Thanks to the IPlayer on a boring morning I just watched Scott of the Antarctic (1948) for the countless time and I never get tired of this stiff upper lip Brit classic starring John Mills as explorer, Robert Falcon Scott.
Scott was yearning to head back to the Antarctic and be the first to reach the South Pole. When the admiralty refused to fund the expedition, he was forced to raise funds via from donations from the public and business. At the same time, he set about recruiting his team promising this would be the greatest expedition ever, scientific and using modern technology alongside the traditional dogs and packhorses.
When Scott reaches Australia, he receives news that Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen was making his way to the Antarctic with the goal of reaching the South Pole. Scott believed Amundsen was going north not south, so now a race to the Pole was on. In the film, the telegram is received in New Zealand.
They landed at Cape Evans, they set up camp ready for the Antarctic winter. Scott plan to travel as light as possible on the way back by laying some store depots along his planned route. Along with himself, he plan to take three others to the Pole.
There are a few dull moments here and there in the snowy white out as they trek through hundreds of miles lasting months. Scott finally decides to take four with him when the food and cooking fuel rations were calculated on four making the journey not five. Has they closed in on their goal, they come across dog tracks meaning Amundsen must have reached the Pole.
That the Pole they find a tent flying the Norwegian flag and a letter from Roald Amundsen asking Scott to deliver it to the King of Norway. The atmosphere becomes grittier and grittier on the explorers as they make the long return journey with dwindling supplies and the hardships. The toll on the men was great and Petty Officer 'Taff' Evans succumbed to frostbite later knowing he was slowing the group down Captain Oates when for a walk outside in a blizzard.
There is surely no more tragic sacrifice in all exploration than Oates' "I'm going outside, I may be gone some time" - exit and the movie captures this moment with the necessary sadness. Later repeating the sensitivity as Scott and his last two colleagues lay dying just so near and yet so far "11 miles" from ‘One Ton’ food and fuel dump.
Jack Cardiff's colour photography is splendid and John Mills is excellent in the key role with a strong supporting cast are excellent. The attention to detail is marvellous here...from the clothing on down to the equipment used by the expedition. The film is also blessed with a fine score from composer Vaughan Williams. Regardless of sniping comments from historians about Scott's poor planning, the film quite rightly avoids judgements and asks the viewer to recognise and admire the human heroism of these gallant men.
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