The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition (2000)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

George Butler

Writers (WGA):

Caroline Alexander (book)
Caroline Alexander (written by) ...

Release Date:

30 August 2002 (Spain)

Genre:

Documentary | History

Plot:

A retelling of Sir Ernest Shackleton 's ill-fated expedition to Antarctica in 1914-1916, featuring new...

Plot Keywords:

Expedition | Antarctica | Rescue | Glacier | 1910s

Awards:

8 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Liam Neeson	...	Himself / Narrator (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Julian Ayer	...	Himself (Grandson of expedition member)
John Blackborow	...	Himself (Grandson of expedition member)
David Cale	...	Hubert Hudson (voice)
John Henry Cox	...	William Bakewell (voice)
Mary Crean O'Brien	...	Herself (daughter of Tom Crean)
Steven Crossley	...	Alexander Macklin / 'Chippy' McNish / James Wordie (voice)
Brian d'Arcy James	...	Frank Wild (voice) (as Brian Darcy James)
Drew De Carvalho	...	Frank Hurley (voice)
Dominic Hawksley	...	Thomas Orde-Lees (voice)
Roland Huntford	...	Himself (historian)
Ron Keith	...	Walter How (voice)
Tom McNeish	...	Himself (Grandson of McNish)
Simon Prebble	...	Ernest Shackleton (voice)
Paul Ricketts	...	Frank Worsley (voice)
Jonathan Shackleton	...	Himself (Cousin of Shackleton)
Ian Stuart	...	Lionel Greenstreet (voice)
Peter Wordie	...	Himself (Son of J. Wordie)

Also Known As:

The Endurance (USA)
Verschollen im Packeis - Das Antarktis-Abenteuer des Sir Ernest Shackleton (Germany) (TV title)

Runtime:

97 min | Germany:90 min (25 fps) (TV premiere)

Country:

Sweden | UK | Germany | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Spain:13 | USA:G

Filming Locations:

Antarctica

Company:

Discovery Channel Pictures

Movie Connections:

Version of Shackleton (2002) (TV)

I already knew the story, but this makes it even better

I have read several books about Shackleton's amazing expedition to Antarctica. I first became aware of the story from a PBS documentary several years ago, and being amazed by the story of survival and endurance, sought out books for more of the story. As a teacher I have used parts of this story as examples of leadership, enduring hardship, teamwork, loyalty, service, and hope. Being so familiar with this story, I wasn't sure what would be new in the film, but there was plenty there for me to enjoy and still learn about. I found it interesting that the descendants of survivors consistently said that their relatives, as is common from many trying circumstances, rarely talked about the events. It was also great to see the pictures I have seen over and over again put into a format where I could see them on a big screen. Even more amazing is the surviving film footage from the expedition. The preservation of this footage is wonderful, and in conjunction with the newly filmed footage of the unchanged antarctic landscape, gives you a better understanding of the wilderness these men were up against. Shackelton is portrayed as the excellent leader that he was, but is not presented as an infallible genius. He was a man who demonstrated amazing qualities in difficult circumstances, and he was a man who understood the burden of his leadership and the importance for getting his men home safely. If you've never heard of Shackleton, you are in the same boat (pun intended), as my wife, who was completely new to Shackleton's story. She loved the film as well, and was fascinated by the story. So if you are well aware of the story, or totally new to it, I highly recommend this story of survival and endurance.