thinbeach A documentary about the quest to the south pole, where oddly, the best parts are less about the quest, than about the sideshows: The dancing of crew on board the ship is highly entertaining, while the observation of animal life in the Antarctic can be as cute and humorous and informative as later documentaries devoted just to those subjects.The photography of the landscape scenery is so beautiful that the first half of this film or so is worth watching for that alone, but unfortunately it falls away just as the climax begins because they couldn't get any footage of it. What we are left with then is a third act filled mostly with title cards - like reading a book - and while interesting subject matter, and the impossibility of filming the task completely understandable, lessens the filmgoing experience.

EyeDunno "The Great White South" can be an entertaining account of the Terra Nova Expedition, from Lyttelton, NZ to Antarctica. Watch with a mind's eye that can help you step backward in time, to the thinking of 1910. When watching how the story is pieced together, at first I was a little bothered by the light slap-stick splashed between the scenes that were shown. One bit of information about a certain cat was truly void of political-correctness, which made me bristle. But after a few viewings of the movie I came to actually appreciate the humor, partly by understanding the reason for its use. The cinematography and story-telling shared by Herbert Ponting was based on turn-of-the-19th-century knowledge and thinking - a far cry from where society is today. Keeping this in mind helps one enjoy this piece of cinematic achievement more.I was fooled upon first glance that Mr. Ponting might have joined the actual South Pole expedition as they actually set out in November, 1911, to undertake the quest for the frozen goal. There were still images taken at the Pole, not by Mr. Ponting, but by Lt. Henry Bowers, one of the four men selected. The quips actually became comic relief as the story turns quite chilly, with some plot revelations as the four explorers trudge hundreds of miles, over a two-month period. Allow yourself to step out of your own comfortable shoes and into those of these comrades, and you'll appreciate the story much better. It's a slice of significant world history, in which Mr. Ponting was able to capture, during the journey. It's amazing to learn the back stories of the major characters and how events converged with the trek for the South Pole, and why it also took more than a decade for this film to be completed. Cast out what would be today's poor choice of mingling with wildlife (and otherwise meddling with it) and revel in some enjoyable photography, story-telling and cinematography of its time. One footnote: I watched the BFI-restored film, complete with restored colorizing and tinting (first done by Mr. Ponting himself). Oranges, blues, and odd shades of red seem meant to add a sense of time of day in some scenes, or the color of sea water. It didn't disturb me to see this when realizing that the color was as the filmmaker intended. The soundtrack by Simon Fisher Turner (Soleilmoon Recordings - 2011) was a welcome and haunting treat, which rejected the customary organ music one expects with silent films while adding depth to the visuals.

basilisksamuk I'd like to be able to say this was a great film but in all honesty I can't. At least half of it is taken up by Ponting anthropomorphising about the animals he filmed. Scott's push for the pole and tragic end are depicted from footage by Ponting but he did not go with them so it isn't any better than modern reconstructions in documentaries. The best bits are the contemporary footage of the early preparations and passage to Antarctica. The choice of music for the soundtrack is pretty dire – the Vaughn Williams score for the John Mills film would have been predictable but would have been better. This is the film as released in 1924 and as such is an important historical artefact so I shouldn't complain too much. However, a better treatment would be to use the best material in a documentary and release it on DVD/Blu-Ray with the full original as bonus material for those who really want to see the whole thing. As a viewing experience for a modern audience it's pretty dull and doesn't tell you what you really want to know.

tomgillespie2002 An extraordinary account of the doomed expedition on the Terra Nova by Captain Robert Falcon Scott to the south pole between 1910 and 1913, by cinematographer, Herbert Ponting. This document follows the ship from New Zealand as it lands on the antarctic coastline where the team set up a camp. Here, Ponting films both the people and their actions, along with the wildlife that inhabits the area. Much of the middle section of the film focuses on the wildlife, documenting the habits of seals, penguins and gulls. Throughout these animal parts, the "narrator" (obviously being a silent film , these narrations are provided within inter titles) almost seems to place human characteristics to them (such as stating that a male penguin searches for his "bride"), his observations at times entertaining and occasionally amusing. Unfortunately, some of the practices for capturing footage seems very archaic to modern viewers, as Ponting often interrupts nature to capture certain footage; a practice that I'm sure David Attenborough would be astounded with. Obviously, Ponting did not follow the five men who set off from camp to reach the south pole. As history is now aware, those men never returned alive. With some incredibly stunning images of polar caps, icebergs etc, the film is a beauty to behold. Unfortunately, the film was not really successful at the time, and Ponting died in poverty 10 years after its release. However, the British Film Institute has released the film in a beautiful digital transfer that means that this film of historical importance may live on for future generations to enjoy.