Nankyoku monogatari

Whether striking a tone more uplifting or tragic, what all survival films have in common - to one degree or another - is being difficult to watch. The barren, beautiful frozen landscapes in this movie both pair and contrast with the fierce, extreme conditions everyone struggles through. Even before the plot meaningfully picks up as efforts go sideways, there's a level of cringe on hand with the experience depicted, and further difficulty in empathizing with the conditions forced on the animals - emphatically more strenuous than those endured by the humans. I can appreciate how 'Antarctica' enjoyed so much popularity and success, not least of all in Japan; the drama is compelling.

The first hour mostly focuses on the people on the continent, and only thereafter does the film become more about the dogs left behind. As it does, the viewing experience becomes notably more arduous, especially for animal lovers. It's heartbreaking enough even if incidents were merely simulated to portray the circumstances the sled team went through. Yet despite the director's assurances, the lack of particular endorsement from an animal safety group makes the production somewhat dubious. Still - much credit to those responsible for training the canines, because they had their work cut out for them. Scenes of the dogs living off the land are generally orchestrated well, and duly captivating.

All this having been said, 'Antarctica' isn't easy to engage with, even putting aside the gut-wrenching trials of the animals. After the first hour, while footage of the huskies on the ice is considered most highly, it's nonetheless interspersed with long moments in much-warmer Japan as members of the human expedition contend with memories and guilt of leaving their companions behind. As a result, the feature often seems less a cohesive whole and more a series of snapshots - further emphasized with narration that works alone to connect the disparate scenes in the absence of a concrete, flowing narrative. The general concept is quite good - it's a story worth telling - but the execution leaves much to be desired.

As the picture is unbalanced and unrefined broadly, its constituent elements likewise suffer. Composer Vangelis is rightly celebrated for his music, but fine as his score for 'Antarctica' may be, it still comes across as both lacking, and not entirely given its due. The drama and emotional investment we should feel is greatly diminished by sequencing that bounces back and forth inconsistently between Japan and the frozen south. I don't have specific cause to doubt director Koreyoshi Kurahara, and in general I think his camerawork and arrangement of scenes is quite suitable; he even captures some especially great shots. Yet the overall rough and inelegant craft of the picture gives me pause, and so it is too with other technical aspects of the production.

At length, I do think this is enjoyable, satisfying, and worth watching. It's also worth mentioning that compared to other features that tell the tale of animals surviving on their own, at no point does it become overwrought with sentiment. On the other hand, that lack of saccharine sensation is partly just because of how the movie is built as a whole. It's just unfortunate that what could have been a complete, riveting, entrancing spectacle of hardship and endurance is dampened by an uneven construction. Even so - bearing in mind the nature of the content, and this absolutely won't be for everyone - 'Antarctica' is worth checking out if you come across it.

I accidently stumbled upon this movie and was immediately ensconced in its story line, scenery and cast of characters (primarily the dogs). The subtitles did not distract from the films Japanese dialogue. This semi-documentary style added authenticity to the fact based plot. The human actors may have been the catalyst for this poignant retelling, but the dogs were indeed the glue that held this film together. Given the fact that most of the sets were filmed on location, the dogs performed exceptionally well and held this viewer fast.

The misadventures that the dogs endured during their separation from their owners were deeply touching and powerful. One would have to have ice water flowing through one's veins to be unmoved from this film. Although hard to find, I heartily recommend the movie for age groups of 12 or older. The violence is implied rather than portrayed but none-the-less quite intense.

I must of been 10 or 11yrs old when I saw this movie.I cried so much, my parents couldn't console me. I have never been affected in such a way by an "animal movie." Nankyoku did an excellent job telling the story from the dog's perspective. You form an attachment to the dogs right away. The cinematography places you right in the heart of an icy wonderland. At first you think this is just some movie about 2 explorers/scientist doing some kind of research. Next thing you know, they're done and off they go and leave the dogs behind and it turns into a fight for survival. The score to this movie pulls at your heart strings and you can't help but "feel" the desolation and hopelessness. I really recommend this movie, but make sure you have tissue ready.

"Antarctica" is the story of the men and dogs of Japan's Antarctic research station in the 50's. Ushioda, Ochi and the rest of the team are forced to leave the dogs behind with Antarctic winter approaching, on the understanding that another team is to arrive in a few days. Once on board the ice breaker, they discover to their horror that due to the weather, no one will be able to make it back until the next spring. The dogs are left chained up to fend for themselves.

The story from there is a mixture of fact and conjecture, concerning what the few dogs who were able to escape their chains, did, and how two did survive until the next spring.

The fate of some of these dogs is very sad, and you may not want to watch this if you're a sensitive dog lover. But, the survival of the lucky ones is inspiring. The dogs are not portrayed as in a children's movie (overly cute) but are shown realistically, being kicked by their masters when they fight, and in one scene, savagely attacking a seal when desperate for food. (which, by the way, looks absolutely real - PETA would not be happy!!) The film goes back and forth between the dogs' plight in Antarctica and Ushioda & Ochi back in Japan, who are beside themselves with guilt and grief over the fate of the dogs.

I was so drawn in to this movie, that when Ushioda & Ochi return the following spring, and are scanning the station from the helicopter, that I found myself straining to see with them, looking hopefully for any sign of life.

Ultimately this is a story about man's relationship with dogs, and the unbreakable bond of love that exists between them.

I saw the movie on TV in the late 80's when I was living in Japan and it has always stayed with me. One reason is that my friend, Karla, said it was from Alaska. This was not logical to me because the harnesses on the sleds were "Eastern Arctic", not Western Arctic. The Eastern Arctic harness is like a fan, the Western Arctic/Alaskan style is the straight line with two dogs running side by side with a lead dog.

Another reason is that I adore dogs, and had always asked my father to bring back a Canadian Eskimo Dog (a specific breed) when he traveled north to the Arctic (He refused).

And, finally, the cinematography is beautiful. It was a perfect movie to watch with my limited (almost non-existent) Japanese! The images of the landscape have haunted me since that night in Tokushima in 1987.