The Great White Silence

"The Great White South" can be an entertaining account of the Terra Nova Expedition, from Lyttelton, NZ to Antarctica. Watch with a mind's eye that can help you step backward in time, to the thinking of 1910.

When watching how the story is pieced together, at first I was a little bothered by the light slap-stick splashed between the scenes that were shown. One bit of information about a certain cat was truly void of political-correctness, which made me bristle. But after a few viewings of the movie I came to actually appreciate the humor, partly by understanding the reason for its use. The cinematography and story-telling shared by Herbert Ponting was based on turn-of-the-19th-century knowledge and thinking - a far cry from where society is today. Keeping this in mind helps one enjoy this piece of cinematic achievement more.

I was fooled upon first glance that Mr. Ponting might have joined the actual South Pole expedition as they actually set out in November, 1911, to undertake the quest for the frozen goal. There were still images taken at the Pole, not by Mr. Ponting, but by Lt. Henry Bowers, one of the four men selected.

The quips actually became comic relief as the story turns quite chilly, with some plot revelations as the four explorers trudge hundreds of miles, over a two-month period. Allow yourself to step out of your own comfortable shoes and into those of these comrades, and you'll appreciate the story much better. It's a slice of significant world history, in which Mr. Ponting was able to capture, during the journey.

It's amazing to learn the back stories of the major characters and how events converged with the trek for the South Pole, and why it also took more than a decade for this film to be completed. Cast out what would be today's poor choice of mingling with wildlife (and otherwise meddling with it) and revel in some enjoyable photography, story-telling and cinematography of its time.

One footnote: I watched the BFI-restored film, complete with restored colorizing and tinting (first done by Mr. Ponting himself). Oranges, blues, and odd shades of red seem meant to add a sense of time of day in some scenes, or the color of sea water. It didn't disturb me to see this when realizing that the color was as the filmmaker intended. The soundtrack by Simon Fisher Turner (Soleilmoon Recordings - 2011) was a welcome and haunting treat, which rejected the customary organ music one expects with silent films while adding depth to the visuals.

British documentary detailing the ill-fated Antarctic exploration journey of Capt. Robert Scott, circa 1910. Filmmaker Herbert Ponting journeyed with the icebreaker ship from New Zealand south to Antarctica. He filmed the men aboard ship and the attendant hardships, as well as the ship in action tearing through the ice. Once on land, Ponting films the men as they prepare to head for the South Pole, as well as footage of the local fauna, such as seals and penguins. Ponting did not journey with Scott and his party for the Polar attempt, which is good considering how things turned out.

The footage is amazing, especially when one considers the technology of the time, and Ponting's editing and titlecard writing help form a true narrative arc. This is one of the 1001 Movies to See Before You Die. Recommended.

This film is a true inspiration. The level of patience and care that has gone into capturing these stunning images in the frozen wastes of the Antarctic, way back in the early days of cinematography - 1912, is amazing.

It's beautifully shot and edited, (recently cleaned up for the BFI), with a suitable score which gives the film a playful tone- especially as Ponting spends time following the penguins, which was comical.

Towards the end the film becomes much more emotional and by this point you truly realise the scale of the expedition, the sacrifices made and how brave Captain Scott, the explorers and Ponting with his camera were to undertake such a daring journey.

I often say I end up enjoying obscure films from long ago that don't feature any big name actors more than well known films that are praised incessantly, and this is another good instance of this. This century old documentary is about the Scott Expedition to Antarctica, and how a group of brave explorers tried to go where no human had gone until then. The film, recorded by Herbert Ponting, follows the members of the adventure as they set off from New Zealand and try to claim the South Pole for the British Empire. The expedition is led by Robert Falcon Scott, a naval officer who is in command of a ship named the Terra Nova. On their way into the ocean surrounding antarctica, he and his crew encounter an enormous formation of ice dozens of feet tall. This is the Ross Ice Shelf, and is essentially an iceberg the size of France. It is here that all other icebergs originate apparently. After making it to antarctica, they unload food, supplies, dogs and Siberian ponies from the Terra Nova, as these things would be invaluable during the difficulties to come. The film shows footage of a parent seal with its child, and how someone on the ship fires a harpoon gun at a group of orcas in order to protect the seals. Also filmed are penguins and the odd behavior the female ones demonstrate when their husbands don't come back on time: they stand upright and continuously flap their small wings. Scott and the others participate in the southernmost game of football on Earth, and then get on the Terra Nova (which had returned to new zealand for a time) in order to travel to Evans Cove, where they were essentially marooned for months because heavy ice blocked the Terra Nova from picking them up. Late in 1911, Scott and the others set out for the final march towards the south pole, but first, they had to traverse Beardmore Glacier. At about 125 miles in length, it's one of the largest in the world. After ascending it, they continue towards the pole on the 9th of January. Around a week later, Scott and his men finally reached the south pole, only to discover a flag left by rival Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, who had beat them by over a month. Scott and the others plant their own flag, then turn south towards home. Although he and others made progress during the first few days, many members of the party were severely frostbitten and several died. Scott and the survivors continued to walk as far south as they were able to, but the horrible weather obscured visibility for miles around, and Scott had to pitch a tent for the last time. Eventually, a search party is sent after them and found the tent containing the frozen corpses of Scott and two others. A cairn was built over the tent (with the bodies still inside) and a cross placed on the summit. Scott is no more, but his fearlessness and determination to explore one of the most hostile and unforgiving places on earth will never be forgotten. This is a great film. The remastered edition that I saw contains a lot of footage that is dyed different colors for some reason, but the real highlight is the soundtrack which consists of a lot of creepy, ambient music. It really does go with the ominous footage of men walking into the unknown landscapes. For miles in every direction, all you can see is frigid nothingness. Although I knew Amundsen's team would ultimately reach the south pole first, I can't imagine the feeling of disappointment Scott and the others must have felt. Imagine travelling in this frozen hell for months on end only to discover you weren't the first to reach your goal. Even though Scott lost his life due to his ambitions, he contributed much to mapping out a place previously thought impassable.

This film, shot from 1910-1912, is a documentary about Captain Robert Scott's journey to the South Pole. The Great White Silence (1924), is an incredible documentary, that carries the audience across the expanse of Antarctica to the South Pole. Title cards tell the story, as images of cold, treacherous landscapes glide past the screen. This is a great film to watch in January. The cold January days help emphasize the brutal conditions seen in the film. The film begins with the men loading their ship and setting across the southern hemisphere into the iceberg leaden waters of Antarctica.

I can take Antarctica off of my bucket list, because The Great White Silence (1924), showed me everything I'll ever need to know about Antarctica. The film is that good. It covers every aspect of the expedition from the route they took, the animals they brought along and a story, about the Penquins they saw, that started to get a little too lengthy. Think, March of the Penquins (2005), 1910 style. I can't imagine people doing this today, let alone 115 years ago. The fact that this film was even shot, recovered, edited together and released, is remarkable itself.

PMTM Grade: 8.7 (B+) = 8 IMDB.