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Shackleton (TV) More at IMDbPro »
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| Index | 26 reviews in total |
11 out of 11 people found the following review useful:
A compelling tribute to Shackleton and his men, 5 January 2002
Author:
Geofbob from London, England
This is a worthy drama, relating in reasonably accurate terms, the story of
Sir Ernest Shackleton's expedition to the Antarctic in 1914/16. Ironically,
though this expedition failed, it probably gained more fame for its leader
than if it had succeeded. Amundsen had already reached the South Pole in
1912; and Scott had tragically perished with his colleagues in the same
year; so Shackleton's aim was not just to reach the Pole, but to cross the
continent. But his ship, the Endurance, got stuck in the pack-ice and
eventually went down. Shackleton's fame rests on his untiring efforts to
lead his team of about 30 men to safety, which after two years he finally
did - not a man was lost.
Kenneth Branagh, who physically resembles Shackleton, plays the man in full
British hero mode, though at the same time he displays his human side, and
the obsessive streak which drove him first to organise the expedition in the
face of much opposition; and then to make a priority of saving himself and
his men, when the Antarctic crossing became impossible. It was as though
Shackleton could feel the ghost of Scott urging him on.
Much of the first of the film's two parts is taken up with Shackleton's
private life; not only do we meet his wife Emily (Phoebe Nicholls) and
children, but his mistress Rosalind Chetwynd (Embeth Davidtz), and his
brother Frank (Mark Tandy) who embarrassingly was serving a gaol term for an
unconnected fraud while Shackleton was trying to raise money for his
venture. But most of all in the first episode, we learn how difficult it was
for Shackleton to convince private sponsors and organisations like the Royal
Geographical Society to support him.
The expedition itself is covered in the second part, when we see how after
the Endurance became stuck, the team had to camp on the ice for months
before rowing 800 miles in small boats, to Elephant Island. From there,
Shackleton with a few others sailed, again in a small boat, to South
Georgia. Even then, he had to scale and descend a difficult mountain to
reach help. We then cut to the rescue of the men on Elephant Island, and we
are informed only via voice-over that this eventual rescue was achieved only
at the fourth attempt. It would have been more satisfying to see some of
this final portion of the tale related in visuals, with some of the
preliminary scenes in the first episode being cut - but production and
budgetary considerations probably played a part in this.
All the acting is of a high order; but particular mention should be made of
Matt Day in the key role of Frank Hurly, the Australian photographer (who
shot both stills and moving film); and Ken Drury as McNish, the carpenter,
the one man to argue with Shackleton about his plans and actions. Much of
the action was shot in the snow and ice of Greenland and Iceland, but in the
event not as much as was originally planned, and on occasion the transition
from location to studio shots is apparent.(See the TV documentary -
Shackleton: Breaking the Ice - about the making of the film.) Nevertheless,
the film as a whole is convincing, exciting and at times moving.
7 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
Unbelievable., 5 April 2002
Author:
laishers from York, England
NOTE: Contains brief plot summary!
If this was a fictional story you watched in the cinema, you
would
leave thinking how unrealistic it was. You would know, after all,
that
keeping twenty-eight men alive in the wastelands of Antarctica,
stranded and starving, is an impossible task, particularly set at
the
beginning of the twentieth century with the limited technology
available. However, this is fact. This story did happen. And this
is
one of the most accurate films depicting the story of the
"Endurance" expedition that you could hope for.
The story of Shackleton has passed on into legend. His attempt
to
cross the Antarctic continent on foot ended in disaster; his
ship,
the Endurance, crushed by the ice fields, leaving its crew on
the
ice sheet. Determined to survive, and displaying all the valour
and
courage he had demonstrated in his previous expedition
(the
"Nimrod", in which he turned back less than 100 miles from
the
pole in order to save the lives of his men), he began an
incredible
journey to the uninhabited Elephant Island, before having
to
contemplate a trip to South Georgia: a trip of 800 miles in
a
lifeboat...
This wonderful two-part adventure is accurate to almost
every
detail. A lot of research went into this film, consulting
books,
articles, experts, and even the diaries of the men themselves.
And
it doesn't make the mistake of solely confining itself to the story
of
Shackleton's heroism; indeed, the first two hours concentrates
largely on the effort Sir Ernest put into forming the expedition,
and
the many obstacles that stood in his path - financially
and
emotionally.
Directed by award-winning Charles Sturridge, the casting
is
superb, particularly in the case of the protagonist, who - it must
be
said - looks a little like Shackleton himself. Well done,
Celestia
Fox! From Kenneth Branagh, a resourceful and irresistible
Ernest
Shackleton, down to to ex-Coronation Street's Ian Mercer as
the
simple Holdness, every character is brought into the 21st
century
with as much life as they had on the frozen shores of Elephant
Island, thanks partly to a bombastic score of Adrian Johnston's
invention.
