(upbeat music)
(chipper orchestral music)
- Whoa.
In October of 1850, two British ships
under the command of Sherard Osborn,
were icebound in a strait north of Canada.
The polar winter was setting in.
The ice was growing steadily thicker.
It was impossible to move at all.
- What are you reading, Roald?
It's very late.
- Dad, what's the North Pole like?
- No one knows that but there's no one that's gone there.
Many explorers have tried but they all died in the ice.
- Could I be the first one to get there?
Dad, could I be the first one to reach the North Pole?
- Son, it's pretty unlikely.
Several expeditions are underway now
and others getting ready.
- It's always like that, born too late, that's all.
(exciting music)
You never know, I just might be the first to the Pole.
Oh, if I do, I guess I'd better get used to the cold.
- Maestro, why go all the way to the Pole?
You'd have risked your life for nothing.
- The unknown is always a challenge.
A man wants to explore and discover what new lands are like
no matter how difficult or bleak.
Anyway the Poles are magical.
- I don't get it, where's the magic?
- Remember, the Earth revolves on an axis passing
through its poles.
(mumbles) the North Pole,
the cardinal points no longer exist.
- The what, the what points?
- The cardinal points, you must know that.
If you're facing north and to your right is east
and on your left is the west and behind you is the south.
- Absolutely right.
Let's suppose you're up at the North Pole.
Right, left, front, behind,
all directions are south.
- At least you're never lost.
- Point at any direction, still south.
- It'd be like south going left.
- [Boy] Go to the right, it's south.
- [Boy] And front, behind, south.
- There's another reason motivating explorers
to know what's at the Poles.
Finding the northeast and northwest passages,
the shortest sea routes between Europe and Asia
and between Europe and the Americas.
But are they open always?
You remember bearing had tried to answer that question.
- Father. - What is it Roald?
- Look, Fridtjof Nansen crossed the Greenland ice cap.
Now he's looking for a sea route to the North Pole, Dad.
- You're like a compass, you always point north.
- 1897, the first attempt to explore Antarctica,
the South Pole.
The captain is a Belgian, Adrien de Gerlache.
His second in command, the Norwegian Roald Amundsen.
He's 25, it will be his first voyage to the polar region,
the exactly opposite to the pole in the north.
(optimistic music)
- Look, Captain, the ice is closing in.
We should sail for home.
- Yes, I believe you're right, Amundsen.
Take the channel that's free.
- Too late, we'll be ice bound here all winter.
- But we've no warm clothes, and our supplies are short.
- We'll just have to manage and quickly
before the polar night.
- The captain is terribly ill.
That man's mad as a hatter, look.
(laughing)
- [Man] What can we do for him, doctor?
- [Doctor] I say put him down.
(man babbling)
- I take command of the ship, now go and get that man.
We'll cut out bed covers and make ourselves warm clothing.
- Ow! (shouts)
(man babbling)
- No more coal, now what do we use for fuel,
we'll all freeze.
- We'll burn fat, doctor, the fat of seals and penguins.
(seals groaning)
(guns firing)
(laughing)
This is it, the polar winter begins now.
There isn't going to be any sun for three months.
(grunting)
- [Old Man] For the first time, explorers had survived
the glacial winter.
For Admundsen it was a spring board
to further exploits.
- Look there, Helmer, a small fishing boat for sale
and the price is right, chances are--
- What would you do with it, Roald?
- I'll find a northwest passage.
- In that nut shell, you're crazy.
Include me out.
- [Roald] Too bad, I'll see about supplies.
- Good day, sir and what is it I'll sell you?
- I need supplies for an expedition.
Everything we'll need.
- Yes, and how many will you be?
- Six or seven.
- And for how many time?
- [Roald] I'd say five years.
- That long, well that'll be quite an order.
- I want everything delivered to Captain Amundsen
in the port.
- [Shop Keeper] I'll see to it, sir,
very good day to you, sir.
Three fours, that's 12, then I add 42, times.
Captain Amundsen, I put in 22 boxes of tribe biscuits,
a quantity of dried beef, 10, 10 cotton on oil.
20 barrels of kerosene, 20 barrels of flour--
- That's fine, figure it exactly.
Then put it all on my account.
I'll pay you just as soon as I return.
- When you return?
In this leaky bucket, you'll never come back.
Oh no, no, no, you pay me here and now
and I want my money and no credit.
Otherwise I'll call the police.
They'll put you in a veteran's prison.
- You have no reason to worry, you'll get paid.
For now I'm busy, there are my dogs, huskies.
We'll need them all right.
Good, bring them aboard.
Well Helmer, what are you doing here?
- Oh just out for a walk.
They're splendid dogs.
- Well they're used by Eskimos.
You know all about them and if you come,
you're in charge of them, you can train them.
- Me sail in that nut shell, never.
(shouts)
- All right, Captain I'll tell 'em.
- Good.
- Well, well, Helmer, going on a trip?
Get aboard.
- Captain, police are coming.
- I have more - Supplier wants
- important matters. - his money.
- [Roald] Men, stand by the cast off, we're under way,
come on Helmer. - Wait a minute, all right.
(exciting music)
- [Officer] Stop, you are under arrest
for non payment of debt!
- [Officer] Stop, you're going to prison.
- What's that, speak up, I can't hear you!
- You crooks, (mumbles), I said no credit!
(serene music)
- It's October and the ice is beginning to form.
