Amundsen

Somehow this film manages to turn what should have been a celebration of a great explorer into a tedious and dreary story. The direction and editing at some points is clumsy and creates confusion. For some peculiar reason much of the dialogue is produced in hushed tones as though the actors were worried about waking up a baby somewhere. Could and should have been an epic story. Shame

I ordered this after reading a few reviews--we are big fans of the PBS production "THE LAST PLACE ON EARTH" made a few decades ago. So, anything on Amundsen is a must-see for us.

As others have noted, the pace is a bit slow, but the cinematography was quite good. The South Pole expedition included a gripping sequence wherein one of the party (and a sled) falls into a yawning fissure that suddenly opens up (possibly fictional, but it illustrates the danger of polar travel). After Amundsen returns form his 'successful' South Pole trip (I say that instead of 'victorious'), he is obliged to return to North Pole activities, and is attacked by a polar bear. Scary moment, well-filmed.

Usually, a slower pace will allow the Director to develop the protagonist's character more, but I am still mystified by what made Amundsen tick. He could not abide opposition to his ideas, and seemed to have a 'you cross me--we are done' outlook. Nonetheless, he was the kind of Project Leader you needed when you travelled in the Wild: a meticulous planner, and a tireless worker who did not play mind games with his companions--he kept 'aloof' somewhat to avoid currying 'favorites' & sought the counsel of his team. That was exactly what was wrong with his South Pole competitor, Robert Falcon Scott--a great gamesman and author, but a terrible guy to work for when your life is on the line.

I would recommend the film, if you have an interest in the subject. If you can find 'The Last Place on Earth' (book or dvd), though, I think you will find it longer, but quicker-paced, and give you more insight into Amundsen (even though it splits between him and Scott). 7/10

Nansen and amundsen are superheros in norwegian history, thats a fact, but to make a believable account of his life on film is not an easy task, because he was a controversial person , also in norway. but they try and the result are within reason with a few flaws , a good presentation of roald amundsen . i wish the makers had used a bit more room for his companiogns, who more than thrice showed to be the beams that kept the house of cards standing.

its a slow paced movie, and i had expected even more action than presented here. the way the narrative is presented, through his brother leon, are pretty original, i liked that. the acting are not more than average, quite boring at times, but maybe life then were boring and a waiting game for news from the abyss. there are vast use of vfx and cgi, some are good,others pretty second hand. the end sequens, were amundsen flies the latham and dissapears are speculative,and people still speculates what happened,i dont know, maybe he flew to the gran canaries instead, living a silent and withdrawn life???.

its a norwegian film and the grumpy old man are quite proud by the product made by my countrymen, its well worth a view.recommended

The film is one to watch without distraction's, but a story of endurance and determination to break new grounds and go to places no man has ever been. The film has great cinematography and gripping real life story. The film is better on second viewing.

Just because the film is going places (a few of them actually), it doesn't mean its pace is a fast one. Quite the opposite is the case. Therefor making it I reckon almost unwatchable for some. Having said that, if you are curious about the will and curiosity of men, that won't stop you (no pun intended).

I don't know the real persons/individuals and how truthful this is to what happened (and their interactions/rivalries), I just know that it does work decently on the big or small screen and for the movie and its purposes. Very nice cinematography and the acting is more than just solid too. Not for everyone, but that I reckon is true for many other movies too, in a different way.