Shackleton

[Carl Remick]

>From: James Heartfield <Jim at heartfield.demon.co.uk>
>>
>  Carl Remick <carlremick at hotmail.com> writes
>
>
>"Heartfield.  Prior to being a mere catalyst for the faux-progressive
>ravings of Living Marxism alumni, Antarctica was the setting for genuine
>
>heroics by early explorers like Scott, Shackleton and Mawson."
>
>I think that the TV show must be the one already shown here, if so I
>have to say it is mawkish imperial nostalgia. Scott and Shackleton (I
>must plead ignorance on Mawson) were staples of the Empire propaganda
>that we were all raised on over here, along with Mungo Park and
>Livingstone and Stanley. Doubtless Shackleton was a hero of sorts, but
>this show if it is the same one, does not do him justice.

I believe you're thinking of the fictionalized treatment of Shackleton's 
exploits, with Kenneth Branagh in the lead.  That's being aired in the US 
next week.  Am not a big Branagh fan but will certainly tune in.  Last 
night, PBS broadcast a Nova documentary on Shackleton -- very well done -- 
that featured actual 1914 footage of Shackleton's Endurance trapped in the 
ice.  I had the opportunity to see artifacts from the Endurance voyage at 
the American Museum of Natural History a couple of years ago when they were 
on tour of the U.S.  Among the items on show was the lifeboat James Caird, 
in which Shackleton and a few of his crew made their miraculous trip from 
Elephant Island to South Georgia Island.  For me it was like seeing a holy 
relic, quite moving.

Carl

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