A group of men stand on the deck of a ship looking out over the frozen, desolate landscape of the Antarctic continent. The men are Ernest Shackleton and his crew. They are trapped in a prison of ice, hundreds of miles away from any civilization with little hope of rescue.

The Endurance is an incredible tale of resilience and courage. The movie named after Shackleton’s ship, portrays him and his crew on their famous 1914 Antarctic expedition.

The action starts with the prologue to the story, in which Shackleton arranges for his voyage, hires his crew and makes preparations. His crew sets sail on the 6th of August 1914 with Shackleton following on the 27th of September. They seek to cross the Antarctic continent, something that has not been done before. The expedition reaches Antarctica where, about one hundred miles from the coast, they become trapped in ice. The events that ensue are hard to believe. Even though this is a documentary, it could easily be a work of fiction with its unexpected twists and turns. Yet it is better than fiction as the story is factual. This is not a movie that will have you dozing in front of the screen, waiting till it is over!

This is a striking and inspiring film. It depicts unimaginable hardships and an extreme will to stay alive on the part of Shackleton and his crew. In making decisions, Shackleton displays his skill at coming up with very creative solutions to unthinkable problems, all the while operating with reason. He and his men never give in to panic. Shackleton is his crew’s hero and their strength.

The film includes footage and photos from the original voyage taken by photographer Frank Hurley who accompanied the group. These are juxtaposed with more recent scenes of the Antarctic. Interviews with living relatives of the original crew are woven through the film. The fact that the footage was taken as the events were unraveling makes you feel like you are on the ship, sharing all the danger and desolation. It keeps you completely immersed in the film.

The movie portrays the life of a twentieth-century explorer, on one of the last great discovery missions. It tells the story of a man who dreamed of the poles and longed for glory through pushing the boundaries of human exploration. The fact that Shackleton set out on the voyage to Antarctica was a heroic act as, then, going to Antarctica was comparable to knocking on death’s door. Although he was unsuccessful in reaching his actual goal, his journey has become the stuff of legend. He and his crew are remembered not for crossing the Antarctic as they intended, but for their voyage. Shackleton put his own life in jeopardy to save others, which was an even greater act of heroism. In essence he was a hero twice over.

If there is any criticism to be made of the movie, it is only that it could have benefited from following the whole crew instead of just Shackleton. It would have been interesting to intersperse their perspective with his. I have watched this film four times over the last four years and each time, it never ceases to amaze.

Shackleton had made two prior attempts at conquering new parts of the South Pole. This was his third. Despite the fact that he failed to meet his objective on every Antarctic expedition, he is an example to people that even failure can result in fame.