The Great White Silence

I had an ice time.

Seriously though, an astonishing document.

I had an ice time.

Seriously though, an astonishing document.

A 2 hour long silent film and a documentaryJesus fuck, reading the Wikipedia page would’ve been more entertaining…in fact I’m going to go do that

A 2 hour long silent film and a documentaryJesus fuck, reading the Wikipedia page would’ve been more entertaining…in fact I’m going to go do that

Nevermind, it’s about as boring as reading the Wikipedia page

Nevermind, it’s about as boring as reading the Wikipedia page

I knew I’d probably like this, but didn’t anticipate connecting with it emotionally nearly as much as I did. The choice by BFI to not put any background music over the footage is ballsy, but elevates this to a whole other level. The bits with the cat are obviously insane, but looking past that, emotionally this hit me like a truck and I’m not entirely sure why. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but this just crumpled me into a classic late night feelings ball.

I knew I’d probably like this, but didn’t anticipate connecting with it emotionally nearly as much as I did. The choice by BFI to not put any background music over the footage is ballsy, but elevates this to a whole other level. The bits with the cat are obviously insane, but looking past that, emotionally this hit me like a truck and I’m not entirely sure why. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but this just crumpled me into a classic late night feelings ball.

Ever since I first watched this documentary last year, it has stuck with me. Not only is the footage just unbelievable for something shot from 1910-1912, it captures a land completely alien to the majority of the population. Simon Fisher Turner's score for the BFI captures this ethereal haunting alienness of the Antarctic through the eye of Ponting's camera. If the story wasn't connected to the tragedy of perishing of Scott and his men, it would still be an incredible artifact of the age of exploration. But the inclusion of Scott and co.'s fateful journey from the pole and back is possibly the film's strongest sequence, perfectly pacing the mournful tragedy at the core of tale. I just finished reading Apsley Cherry-Garrard's memoir of his experiences on the Terra Nova expedition, The Worst Journey in the World, hence why I returned to this film, and now I have an even greater understanding and appreciation of how important this film is. What a remarkable document capturing some of the most remarkable explorers and men in history.

Ever since I first watched this documentary last year, it has stuck with me. Not only is the footage just unbelievable for something shot from 1910-1912, it captures a land completely alien to the majority of the population. Simon Fisher Turner's score for the BFI captures this ethereal haunting alienness of the Antarctic through the eye of Ponting's camera. If the story wasn't connected to the tragedy of perishing of Scott and his men, it would still be an incredible artifact of the age of exploration. But the inclusion of Scott and co.'s fateful journey from the pole and back is possibly the film's strongest sequence, perfectly pacing the mournful tragedy at the core of tale. I just finished reading Apsley Cherry-Garrard's memoir of his experiences on the Terra Nova expedition, The Worst Journey in the World, hence why I returned to this film, and now I have an even greater understanding and appreciation of how important this film is. What a remarkable document capturing some of the most remarkable explorers and men in history.