Endurance, The

 

Story:

In 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton set sail on the Endurance with 27 men aboard, aiming to cross Antarctica. But when the vessel became stranded in frigid waters, the crew began a battle of the human spirit, testing the very limits of their strength. Miraculously, they succeeded, even capturing the experience in pictures and on film as they strove to overcome the debilitating setback. Liam Neeson narrates this gripping document of their ordeal. (NetFlix)

Review:

Watching George Butler’s The Endurance is like watching the reincarnation of the Biblical character of Job- just when you think the story is at its most bleak, it somehow gets worse.  This is a story about how men cope with watching their sliver of hope slowly fade away and audiences will be totally enthralled.  Butler does nothing to trump up the story, telling it in chronological order- relying on a historical narrative approach as the best avenue for conveying their story.  The story of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his doomed voyage is simultaneously heartbreaking and joyous and any attempt to add to it would only limit its power.

And that’s the wonder of watching The Endurance.  From a story standpoint it is striking, full of unrelenting conflict, courageous men and a leader who is simultaneously controlling and caring.  It’s a story mankind love to hear- a triumph over the bleakest of odds, a story to be told to children and grandchildren- a legend.  But a film is much more then a story and here is where Butler shines, trusting the story to flesh itself out, only filling in where his direction is needed and stepping back when his task is done.

Butler knows he has hit a gold mine of material, as the very voyage had a photographer with a video camera as well as an artist along for the ride.  And it seemed nearly every major figure carried a diary with detailed notes.  So Butler sits back and lets their images and words speak for themselves- occasionally adding his own footage of the tundra when nothing else will work.  The visuals are quietly supported by its own beautiful music- never overpowering the words of Liam Neeson (who himself is excellent) or the voice acting of various diaries entries.

Without question, The Endurance is a ‘safe’ film.  There are few risks taken as far as direction, but Butler doesn’t need to stretch himself, the story is shocking enough as audiences endure the journey into the dark unforgiving cold.  So yes, it’s exactly what you might expect from a historical documentary, but you won’t care.  By the end, you’ll be wondering how this legend could be true.  But it is, and this awe inspiring tribute is something every history buff and self proclaimed explorer will appreciate.

Reviewed by Matthew Abshire for Documentary Film Online on February 22, 2011

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