|
Early pack ice would have deterred lesser men, but Shackleton
was not going to be turned aside. He forged on through the
increasingly tough conditions until finally the Endurance
was trapped.
After three months the ice crushed the vessel and Shackleton's
party, which included Australian photographer and cameraman
Frank Hurley (Matt Day), took to lifeboats.
From there the men sailed for six days before landing on
Elephant Island, before Shackleton and a small party spent
almost three weeks in appalling weather trying to reach Sth
Georgia.
That done, the leader and two others spent almost two days
climbing mountains to reach the safety of a small whaling
station and raise the alarm to rescue all his men.
Shackleton is a two-part mini-series that is the most-expensive
production ever done by the BBC and, it has to be said, looks
worth the money.
Filmed off the coast of Greenland, Shackleton shows ice floes
that are made of the frozen stuff - not polystyrene - and
allows the cameramen to really go to town on expansive wideshots
and zooming out.
Everything screams realism from the ice clogging the rigging
and the actors trying to stay warm in below-zero temperatures
right down to the sound of the snippers lopping off frost-bitten
toes.
Branagh is excellent, as is Matt Day as Hurley, and among
the supporting actors is the highly likeable Lorcan Cranitch.
The video transfer is very good, albeit with the occasional
bit of aliasing, and is sharp and clear. The sound is a nicely
balanced stereo. One minor annoyance was the fact the chapter
navigation was very awkward to get around.
Shackleton is a damn fine dramatisation of a very dramatic
expedition. While watching you have to keep asking yourself:
"Just why the hell did they do it?"
Conclusion: Movie 80% Extras 20%
Continued:
DVD details at a glance >
|
