The Great White Silence review

A great restoration and re-release of a chilling Antarctic documentary

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A bang-up BFI restoration of this remarkable 1924 documentary, chronicling Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s ill-fated journey to the South Pole.

Its director Herbert G Ponting was the Antarctic Expedition’s official photographer-cum-cinematographer – his camera takes in the otherworldly landscapes, the wildlife (penguins, seals, killer whales, Skua gulls) and the goings-on back at base camp as the men and their animals prepare for their daunting challenge.

The footage is accompanied by a haunting original score, while Abide With Me has rarely sounded so poignant.