Is Children of the Mountains Worth Watching? Honest Movie Review & Audience Verdict (1958)

📖 The Core Premise

With the release of Children of the Mountains (1958), audiences are invited back into the world of Drama. At its heart, the film explores complex themes wrapped in a compelling storyline. As the plot unfolds, we see characters navigating a world where stakes are high. "Josef Rainer is a road worker in a mountain village in Liechtenstein. His wife Marianne works as a waitress in a restaurant to improve the meager housekeeping money. Some people ask themselves why she has married that poor devil since she could have married into money. But she stays to the keen wood carver. He works out fantastic objects of tree roots, but villagers jeer at him. The family dreams to get a cow of their own to be more independent. One day Josef scrapes together all savings and goes to the cattle market. Due to lack of money, a clever farmer palms a skinny, sick cow off on him. The children Hansli and his friend Ludmila take the cow to their heart. Ludmila even lends her name to the animal. Some time later Josef falls from a mountain and is unable to work for a long time. So a decision is made that cow Ludmila which produces no milk has to be slaughtered."

🎬 Performance & Direction

A movie's success often hinges on its execution. Unfortunately, Barbara Rütting feels underutilized in a role that lacks depth. The direction aims to balance pacing with character development, a hallmark of good Drama. While there are moments of brilliance, the pacing occasionally dips.

🤔 Why You Should Watch (or Skip)

Is Children of the Mountains worth your time? If you appreciate Drama films that take risks, this is likely a decent one-time watch. However, if you are looking for a flawless masterpiece, you might find some plot points predictable.

🏆 Final Verdict

Ultimately, Children of the Mountains misses the mark on several fronts. With a runtime of 99 minutes, it asks for a significant time investment, but for the right audience, it pays off.

Our recommendation: Skip It.