Rent Scott of the Antarctic (1948)

Topnotch British Historical Adventure - Scott of the Antarctic review by GI

The story of the ill fated 1912 expedition led by Robert Falcon Scott to reach the South Pole first. The film is a tale of heroism and has a touch of the Boys Own Adventure about it although it eventually becomes a harrowing depiction of survival in a harsh land. Antarctica is depicted as an alien landscape, harsh and unforgiving and whilst, being British made, it's a story to highlight British pluck it also strongly hints at Scott's folly and mistakes. John Mills is perfect casting as the courageous Scott and the film cleverly looks at Edwardian society for the first third of the film. Once the expedition gets fully underway the struggle with the unprecedented freak weather and the gradual decline of the team makes for a compulsive film experience. Ther cinematography in the Antarctic scenes is phenomenal and these allow you to forgive the obvious matte painting scenery in the English scenes. But for its time this is a gritty story, with a very early use of a profanity uttered by James Robertson Justice as Evans and it's a riveting film and a quite wonderful adventure story that as a seriously sad ending. This is an example of just how good British cinema was in its heyday.

Handsome Biopic. - Scott of the Antarctic review by Steve

Documentary style dramatisation of Robert Scott's quest to be first to the South Pole in 1912, which ultimately proved to be unsuccessful and tragic, with the final group of four men dying 11 miles from return camp. The realist approach accentuates the small details of the expedition, and draws on Scott's diary for the narration.

The use of Technicolor though makes the film look more artistic, and the location footage seem artificial. And the inscrutable facades of the actors and their brittle, cheerful received pronunciation makes the characters difficult to get to know. It's a lot of posh blokes going to the pole, and can at times feel like a Monty Python sketch.

Even their wives are impassively stoic. There is no rewrite of mythology. The men are heroic and uncomplaining. Team spirit is invincible. Every heart is devoted to god and empire. This is a film of surfaces and reportage. John Mills is perfectly cast as Scott, but a cypher. Most of the emotion is imparted by Vaughan Williams' heart pumping score.

Still, it's an exciting portrayal of a brave and ambitious misadventure. As the men grow tired, mistakes are punished and luck runs out. Scott and his companions were beaten to the pole by Norwegian expertise, but their journey- and this film- is a monument to human endurance, and obsessive, imperious ambition.