Fire on the Mountain . Nashville Scene . 07-14-97

Fire on the Mountain

DIRECTED BY: Beth and George Gage

REVIEWED: 07-14-97

The box describes the subject of this documentary as "fighting the Nazis on skis," but the adventures of the 10th Mountain Division extend beyond World War II. As filmmakers Beth and George Gage explain, the 10th developed from a handful of rugged Americans with an interest in the outdoors. The film details how these men came together through their mutual interests, how they volunteered their talents to the army, and how their gung-ho spirit was tested in the hills of Italy during one of the bloodiest battles of the war. The most fascinating part of the film, though, is the last segment, as the troops come home and begin promoting the concepts of conservation and outdoor recreation, in the process founding Nike, the Sierra Club, and Vail, Colo. The film is abruptly edited at times, and I wish the Gages had been willing to explore the conflict between the men who wanted preserve the outdoors and the men who wanted to develop tourist attractions. Still, this is a valuable portrait of the impulse that led to the recreation industry, and the strange path that impulse took.

--Noel Murray

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