Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8779 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-05-27
• Rating: Exempt
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Black & White, PAL, Silent
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 80 minutes

Special Features
English
Region 0
Ross Sea Party
Shackletons Last Expedition
Shackletons Funeral
Stills Gallery
Recording Of Shackletons Voice

Synopsis
In his stunning documentary, Australian photographer, filmmaker, and adventurer Frank Hurley captures the astonishing true story of Sir Ernest Shackleton's ill-fated two-year Antarctic expedition aboard the ship, the Endurance. In July 1914, Shackleton and his 28-man crew (including Hurley) sailed from England for Antarctica, hoping to be the first explorers to cross the continent. However, 80 miles from land, the Endurance became locked in impenetrable pack ice. For the next nine months, the crew desperately tried to cut "leads," and batter through to open water. Hurley's glorious images show the ghostly Endurance landlocked in unremitting white ice, as far as the eye can see. In August of 1915, the crew and their 70 sleigh dogs were forced to abandon the Endurance as the pressure of the ice began crushing the ship. The crew was able to row to Elephant Island, where 22 remained, while Shackleton and five others attempted the desperate 800-mile voyage to inhabited South Georgia Island. Miraculously, all of the men survived the two-year ordeal, and Hurley was able to save 150 of his 400 glass plate negatives and all of his film reels to provide this dazzling documentation of the Endurance's harrowing experience.

Customer Reviews

FANTASTIC
After reading the book whatching this documentary makes it all come alive.
Truly a wonderful gemm (Cousteau avant la lettre).
I preferred watching it without sound (so I don't hear the piano) and try to imagine the true sound and atmosphere. Come the think of it I should try crawling into my freezer and watch it from there.

For those who love Antartic and Artic exploring this is a must.

More for understanding than excitement.
Frank Hurley's 1919 film must have been awe inspiring when showing it at the time and to really enjoy this footage you need to look at it purely in the context of its time. For me, the most interesting part of the footage are the spontaneous scenes, men `fighting' with the dogs and the football game, which are on the `cut' scenes - they have a much more natural and relaxed atmosphere. To the `uninitiated', there is no story, just a series of scenes with a few notes of commentary in between. However, if you've read any of the biographies, diaries or commentaries on Shackleton and his men, then you'll find the animation adds to the posterity and reinforces the understanding gained from the words read.

A bit of a bore.
My recent interest in Shackleton was raised after watching the BBC drama starring Kenneth Branagh. I then read Endurance by Alfred Lansing. A superb account of the expedition and the near death experiences of the party in their attempts to escape the ice floes.

I therefore looked forward with huge anticipation to watching South and the footage shot by Frank Hurley. However, what was assembled - presumably with the help of Shackleton himself - is a fairly tame tale of good old British comradeship and a lot of uninteresting footage of various birds and animals.

Perhaps all of this was interesting and new and in the spirit of the age back in 1919. But having read Lancing's book in particular, it seems unworthy of such an epic adventure. My recommendation is to not just rely on the film to understand how the events unfolded back in 1914/15 but to read more comprehensive accounts. Shakleton and his men were truly quite heroic!