There are only a couple of criticisms that one could make;
for
example, there continue to be references back to England,
but
there is no reunion at the end of the film between Shackleton
and
Emily, which could have been a way of saying "I'm back". I
feel,
however, that this continues to give "Shackleton" more
character,
as Sir Ernest only felt comfortable when exploring; never when
at
home with his family.
Another slight flaw is that there is next to no mention of the fate
of
the Aurora expedition, the crew assigned the task of aiding
Shackleton to the other side of the continent (had the
expedition
gone to plan, of course!) However, this does not really relate
to
Shackleton himself, and indeed Sir Ernest seemed to forget
about
them until his men were brought over from Elephant Island.
Really, there is nothing major wrong with this film. It fully
deserves
10 out of 10, and despite the DVD having no extras whatsoever,
it
is still worth the £15 for the pure entertainment you are given
for
the most enjoyable four hours of the small screen.
7 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
excellent, in the footsteps of Scott, 3 January 2002
Author:
rice-1 from London
I have only just finished watching this compelling two parter. I have
previously been a fan of the Scott of the Antarctic story and the John
Mills
film of the same; I was apprehensive of the outcome of this made for TV
version.
However, the result was superb. The acting , cast and script matched the
quatilty of the original tale. An epic true human story of Endurance,
deserved to be well presented and it was. You can only be left in awe of
the
men who took part in the original incident. Treat yourself to this if you
have not already seen it, but wear some warm clothing, you feel the chill
of
the realism - I loved it. 10/10
7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Excellent depiction, 20 November 2002
Author:
Alex Brown (alex_brown@blueyonder.co.uk) from Woking, England
Branagh is very believable as Shackleton. He has the grace, the poise,
the
leadership and the sheer presence to carry off such a role. He is one of
not many actors who would be believable in the role.
This tale of one of the great heroic rescues of all time has it all, and
is
excellently shot -- although a cynic might say that it would be hard to
find
a cinematographer who could not do wonders with the Antarctic
landscapes!
Definitely worth seeing, and one of the better historical tales to have
been
told in recent times.
5 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Unforgettable, 7 December 2006
Author:
onlybygrace2000 from United States
Take Ridley Scott's "White Squall," Peter Weir's "Master and Commander," throw in a splash of "Titanic," and put Kenneth Branagh front and center in what is clearly the performance of an already illustrious career, and you have "Shackleton," one of the best and most invigorating true-life adventure stories ever made. It'll knock your socks off and then some. The performances are stellar all around, the cinematography gripping and evocative, the screenplay crackling with gutsy emotion, wry humor, and a fierce yet exquisite honesty that is rarely found in genre films. Do yourself a favor and see this amazing film.
5 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Wonderful movie, and the right length, 30 December 2002
Author:
Gordon Heck (ticklemegordo@yahoo.com) from Central, SC
I've read a lot of very good comments on this movie, but I have one more to
add.
A lot of people are complaining about the length of the movie, but I believe
that it adds to the quality of the movie. Rather than just a two hour
"short flick" about the year-plus long voyage, it drags out for 4 hours, and
rather slowly at times. I have to believe that this mirrors the ordeal that
these men went through and adds to the viewer's already deep plunge into the
frozen ice world.
This is by far one of the best TV movies I have ever seen. Kenneth does
another fabulous job in a quality role, and to comment on someone else's
observation about the film's lack of personalizing Shackleton in the second
half, I also believe that to be a good choice and an accurate one. If
you're leading an expedition and are dead set on keeping everyone alive, you
cannot let your own emotions get involved in your decision-making, else you
die with everyone else.
I give this movie a 10 because I can find no obvious flaws or anything that
takes away from the experience.
5 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Ripping yarn from a cold and lovely land, 23 June 2002
Author:
Philby-3 from Sydney, Australia
I've not visited Antarctica, but I'm told by those who have that its austere
beauty grows on you; far from being a frozen hell, it is a land where one
can get closer to oneself and the meaning of things. This film uses
Greenland for location shooting and is a dramatised version of Shackleton's
1914-16 expedition which started out as an attempt to cross the continent
from the Weddel Sea to the Ross Sea, but, after the expedition vessel
`Endurance' was first trapped and then crushed in the Weddel Sea ice pack,
Shackleton and his party of 28 men, their dogs and one cat, were caught in a
grim struggle for survival.
