Freshfield

Shackleton (2002)

Actors: Frédéric North (miscellaneous crew), Adrian Johnston (composer), Mark Williams (actor), Danny Webb (actor), Ingar Helge Gimle (actor), Matt Wilkinson (actor), Kevin McNally (actor), Pip Torrens (actor), Bjørn Floberg (actor), Robert Hardy (actor), Kenneth Branagh (actor), Ron Donachie (actor), Corin Redgrave (actor), Michael Culkin (actor), Delia Fine (producer),

Genres: Adventure, Biography, Drama, History,
Taglines: On the brink of death - courage was his only weapon.

Quotes:

[Answering a question about his 1908-9 expedition]::Sir Ernest Shackleton: Thank you for your question. You are right, sir, we failed. We failed to reach the South Pole. I turned back. I chose life over death for myself and for my friends, which is why I am here to tell you about it tonight. But others follow in our footsteps Captain Scott, taking our route; the Norwegian, Amundsen, from the Bay of Whales. And if they should fail, then I will try again. Because I believe it is in our nature to explore, to reach out into the unknown. The only true failure... would be not to explore at all.

Emily Shackleton: Well?::Sir Ernest Shackleton: Well, what?::Emily Shackleton: How did you do?::Sir Ernest Shackleton: Ahh, one invitation to go to the races, and a request from Mr. Morgan's office to keep in touch with developments. A zero, a naught, nothing.::Emily Shackleton: So what's next?::Sir Ernest Shackleton: I don't know. Rent an office and get started, I suppose.

[using the tea-things to demonstrate the planned expedition]::Sir Ernest Shackleton: And there we will, uh, make a base, and a smaller party will start a march towards the, um...::Janet Stancombe Wills: Scone.::Sir Ernest Shackleton: Ah, ah, the scone, precisely. At the same time a second group will land on the other side of the continent, uh, the Ross Sea, and make their way across the Beardmore Glacier towards the Pole, I-I-I mean the, uh, scone, um, laying food depots[he uses crumbs] as they go, so that my party will have supplies for the second half...[and at this point the dog jumps onto the tableau and starts eating it]

Sir Ernest Shackleton: Yes, well, uh, thank you for seeing me, and, uh, perhaps you will be able to give some thought to the possibility of becoming a sponsor.::Janet Stancombe Wills: Sir Ernest, my contribution towards your exciting adventure is over there on the desk. Please. I'm not the sort of woman to waste a man's time.::Sir Ernest Shackleton: Miss Stancombe Wills, I don't know how to thank you.::Janet Stancombe Wills: By succeeding, of course. And perhaps by addressing me in future as Janet.

Sir Ernest Shackleton: But grateful as I am for the generous contribution of this society, this committee must accept that scientists do not pay for science. I make no apology for seeking publicity. Without something that the newsmen can understand and support, there is no public; without the public there are no sponsors; without sponsorship there is *no expedition*.

Sir Ernest Shackleton: You think the threat of war makes it hard to raise money; it doesn't make any bloody difference! If it's not a war, it's a peace, or the stock market, or the weather, or the time of year. It is always hard, because what I do appears unreasonable to other men.

Sir James Caird: After this conversation, I realize there is only one option open to me if I am to protect myself and my money. This is a cheque for £24,000. If I were to give you less, the expedition might never happen, and my money would be wasted. I do not like waste. I particularly do not like to see a man's abilities wasted.

Sir Ernest Shackleton: First let me say that if war is declared, any man who wishes to leave the expedition to serve his country is free to do so. It is clear to me where our first duty lies, and this morning I telegraphed the First Lord of the Admiralty and put our ship, and every one of us, at his disposal. We now await his decision. I hope you will forgive me, but I particularly asked that if he saw fit to employ us in the service of our country, that might he allow us to stay together, erhaps aboard a destroyer. I did this because I can honestly think of no finer group of men with whom to serve.

[reading the telegram]::Sir Ernest Shackleton: From Winston Churchill. There's only one word; Proceed.

Janet Stancombe Wills: A rich old lady gets used to people not telling her the truth; flattering her, perhaps. But you've never done that. You've always paid me the compliment of speaking from your heart; now allow me to do the same. Go to the Pole. Go before it's too late. Not everyone is fortunate enough to understand their own talent, but you know yours. Well, use it. For your family, and for your country.