10 April 2012
A lot of effort has gone into restoring Herbert Ponting's "Scott of the Antarctic" documentary (shot in 1910/12 and released in 1924) and there's no denying the beautiful weirdness of his vision.
He was a fan of tints and tones. His "bergs" resemble slabs of magical vanilla ice-cream. The faces of the crew are simultaneously crisp and otherworldly. Unfortunately, his brief was to hang out with the animals (dogs, seals, mostly penguins) and, by god, his observations are twee.
Meanwhile, Scott slips away ... It's not Ponting's fault that he missed the main event, but his attempt to fudge the issue (via reconstructions and the use of old footage) is infuriating.
The Great White Silence
Cert: U
