Beatty book as source for a film - following the course of the Welsh Dee. Too many River Dees!

Did you see the Lakes and Dales rail offering on Channel 5 a few nights ago? World class waffle. Scenery was OK but the asides were nothing at all to do with the rail route itself - I mean you can't even see James Rebank's farm from the line. I did spot a few crags from the drone footage which I've climbed on (Lamgcliffe was one!). My ex googled the trip and it's approaching £500 for the day. But that does include breakfast and lunch while you watch the rain lashing against the window.

Actually when you have such stunning photography and little narration the music really makes it. The conclusion with the slow movement of Beethoven's 5th Piano concerto  was especially effective with fusing the music and image. I realise that lots of bits from other filmmakers has been used to create this documentry, if that is the right term. Apart from the Lava sequence there was little I didn't enjoy. Available for 29 days on the BBc i-player.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0b1xs2d/mountain

Just watched the one the OP was referring to on catch up. Stunning photography and beautiful music perfectly blended. 

Both films are well worth watching on catch up if anyone missed either of them.

I thought the Helvellyn film was excellent with a good mix of local contributors, including farmers, a fighter pilot, a retired weatherman, an Ordnance Survey surveyor and a moving one from Kerry Irving with his spaniels...