Scott of the Antarctic 1948

The noblest adventure man ever dared!

7.1 / 10   32 vote(s)
NR
Adventure Drama History

The true story of the British explorer Robert Falcon Scott and his ill-fated expedition to try to be the first man to discover the South Pole - only to find that the murderously cold weather and a rival team of Norwegian explorers conspire against him

Release Date 1948-11-29
Runtime 1h 51m
Directors Charles Frend, Jack Cardiff, Osmond Borradaile, Geoffrey Unsworth, Rowland Douglas, Jim Morahan
Producers Michael Balcon, Sidney Cole
Writers Walter Meade, Ivor Montagu

I found myself reaching for a blanket as I watched this on the telly the other night. A wonderfully evocative combination of sound effects (mostly a howling wind) and snowscape cinematography help give this epic tale of grit and determination a solid bedrock. Not being John Mills' biggest fan (I always thought David Niven would have made for a far better Robert Falcon Scott) I was prepared for his usual jolly-good-show performance; but not here - he does capture some of the character of the intrepid Antarctic explorer well. Along with a strong supporting cast - Derek Bond; John Gregson & a slimmed down looking James Robertson Justice we get a true sense of the teamwork and struggle as they face the dangers of the rugged continent, the fierce elements, hunger and deprivation racing Amundsen to the South Pole and, of course, to get home again.

CinemaSerf