South [1919] [DVD]

This DVD is a handsome testament to a remarkable episode in the annals of Antarctica exploration. It was filmed by the indefatigable Australian Frank Hurley. It is a fascinating glimpse back through time. We are made to feel like time travellers landing in a different time and place. The film covers that well documented expedition led by Sir Ernest Shackleton in 1914-16. It was an epoch changing time just before the grim reality of the trenches set in. Britain needed heroes and that is what it got.

Hurley captures the excitement of setting out on the great adventure. Scenes of life on the boat are captured. We see Hurley hanging off the Endurance's prow, for that special shot. Then as we know the ship becomes entombed in the slow crushing grip of the ice. We watch enthralled at the ships death throes. All captured magnificently on film. Most memorable perhaps, and an iconic picture, was the night film of the doomed ship festooned in ice like something from a fairy tale. Thankfully at some risk Hurley retrieved all the film from the sinking ship. It was interesting to see the huge snow piles made in a circle around the ship to prevent people getting lost in storms. That was how bad the weather could be. Of course the final epic journey across the tempestuous Southern ocean in the little boat the "James Caird", and the subsequent crossing of South Georgia to summon help from the whaling station could not be captured. But what is left is a reminder of a glorious epic of cameraderie, endurance and leadership.

This wonderful restoration is a fitting eulogy to these brave men, many of whom went on to fight and die in the trenches during the Great war. It is also a tribute to the leadership of Shackleton who died too young and is buried appropriately on that remote island of South Georgia, constantly scoured by polar winds from the great ice shelf.

Please pause to remember when this film was made. The equipment Hurley worked with was very primitive compared with today. The wildlife scenes are very poor fare compared to the David Attenborough programmes we have today. But at the time it was exciting stuff to see such strange animals in their own environment.

If you have any interest in the history of Polar exploration then this is essential viewing. Not only has Hurley managed to produce a piece of art but it is also a national treasure. This is a very worthy restoration. I am sure those men would be most surprised to learn that all these years later people would be able to watch this film in the comfort of their own homes. It is a privilege we should not take for granted.

I couldn't bear to give this less than five stars after everything expedition photographer Frank Hurley went through. The film from Shackleton's expedition is wonderful glimpse into a past age, and Hurley's daring efforts provide some awesome and dramatic images. The last twenty minutes or so is of little interest to the modern viewer as it consists mainly of wildlife film of South Georgia - fascinating to the public in 1919 perhaps but far surpassed by more recent work.
The commentary adds greatly to the disc, pointing out many details that might otherwise be missed, such as Shackleton in the background of one shot, evidently in a grumpy mood and kicking a dog.
Curiously, some of the most interesting film is in the 'deleted scenes' section - the crew playing football on the ice, and playing with the dogs - being unedited, these scenes have a greater feeling of naturalness and spontanaiety than the film itself.
Also on the disc are a few scenes that appear to record a whaling voyage, though there are no notes or commentary to accompany these pieces so I can only guess.
Anyone interested in the history of polar exploration hardly needs me to recommend this. I hope the BFI follow it up with Ponting's '90 Degrees South', from Scott's last expedition.

With the recent two-part television movie of "Shackleton," there should be renewed interest in this documentary feature. "South: Ernest Shackleton and the Endurance Expedition" is Frank Hurley's 1919 film record restored in 199 by the British Film Institute. Quite simply, this is the historic film record of the now famous survival story of Sir Ernest Shackleton and the crew of the Endurance taken by Australian cinematographer and documentararian Frank Hurley, who accompanied the expedition on the first leg of its voyage from Buenos Aires to the Antarctica. It is still absolutely amazing to see the actual film of the Endurance, trapped and being crushed by the ice flow. The details of what happened after that always seem to pale in consideration of the fact that not a single one of the crew lost their lives. The only disappointment is that because Hurley stayed behind on South Georgia to await rescue while Shackleton and a small group traveled by small boat 800 miles to find help, the last part of the film becomes more of a nature documentary. But then, reality is like that sometime. Hurley's amazing film has been restored with its original, intended tinting, and a new piano score (uncredited). This DVD includes audio commentary by the British Film Institute's Luke McKernan and an excerpt from "Southward on the Quest." My understanding is that the British version runs 81 minutes. Hurley's original working title for this film was "Endurance," but when it was released in known as "In the Grip of Polar Ice" in Australia and "Shackleton's Expedition to the Antarctic" in the UK. Clearly, any one interested in the story of the Endurance Expedition is going to want to Hurley's unforgettable documentary.