Shackleton (2002)

Directed by: Charles Sturridge | 200 minutes | drama, adventure, biography | Actors: Kenneth Branagh, John Grillo, Paul Humpoletz, Phoebe Nicholls, Eve Best, Mark Tandy, Cicely Delaney, Christian Young

Sir Ernest Shackleton: cheater, concerned father, freebooter, adventurer, expedition leader and emotional time bomb. Enough material to fill a 200-minute series. And if character actor Kenneth Branagh takes the lead, it should be all right, right?

‘Shackleton’ revolves around the adventurer of the same name. After a failed expedition, the man is eager to prove himself again. After extracting some money, Ernest sets out with 27 crew members to explore the unexplored Antarctica. The expedition degenerates into disaster. Can Shackleton save his men from certain death? And will he ever see his two children again? The adventurer’s life is interestingly elaborated. Although the TV series mainly focuses on the Antarctica expedition, you can learn a lot about the man himself between the lines. Shackleton cheated on his wife, had some (failed) explorations to his name, and his trip to Antarctica was a sort of desperate act. With his ambitious journey he hopes to put himself on the map as an explorer.

Branagh portrays the title character as a difficult, but amiable person. Although Sir Ernest makes some bad decisions, his heart is in the right place. Branagh plays the part with gusto. Whatever Shackleton is up to, Branagh’s intense play always gives him the benefit of the doubt. The rest of the cast consists of unknown actors. Branagh is clearly the draw of the series. Which does not mean that he is the only actor who does a good job. The acting is of a high standard. The pace of the series is quite slow. If you expect an action-packed show, you’ll be disappointed.

‘Shackleton’ is a character study. The grueling survival journey is of course extensively discussed, but a lot of time is also spent on Shackleton’s private life. The main attraction, the survival tour, is highly developed. The scenes were really shot in Antarctica and that produces beautiful images. Nature is good. You will also see underwater scenes and snow storms that are equally impressively portrayed. ‘Shackleton’ is an expertly crafted TV series. The acting is good, the action is fine and the character development is also worth it. Perfect entertainment, which is also educational.