South [1919] [DVD]

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!


The restored 1919 documentary by Frank Hurley   November 3, 2004
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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.