Cinema: High Man Wins

THE MAN WHO SKIED DOWN EVEREST

Directed by MITSUIJI KANAU

Narration written by JUDITH CRAWLEY

In order to enjoy this film one must accept the idea that it is essentially no sillier to climb the world's highest mountain in order to ski down a few thousand feet than it is to climb to the summit in order to plant your country's flag there. Neither is a useful or sensible activity, but both have a certain absurd grandeur about them.

Once one adopts that view, it becomes possible to settle back and enjoy this filmed record of Yichiro Miura's 1970 expedition. He spent $3 million...