The Great White Silence
Over one hundred years ago, in July 1910, Captain Robert Falcon Scott set out from England on the ill-fated Terra Nova expedition.
Scott's goal was to be the first to reach the South Pole, at the white heart of Antarctica. For much of his journey, he was accompanied by early film-maker, Herbert Ponting.
Ponting's unique film of that expedition, The Great White Silence, has been digitally restored by the British Film Institute, and received its world television premiere on Discovery Channel, to coincide with the anniversary of the departure of the Terra Nova from Cardiff.
James Cracknell, who endured his own Antarctic expedition last year, will compare his modern day experience of the trek to the Pole - the equipment, diet, mental challenges and physical preparations - with Scott's ultimately tragic journey, bringing a new perspective to this already legendary tale.
Funny how the ancient Scandinavians believed in hell, like Christians, except that their hell (named after the Goddess Hella) contained ice and freezing cold temperatures unlike the hell of eternal flames. I'm sure a hell like that, in their weather conditions, seemed more like a paradise.
An Enthralling account of the journey (and race) to the South Pole. This is Pure Documentary, the footage of Antarctica is of the highest caliber, and anyone interested in the exploration of our planet would be wise to include this film in their catalogue. What makes the film so compelling is its narrator,James Cracknell. He thoroughly engaged me as he told the story of the ill-fated 1910 Scott Expedition. Cracknell is a powerful narrator. He convincingly expresses the travails that these men had to endure. This entire film (shot with a hand cranked camera) was digitally refurbished to honor the centennial of the expedition. It is money well spent because it will serve the future generations of those that dare to explore, and the documentarians that dare to chronicle them. Thank you, Vlad!
In my humble opinion the journy to the North Pole was more prolific. Dont get me wrong Mr. Scott is bad ass but the gentlemen who traveled to the north were the first ones to arrive and survived to bout.
Many thanks for this one! I was astounded at the courage and strength, yes, it makes me proud 2 be a Brit. This is one that one should see in school but I wonder if it would have the same impact. Your site is the best Vlatko and I am always surprised by how interesting these docs are on subjects I thought were boring....I love learning now!
I didn't think it would have been as interesting and inspiring as it was/is.
Hat's off to all the men and beasts who ventured into that journey!
great, inspiring documentary! having a current, active antarctic explorer there to guide the narrative was just right.
what really got me was their fidelity to the scientific mission, even in the face of their disappointment and personal peril.
this is, as another said, a story that should be shared around.
how did i not know about this great event? researching the matter now, thanks as always to mr. Vlatko.
Scary cold, screw this, waaay to life or death... I need some tropical atolls and some coconut rum drinks
Thanks for watching the doc everyone, I apologise that I have to split the video but hopefully Youtube will one day lift the upload time limit from my account. (If I get enough views and such, and if I'm very lucky.) It's worth the time and effort getting this documentary up there when I know people enjoy the content.
Great doc, thanks vlatko.
Great doc, thanks vlatko
*vlat ;)
Oh my! This really makes me so proud to be a Brit! They suffered and endured much just to help educate generations about what really goes on in the natural world. I am utterly full of respect for those brave gentlemen. Our young men need this lesson in history to show them what real men are like. Vlad 1 million thank you's for this great site :)
he set of from cardiff which is in wales, its capitol. lovely doc. thanks
No more words...Scott's journal said it all...Awesome, Thank you Vlatko for the experience.
excellent doc, well worth the watch if you are interested in seeing history examined from a modern experience.
I found it educational, entertaining and thanks to the great raw footage from 1910, you can really experience the visual images and see what our ancestors saw.
Thank you so much, Jo --- I think I've got it now! I appreciate your help.
Sue, it is 5 videos linked in a playlist. I have no difficulty. Try re-loading this page, then press the play button, bottom left. (Sometimes if you accidentally double click, you will be sent to you tube, which can be confusing). If stuck, there is also an arrow half way up the picture on both the right and left side, click on the right arrow and it will take you to the 2nd video, etc. Try the above and watch on this page. Hope that helps.
I only see the 15-min YouTube version...how do I find the link to the full documentary? (This is probably obvious, but I'm new here and I need a hint!).
This was one h%ll of a doc. What these brave men went through to get to the South Pole. This is truly what men were put on the Earth to do..Explore.. and push themselves to the brink. These men will always be remembered as heros in my book!
Excelent doc. Thankyou for ALL the docs!
Holy F**K im speachless. Real Heros!
thanks for this wonderfull upload. :)
Thanks so much you guys for all these wonderful documentaries!.. i have no idea what I would do if I didn't have this website!. Forever thankful,
Mo