The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition

At any point in this expedition, many would have given up or run out of ideas, but Ernest Shackleton's attitude reminds one of the Apollo 13 support crews in that failure was not an option. Everything great about the human species is seen in the efforts to discover an escape route from the pack ice, to find food in an almost lunar landscape and to send at least a few sailors to an island near the shipping lanes hundreds of miles from camp, the last chance for anyone to discover that Endurance's crew was still alive. Shackleton's refusal to give up, as well as resourcefulness in making unwasteful decisions, was the main reason for the rescue of the entire crew. Other than sled dogs, the antarctic didn't claim a single life - from this crew, anyway.

An inspiring story of the will to survive which takes us back to the "Heroic Age" of exploration. Ernest Shackleton's expedition to the Antarctic set off in 1914 on the eve of World war 1. However, they became trapped in pack ice not far from their destination, though not close enough. So began a 2-year ordeal in the most inhospitable conditions,a constant fight for survival, before the redoubtable Shackleton got his men to safety...without losing one life. Then, on top of that, the men hurried back to help the war effort. The documentaries mix footage taken by the original expedition photographer and new footage to show the picturesque yet deadly, inhospitable and unforgiving land, and tell this superhuman tale of survival. Effectively shot and beautifully edited, and well narrated by Liam Neeson, you can almost feel the cold. At the end of it, no matter how much you already knew about the expedition, you still cannot believe this incredible story is real.

This is, quite simply, the finest documentary I have ever seen. The story is one of the most amazing, and harrowing, tales of survival imaginable. In fact, it is beyond anything a novelist could conjure. It is filled with amazing, high quality archival stills and footage. The film is well edited. The hour and a half flies by, and you leave emotionally exhausted and exhilarated. Most highly recommended.

This film is unbelievable because it puts together the remains of actual original footage and photos with carefully and sensitively delivered narratives and modern color shots to create an almost impossible whole. The success of this movie is that these pieces all come together to give you an almost total experience.

At first the pace and material seem somewhat slow perhaps even a bit boring. But this is even better because without changing format, the content builds until you are shaking your head and grimacing in disbelief.

I did not know the story of Shakleton - so I was even more awe struck. How could any people have endured this? When you leave the theater you have indeed been on the expedition yourself and you are glad to be alive.

L. Spaiser

I have read several books about Shackleton's amazing expedition to Antarctica. I first became aware of the story from a PBS documentary several years ago, and being amazed by the story of survival and endurance, sought out books for more of the story. As a teacher I have used parts of this story as examples of leadership, enduring hardship, teamwork, loyalty, service, and hope. Being so familiar with this story, I wasn't sure what would be new in the film, but there was plenty there for me to enjoy and still learn about. I found it interesting that the descendants of survivors consistently said that their relatives, as is common from many trying circumstances, rarely talked about the events. It was also great to see the pictures I have seen over and over again put into a format where I could see them on a big screen. Even more amazing is the surviving film footage from the expedition. The preservation of this footage is wonderful, and in conjunction with the newly filmed footage of the unchanged antarctic landscape, gives you a better understanding of the wilderness these men were up against. Shackelton is portrayed as the excellent leader that he was, but is not presented as an infallible genius. He was a man who demonstrated amazing qualities in difficult circumstances, and he was a man who understood the burden of his leadership and the importance for getting his men home safely. If you've never heard of Shackleton, you are in the same boat (pun intended), as my wife, who was completely new to Shackleton's story. She loved the film as well, and was fascinated by the story. So if you are well aware of the story, or totally new to it, I highly recommend this story of survival and endurance.