The first 100 minutes is concerned with the origins of the expedition, and
Shackleton's efforts to raise support and prepare for it. The son of an
Irish country doctor, he served in the Merchant Navy, but by 1914 he was a
very experienced polar explorer, having been on two major earlier
expeditions; he was in fact the Englishman who had been closest to the South
Pole and survived. Although the first half drags at times, Kenneth Branagh's
full-on performance as Shackleton gives us a clear picture of the sort of
man he is, ambitious, hard-driving, single-minded, yet one who genuinely
cares for the men under his command. He is even aware of the effect his
exploration obsession is having on his family life (not to mention his
relationship with his mistress), but he plows on regardless.
In the second half we are stuck on the polar pack ice, and the story turns
into a conventional ripping yarn, but it is told with economy and a certain
amount of humour. It is clear that, apart from luck, Shackleton and his men
(the animals, alas, did not make it) owed their survival to Shackleton's
good judgment and the fact that he was able to get all of them to rise to
the occasion. He might have been slightly mad to get into such a fix to
begin with, but he had no wish to suffer the fate of his colleague Captain
Scott.
Branagh dominates the film of course, but his crew, mostly made up of
little-known actors, come through as characters in their own right. Several
stand out; Ken Drury as McNiesh, the feisty ship's carpenter, Kevin McNally
as Worsley the lugubrious skipper, Celyn Jones as the Welsh stowaway
Blackborow, and Nicholas Rowe as Colonel, the expedition odd-man-out. It is
melancholy to recall, that several of the crew survived the Antarctic only
to die in the trenches in France. Matt Day as the Australian photographer
Frank Hurley, who produced some unforgettable images of the trip, also puts
in a strong performance. The characters at home seem bloodless by
comparison, with the exception of Phoebe Nicholl's determined Lady
Shackleton. One wonders how Lord Curzon, that very superior person, who
presided over the very tight-fisted Royal Geographical Society (nicely
played by Corin Redgrave) would have got by on the expedition.
In 1922 Shackleton went back once more to the Antarctic but died of a heart
attack at the whaling station on South Georgia before he was able to set off
for the ice. He was only 48. Clearly, the attraction was more than fame and
fortune – he was in love with the place. Since then the whalers have gone
and Antarctic is now the preserve of scientists and a small but growing
number of tourists. Latter-day Shackletons have no great geographical
questions to solve but still persist on doing things like trying to ski
across the continent. I think I'll settle for the tourist ship myself, but
it's vaguely comforting to know there are still such people
around.
6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
Not a bad view, 19 November 2002
Author:
davideo-2 from United Kingdom
STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal
Instead*Avoid At All Costs
This lengthy two-parter drama details the exploits of Ernest Shackleton,an
explorer in the early part of the 20th century who,having vowed to reach the
South Pole,finds himself forced to save the lives of himself and his 28 man
crew after the ship runs into difficulty.
The most impressive thing about this film has to be the build-up.Rather than
just plunge headfirst into the expedition and the trials-and-tribulations
the crew faced from there,you really get into the hearts and minds of the
central characters,and the development is particularly riveting to watch.All
this is hindered in no way by an as-ever forceful,powerful lead performance
by the always reliable Kenneth Brannagh.If there are any faults,I suppose it
kind of inevitably gets a little boring in parts.Other than that,this is
very well made and highly recommendable viewing.****
4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Not as good as the book ;), 3 September 2006
Author:
fcaprilli-1 (fcaprilli@rogers.com) from Canada
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Having recently devoured 3 books on Shackleton, I was eager to see
this. I won't repeat the comments made above, but I would like to
second the comment about not enough time being spent on the actual
adventure. This movie doesn't really give you nearly a sense of the
actual suffering, dehydration, starvation, and just plain thrills and
chills of what these men went through. (For this I highly recommend the
book by Alfred Lansing - spare prose, yet an irresistible page turner
that blew me away.) For example, most of the scenes at sea seem to be
in absolutely calm waters, and many scenes on the ice are similarly
serene, yet the book (whose author had access to all of the original
diaries) tells of many days and nights of gale-force winds. I suspect
the budget didn't allow for many special effects.
The book describes how the men's faces were blackened with soot from
the seal blubber constantly being burned, yet you don't really see this
in the movie. Also, the 3-man slide down the glacier looks like a
joyride here; in the book it was a hair-raising act of desperation.
I would not recommend this as a starting point for discovering
Shackleton - for this I obviously suggest the book. But as an adjunct
which gives you a visual sense of the ship and the encampments, it's
not bad.
4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Brilliant!, 5 May 2002
Author:
Charlie Gibson (currer@ilovechocolate.com) from the North, England
This was a great film, showing all of Shackleton's bravery and courage even in the face of death itself. Kenneth Branagh was acting brilliantly (as usual), and the scene in the snowstorm (ok- one of the MANY scenes in the snowstorm!) left me with tears in my eyes. A great film about a great man! :-)
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