South (1919)

The story of the 1914-1916 Antarctic exploration mission of Sir Ernest Shackleton. The ship sails south, breaking the ice, and ultimately getting trapped by the fast-changing weather. The ... See full summary »

Director:

Frank Hurley (uncredited)

Stars:

Ernest Shackleton, Frank Worsley, J. Stenhouse

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ernest Shackleton	...	Leader of the Expedition (as Sir Ernest Shackleton)
Frank Worsley	...	Captain of the Endurance (as Captain F. Worsley)
J. Stenhouse	...	Captain of the Aurora (as Lieut. J. Stenhouse)
L. Hussey	...	Meteorologist (as Captain L. Hussey)
Dr. McIlroy	...	Head of Scientific Staff
Mr. Wordie	...	Head of Scientific Staff (as Wordie)
Dr. Macklin	...	Doctor
Frank Wild	...	Second in Command of the Endurance
Tom Crean	...	Crewman
Mr. James	...	Crewman (as James)
Mr. Clark	...	Crewman (as Clark)
Mr. Greenstreet	...	Crewman (as Greenstreet)

Storyline

The story of the 1914-1916 Antarctic exploration mission of Sir Ernest Shackleton. The ship sails south, breaking the ice, and ultimately getting trapped by the fast-changing weather. The ship breaks up in the ice, and while 22 men and 70 dogs wait on Elephant Island, Shackleton and a crew of five take a 20-foot lifeboat 800 miles to South Georgia Island to mount a rescue mission. We also get a good look at the exotic animals of the region, particularly the penguins.

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Plot Keywords:

ship | ice | rescue | dog | exploration | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Adventure | History

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Certificate:

TV-G

Details

Country:

Australia UK

Release Date:

26 November 1921 (Hungary)

Also Known As:

The Bottom of the World

Filming Locations:

Buenos Aires, Federal District, Argentina

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ralph Minden Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min (restored) 53 min (restored)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Alternate Versions

The 1999 Milestone release is a restoration made by the National Film and Television Archive under the auspices of the British Film Institute (BFI). It has an uncredited piano score and runs 81 minutes.

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Connections

Edited into Spisok korabley (2008)

User Reviews

Expedition with Endurance vessel till near Antarctic's and what will be after its down degradation

"South" (1919) by Frank Hurley with the cooperation of Ernest Shackleton is one of the rare pieces of evidence, very soon doing the searching in Antarctic continent and all its own backwardness as movie is concerning with such a reality of glacial activity, within also the fisheries and animals for the typical environment. Too, the spirit of geographical adventure is there, with some willingness from veterans of the Scott's expeditions and risky failures, as responsible background on the spot as usual in such a collective project, nurtured by Shackleton in it : to bring humanity from such an experiment in the last continent of our planet, where the footprints of some represented there, just before were lost for ever with its tent near the South pole.

At its first stage, in contact with innocent human beings out of the First World War casualties, this Shackleton expedition got a discovery of what is fixed from onetime for ever, in such a fascinating way of holding images, moving like within that visual instinct. Pictures that would also be recuperated only a lot of years further, after standing perfectly conserved by the icy waters, in a submerged box inside the wreckage of the famous lost vessel, from that specific and interrupted expedition. In a kind of fact, that it was legend in the history of that forgotten region of the globe and this is almost incredible, as well rarely seen as a document restored, but still concerned with the insight of the trip on a failed mission. This movie is the recollection of part of the itinerary made by Shackleton team, specially the "Endurance" vessel slow wreckage and agony of sad evidence, with the polar sunny side of few moments nearby Antarctic.

What should be done in homage to some of these past individuals, that took part in such an adventure ? Briefly, to such kind of human beings, now if it could be necessary for that comprehensive task, nothing less than going again in a further initiative. For repeating the trip, like it was before, it was rather obligatory facing an almost permanent Winter without the Sun in the most part of the year. This occurring still in such a similar kind of conditions, as though even having the same and getting the enraged flesh of the local seals and bears for the meals as it was made in the past, animals that such an expedition ate before, in last instance for surviving. All that working, when people still at the time was obliged then, while encircled by severe glacial circumstances, burning coal to stay alive. Even with their frozen noses perhaps not alive, but saving partly of it in supplies and returning from nowhere, again at home.