Shackleton is a 2002 British television miniseries. It was written and directed by Charles Sturridge and starred Kenneth Branagh as explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. The film tells the true story of Shackleton's 1914 Antarctic expedition on the ship Endurance. The cast includes Kevin McNally, Lorcan Cranitch, Embeth Davidtz, Danny Webb, Matt Day and Phoebe Nicholls (also the director's wife) as Lady Shackleton. It was filmed in the UK, Iceland and Greenland. The film used first-hand accounts by the men on the expedition to retell the story and Shackleton biographer Roland Huntford was a production advisor.
Shackleton was first broadcast in two parts by Channel 4 in January 2002. In North America the film was first broadcast by the A&E Network in April 2002. The film was nominated for seven Emmy Awards, six BAFTA Awards, and a Golden Globe Award.
Contents
Plot
The film tells the true story of explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton (Kenneth Branagh) and his 1914 Antarctic expedition on the ship Endurance. The story begins with him planning the expedition and finding sponsors, particularly Sir James Caird. Shackleton's goal is to drive dog sled teams from one side of Antarctica to the other, which would make Britain the first nation to undertake such a trans-continental journey.
Once the expedition is underway, trouble arises due to thick sea ice and low temperatures. Endurance becomes trapped and is eventually crushed by pack ice. Shackleton vows to find a way to rescue the men. He leads them on an epic journey across the ice, followed by 800 miles on the Southern Ocean, finally climbing an uncharted mountain range on South Georgia Island. He eventually finds a whaling station, Grytviken, and rescue parties are sent to collect his entire shipwrecked crew from remote Elephant Island. The otherwise failed expedition is made famous for every crew member surviving despite seemingly insurmountable odds.
Cast
(In order of appearance)
Kenneth Branagh as Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton
John Grillo as Franks
Phoebe Nicholls as Emily Shackleton
Eve Best as Eleanor Shackleton
Mark Tandy as Frank Shackleton
Cicely Delaney as Cecily Shackleton
Christian Young as Raymond Shackleton
Embeth Davidtz as Rosalind Chetwynd
Danny Webb as Perris
Lorcan Cranitch as Frank Wild
Michael Culkin as Jack Morgan
Mark McGann as Tom Crean
Abby Ford as Marcie
Kevin McNally as Frank Worsley
Robert Hardy as Sir James Caird
Pip Torrens as James McIlroy
Ken Drury as Harry McNish
Matt Day as Frank Hurley