Plot

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.

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.—garykmcd

The Terra Nova Expedition was an effort by the British Empire, to plant the British flag on the South Pole by means of men, ponies, dogs, and primitive snowmobiles hauling sledges. They left from a base located on the Antarctic coastline. The documentary portrays the expedition leader, Robert Falcon Scott, and his men as they leave New Zealand, to sail into the Southern Ocean and its ice floes. They safely landed on the icy coastline of Ross Island. The filmmaker follows the men as they set up tents, practice skiing, and prepare to travel southward toward the Pole. The film ends with the explorers pushing off from their base, and title cards remind viewers of what would be the story of the expedition's tragic conclusion. Scott and his four companions never returned from the Pole.