The Great White Silence (1924)

In 1910 the British Antarctic Expedition, led by Capt. Robert F. Scott, embarks from Lyttleton, NZ on a quest to become the first to reach the South Pole.

Director:

Herbert G. Ponting

Stars:

Robert Falcon Scott, Herbert G. Ponting, Henry R. Bowers

Cast

Credited cast:
Robert Falcon Scott	...	Himself
Herbert G. Ponting	...	Himself
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Henry R. Bowers	...	Himself
Edgar Evans	...	Himself
Lawrence E.G. Oates	...	Himself
Edward Adrian Wilson	...	Himself

Storyline

This early full-length documentary from filmmaker Herbert G. Ponting follows Captain Robert F. Scott and his famed expedition to be the first to reach the South Pole. The expedition left New Zealand in 1910 and arrived at the Antarctic shelf some three months later. Ponting not only shows many sites along the way - sea life, their ship cutting through the ice pack - but also manages to explain some of his techniques by showing how he obtained a particular shot. The climate is harsh and the trek to the Pole is arduous. Disappointment lies in store for Scott and his men when they arrive at the Pole and the arduous return proves deadly.

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Plot Keywords:

expedition | south pole | antarctic | seal the animal | cinematographer | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

1924 (UK)

Also Known As:

El gran silencio blanco

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gaumont British Picture Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min (restored)

Color:

Black and White (tinted)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider.

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Quotes

Herbert G. Ponting: Upward and onward, the determined explorers doggedly toiled over that stupendous cataract of ice which, stretching from the Great Ice Barrier to the Polar Plateau, rises 8,000 feet in 120 miles.

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Crazy Credits

Just before the end credits, a verse from Punch is reproduced: "So on their record, writ for all to know / The task achieved, the homeward way half-won / Though cold they lie beneath their pall of snow, / Shines the eternal sun."

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Soundtracks

Abide With Me
Words by Henry F. Lyte (as Henry Francis Lyte)
Music by William H. Monk (as William Henry Monk)

User Reviews

It's very cold outside...

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.