By Lee Pfeiffer
British/Irish explorer Ernest Shackleton had been frustrated by the fact that his great endeavors to make history always were upstaged by his contemporaries. Shackleton was respected for his dignity and courage but it seemed as though his dream of accomplishing one towering, historic achievement in the field of exploration would elude him. In 1914, with the great years of exploration rapidly coming to an end in a world whose boundaries were becoming more finite by the day, Shackleton set out for his last, ambitious grasp of for the gold ring with an expedition that would attempt to be the first to cross the continent of Antarctica by sea. Shackleton had amassed a first-rate crew of seasoned men who were up for the challenge of making such an arduous and long journey. He promised only low wages, immense pain and ceaseless work- with the only reward being possible glory if the mission succeeded. Shackleton's sturdy wooden vessel was appropriately named the Endurance, though the significance of that name would not be known until later. Just one day short of making his desired landfall, the ship became hopelessly mired in ice. Shackleton, who was known for his ability to command and for putting the welfare of his men before the mission, announced the ship would be stuck until the spring thaw, which was months away. The ship had ample supply of food and clothing, but inevitably the encroaching ice ultimately destroyed the vessel by crushing and sinking it. Shackleton and his men secured most of the necessary provisions, but had to make a camp on the ice. In fact, they were not even on solid land. They were castaways on a humongous island made of ice and snow that was drifting slowly but surely away from the mainland. After months of enduring this harsh life, Shackleton ordered the men to take lifeboats on an arduous journey to actual land-the remote Elephant Island. They ended up on one of the most remote places on the planet, battered night and day by ceaseless, freezing winds. Finally, Shackleton and a handful of men made the daring choice to take a lifeboat to the nearest place where they knew there would be help- South Georgia, which required a grueling, seemingly impossible crossing across a savage sea. To get there, Shackleton and his men had to endure endless rain and ice storms. There was never a moment when they were not completely saturated and in danger of dying from frostbite. Incredibly, Shackleton and his men completed the 800 mile journey only to discover they were on the opposite end of the island, as far from the encampment of potential rescuers as one could get. Nevertheless, Shackleton and a few men set out across snow covered mountain ranges that were deemed so impassable that no man had ever attempted to cross them before. To the amazement of everyone, Shackleton and his men made it- but he immediately had to plan how to rescue the men he had left behind. For months, inclement weather resulted in the rescue attempts being thwarted until finally, four months after he left for help, Shackleton and a rescue ship finally saved the long-suffering crew. Not one man had died. Shackleton did not achieve his initial goal, but his seamanship ranked with that of Captain Bligh, who similarly made a seemingly impossible journey in a rowboat under harsh conditions following the mutiny aboard the Bounty. Shackleton returned home to find England a much different place and his achievement somewhat under-valued due to the public's preoccupation with Britain's entry into the first World War.
Sony has released the remarkable documentary The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition, based Caroline Alexander's acclaimed book that explored the expedition in fascinating detail. The film features excellent narration by Liam Neeson. This is a big budget production produced and directed by George Butler, who takes his crew to the exact locations Shackleton visited. He finds them as harsh and unwelcoming as his predecessor. In fact, in the course of the documentary (which features remarkable cinematography), Butler realizes that even with the benefit of modern technology, they can't replicate certain feats that the crew of the Endurance did. What makes the documentary even more compelling is that it features extensive film footage of most of the trials and tribulations endured by the Endurance crew. Despite their dilemma, they had the presence of mind to use the relatively new format of movie making to take incredible footage of life on the ice, including the ultimate destruction of the Endurance. Additionally, the crew also took many photos that they somehow managed to develop under brutal conditions. These photographic elements, combined with the vintage and new footage, make for one of the most compelling documentaries you will ever see.
Curiously, although this is a special edition burn-to-order DVD, Sony's packaging makes no mention of the wealth of bonus extras including a commentary track by George Butler, who speaks in such a low-comforting voice, you might drift off and have to play the track again. Nevertheless, it's very informative and enlightening. There are also extras that show the sons, daughters and other descendents of the crew members who discuss the legacy of the Endurance heroes at length. They also attend a 1999 museum exhibition of artifacts from the ordeal that opened in New York City.
In all, this is a superb cinematic experience.
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