The Great White Silence

Captain Scott described Herbert Ponting as “an artist in love with his work”, and after the expedition’s tragic outcome Ponting devoted the rest of his life to ensuring that the grandeur of the Antarctic and the expedition’s heroism would not be forgotten – the images that he captured have fired imaginations ever since. The BFI National Archive – custodian of the expedition negatives – has restored the film using the latest photochemical and digital techniques and reintroduced the sophisticated use of colour. The alien beauty of the landscape is brought dramatically to life, showing the world of the expedition in brilliant detail.

• 90º South (1933, 72 min): Herbert Ponting’s final sound version of the legendary footage he shot in 1910-11.
• Newsreel Items (1910-1925, 4 min, DVD only).
• Great White Silence: How Did They Did Do It? (2011, 23 min): the Discovery Channel’s documentary about the restoration.
• The Sound of Silence (2011, 12 min): featurette on Simon Fisher Turner’s new score.
• Fully illustrated booklet.