The mainland film "The Climbers" has been released. The protagonist Wu Jing once had a romantic notion about mountaineering. He thought it would be pretty cool to propose to the girl he liked after climbing Mount Everest. However, due to an injury, that wish didn’t come true. When given the opportunity to film a story about climbing Everest, Wu Jing joined the "The Climbers" crew without hesitation. Despite filming while injured, he completed all his scenes. Before wrapping up, he still had some regrets: “I hope we don’t wrap up yet. Once my leg gets a bit better, I might be able to shoot something even better.”
There’s no doubt that "The Climbers" is a mainstream patriotic film, but compared to traditional ones, it shows clear heterogeneity. Perhaps it’s more accurate to say that the definition of a mainstream patriotic film has long needed to change. From pursuing big productions, grand scenes, and star-studded casts, to creating thrilling plots and commercial elements, to now "The Climbers" showcasing humanity and human connections — it can be said that the essence of mainstream patriotic films has undergone several subtle transformations without us even noticing.
Tough filming — Hu Ge nearly fell off a bridge
"The Climbers" is based on real historical events. In 1960, the mainland Sports Commission decided to attempt a summit from the north side of Mount Everest. On May 24, Wang Fuzhou, Liu Lianman, Qu Yinhua, and Gongbu began their push to the main peak. At the treacherous “Second Step,” Liu Lianman exhausted himself supporting his teammates and stopped at 8,700 meters, while the other three successfully reached the summit in the early hours of the 25th. This marked the first nighttime ascent of Everest and the first successful climb from the north side.
Regrettably, due to a lack of summit footage, there were ongoing international doubts about the mainland’s successful ascent. In 1975, the mainland attempted Everest again, and the film "The Climbers" is set against this backdrop. It tells the story of Fang Wuzhou (played by Wu Jing) and Qu Songlin (played by Zhang Yi), who, with the help of meteorologist Xu Ying (played by Zhang Ziyi), lead young team members such as Li Guoliang (played by Jing Boran) and Yang Guang (played by Hu Ge) in another challenge to the world’s highest peak.
Wu Jing, who was recovering from a leg injury, unhesitatingly took on the role in "The Climbers." To prepare for the part, he watched documentaries and read books about Everest climbs and even went to Gangshika in Qinghai for hands-on experience. But actual filming was even tougher: “The gear in the film is from decades ago. Take the down jackets, for example — back then they weren’t windproof or snowproof. Your body would get hot, but inside the jacket it was damp, and outside it was frozen solid.”
Wu Jing and Zhang Ziyi share romantic scenes
He believes everyone on set “really pulled their weight”: “During one scene where we were pulling a tire, Jing Boran hadn’t warmed up due to time constraints and ended up vomiting after hauling the huge tire. But he kept going after throwing up. Hu Ge almost fell off the single-log bridge, but he just said, ‘No problem, let’s do it again.’ These guys are incredibly dedicated.”
In "The Climbers," Wu Jing and Zhang Ziyi share a love story that spans years. Wu Jing described their relationship in the film as akin to the deep bond in "Titanic."
Eighteen years ago, Wu Jing and Zhang Ziyi starred together in Tsui Hark’s "The Legend of the Swordsman of the Mountains of Shu." Wu Jing remarked that working together again after 18 years was “quite rare,” and also revealed that they had stayed in touch over the past decade and were very familiar with each other, which made acting together much more relaxed: “There was one scene with no pre-set dialogue, and Zhang Ziyi and I just naturally acted. The director never called cut, and we ended up performing for over a minute longer. We really enjoyed that interaction between our characters.”
After filming "The Climbers," Wu Jing gained a deeper understanding of mountaineering. He believes it’s a process of self-discipline: “During the climb, you’re constantly testing yourself. A single damp sock or an improperly secured crampon could put your life at risk. So, mountaineering is a highly self-disciplined activity. You have to rigorously assess your own self-control, always staying within your limits, and never gamble with your life. The mountain will always be there — the key is to know how to protect yourself.”
Tibetan author portrays ordinary heroes
The film invited Mao Dun Literature Prize winner and Tibetan author Alai to serve as screenwriter: “I’ve always paid attention to this history.” He mentioned that the tight production schedule left very limited time for scriptwriting. It only took him two weeks from starting to completing the first draft — truly “lightning speed.”
Alai admitted that the swift completion of the script was backed by years of accumulation. He loves mountaineering and had long been familiar with the deeds of earlier climbers. He even sought opportunities to meet many of them. When shaking hands with these veterans, he often found their sleeves empty.
These stories, along with the accumulation of tangible details and emotions, became the narrative thread and material for "The Climbers." Alai said: “Many of the details in the book are real — you can’t just make them up. And I believe fabricating tales about these ordinary heroes is itself a form of disrespect.”