Shackleton

Sometimes, critics point to certain types of fiction as being different from realism in the way that everything is bigger and more extreme than real life. The characters are more capable, and the main character can have a driving personality that overcomes everything. Characters live through impossible situations and manage impossible feats. The plot has event after event, with more things piled on that would occur in real life. Yet, sometimes real life surpasses the most elaborate adventure, giving us characters managing impossible feats and surviving against impossible odds, and events that seem to pile on incident after incident in a way that, if encountered in a novel, might have you saying to yourself “well, this author has gone just a bit too far.” Such was the case of the Ernest Shackleton, particularly the story of Endurance expedition to Antarctica.

Shackleton had been one of Scott’s companions in the latter’s first attempt to make it to the pole. He then led his own expedition to the pole, getting within 90 miles before turning back when he realized that, even though he could now make it to the pole, he and his companions would then starve to death on the return trip. He was in Europe, lecturing on his expedition, when word arrived first of Amundsen’s successful trip to the pole, then of Scott’s death on his return from the pole. But Shackleton still believed that there was more to do, and proposed a trans-polar expedition. It took him years to put the financing together, but, in 1914, just as Britain was entering World War I, he managed, and left of Antarctica aboard the aptly-named Endurance.

Stopping at South Georgia Island on the way, he got his first bad news: the whalers told him the sea ice was particularly bad that year, stretching farther north than usual. Shackleton, though, knew had to push on. He didn’t have the finances to wait a year, and had he returned home, the war would have ended any chance for a further expedition for at least a few more years. So he pressed on, trying to make his way through the icing maze. But then the first bit of the disaster stuck. Endurance became trapped in the ice. He and his men had to spend the Antarctic winter in a boat slowly being crushed by the ice flows.

Eventually, he had to move his men onto the pack ice, along with supplies and three life boats. They soon, led by Shackleton, had to begin a cross-ice trek toward the open sea. Their only hope would be a hazardous cross-sea journey, back 1000 miles toward South Georgia Island. It was hellish journey, and they kept going mostly due to Shackleton’s force of will. Battered, they made it to the sea, where things continued to get worse. They first had to make the Elephant Island, part of the South Shetlands, and headed toward it. At this point, it was over a year since Endurance had been frozen into the ice, and by the time they made Elephant Island, it was their first step onto dry land in 497 days. The journey had been horrific, in open boats, getting drenched with ice-cold salt water. May of the men were sick, and some developed frost bite. But they thought things were getting better.

They weren’t. Elephant Island had no good shelter, and they still had no way to get a message to the outside world. Shackelton decided to have most of his men remain their while he and give others attempted the near-impossible 800 mile journey to South Georgia Island. The journey was incredibly difficult – again rough, icy seas, but this time for a much longer trip (over two weeks). Moreover, they had to attempt to navigate by finding the sun; had they not managed this difficult feat, they would have been lost in the South Atlantic. (Elephant Island, by contrast, had been within site of the pack ice when they traveled to it.) But again they managed.

But again, things got worse. They had landed on the wrong side of the island, and a mountain range that had never been crossed was between them and the whaling station. Moreover, they had not survival gear for a multi-day mountain trip, so they would have to make this difficult trip without sleep. Shackleton took two men and set off. Of course they made it (with some harrowing moments, including sliding down a slope when they weren’t sure they wouldn’t be sliding over a cliff), reached the wailing station, and eventually rescued all of Shackleton’s men – all of them!. Despite the dangers they all faced, all came back alive, in large part due to the leadership and drive of Shackleton.

This whole story is told in a wonderful 2002 television film starring Kenneth Branagh as Shackleton. Branagh does an incredible job of capturing all sides of Shackleton. He was a complex man – he loved his wife yet also saw another woman. He was very compassionate and could relate to all of his men, yet he could also be very authoritative. He was often kind, yet also had, at times, quite a temper. Branagh does a superb job showing us all these aspects of Shackleton, but in particular he really captures his skill as a leader and how he got his men to follow him. One great speech in fact reminds me of speeches he gave in Henry V.

The supporting cast is also quite good, ranging from veterans to relative newcomers. The production values are astounding for a TV film (the break up of the Endurance is very convincing); they are on par with what one would expect from a big budget film. Adrian Johnson’s score is also quite good. All in all, this is a nicely done telling of the Endurance story.

The DVD set also includes several specials, including a detailed history of Antarctic exploration.