- Land, ahoy!
- That's surely King William Island.
We'll look for a good port to winter in.
(exciting music)
(shouting)
(murmuring)
Don't be frightened, we're friends.
(muttering)
I've always heard Eskimos are friendly.
- Look at him, who's he?
(muttering)
- Hello there, are you English?
- We happen to be Norwegian.
But you speak English.
- Yeah, yeah, long time ago, when I was a young man,
some Englishman came here.
So I speak it.
- [Man] What happened to him?
- [Old Man] They all died, they didn't have any dogs.
- Because they didn't have dogs?
- [Old Man] In the far north, you need dogs to survive,
you got any?
- Yes, I have six of them.
- [Old Man] All right, let's see 'em.
- I think he's our friend, go and get our dogs.
(dogs barking)
- Marsh, marsh, oh!
Good boys!
- They're not too well trained yet.
- I can see that, we can help train 'em.
Use a whip with a great deal of precision.
The dog barely gets touched.
- Yes, I understand, precision with the whip.
- [Old Man] It takes great skill to be such.
- Marsh, marsh, marsh, marsh, marsh.
- Good, very good.
You learn fast.
Now after working your dogs, you gotta feed 'em.
Nice big chunks of seal, fresh bear meat at best.
- [Helmer] Here, boys, din dins.
Guess they like it.
- I should explain.
With working dogs, there's a boss dog
and his lieutenant, you gotta respect their rank.
- [Helmer] Rank?
(old man muttering)
- You see, he is the boss and he's next
and he's the next in line.
They're wild but disciplined.
- Your clothes are too tight.
We will take skins and furs to make other ones for you.
I will begin with the big one, you will stand up.
- Ouch! (laughing)
- Many skins to cover him.
- We can hunt bear now that daylight has come.
Bears tasty.
(suspenseful music)
- Marsh.
(gun firing)
(dogs barking)
- Well that's in hierarchic order.
- [Old Man] The explorers would remain in the ice
for two years and then one day.
- Well.
Have to break the ice, use axes and grappling hooks.
(grunting) (ice clunking)
Explosives.
- [Helmer] Oh, here we are.
(explosion booming)
(laughing and cheering)
- Crossing our bow, a ship!
- Where are you from?
- San Francisco, and you?
- [Roald] From Norway, through the northwest passage.
- You've really discovered the northwest passage?
- Explorers have now sailed around the North Pole
going east and west but no one has yet reached
the pole itself and that turns into a real race
to get there first.
In 1895, the Norwegian Nansen has to abandon
his ship trapped in the ice just 450 kilometers
from his goal and he goes on by kayak.
In 1896, the Swedish explorer Salomon Andree
made another attempt in a hot air balloon
and died on the way.
1890, Luigi Amedeo of Savoy came to within 400 kilometers
of the Pole and disappeared.
The American Admiral Robert Perry organized
eight successive expeditions.
You may be sure Amundsen was in the race.
- Oh, Mr. Amundsen, this is a surprise.
It is an honor to serve you.
- As I recall last time you sent the police after us, sir.
- I was young and impetuous, what can I say?
- Yes, well now I'm here to settle the debt.
We're all square.
- That is, well, only I believe,
that you've forgotten my compound interest, sir.
- Interest on interest? (laughing)
Compound interest.
- Mr. Amundsen it's been such a long time and time is money.
(laughing)
Naturally for your next expedition,
I'm ready to serve you, sir.
Biscuits, dried meat, salted cod, sugar, flour,
anything at all.
- What next expedition, we've had enough.
We have no intention to go on more expeditions.
- Well--
- [Helmer] I mean you discovered the northwest passage--
- No one's reached the Pole yet and who knows
I could be the first.
- But Robert Perry's on his way,
and Frederick Scott as well.
The Pole, you realize, six months of dock
has made me a freeze.
No sir, not me, oh no, may heaven fall on me.
- I'd say that's a good omen.
- The Fram, another leaky old tub.
It's all rotten, somebody ought to chop it up
and burn it for firewood.
- I'll take a look. - Look at what?
- I'll show you.
It's built to withstand Arctic ice,
the hull can be reinforced.
I'll put in a diesel engine.
- Never, you understand, I am never taking this
through Arctic ice, may heaven--
- Yes? - Fall on my head, oh!
- You see, I'll go up the coast of Greenland.
I'll be ice bound in winter.
The ice flows north.
- May heaven fall--
- Helmer, it's not heaven, a bulb, that's all.
- All right, Roald, I'd like to manage the huskies.
If you'd like I'll go part of the way with you,
do you understand?
- Sure, sure, I understand.
In one month, everything will be ready.
(upbeat music)
- Here's a bit of news for you, Mr. Amundsen.
The North Pole has been conquered.
- It's what? - Hey!
What'd you do that for?
- Admiral Robert Perry of the North Pole.
May have a, oh!
- I wanted to be the first one.
Why of course, that's the other challenge.
You said you'd supply us on our next expedition.
We're going to the North Pole.
We'll need all this.
Biscuits, fuel oil, dried meat, flour,
cooking oil, perofen, oil for lamps,
explosives, weapons, ammunition, six dog sleds,
25 pairs of skis, one for fabricated house,
five pigs, six sheep, a cat to chase rats
and what was the last thing?
Oh yes, dogs, where are the huskies, huh?
(dogs barking)
All right, Helmer, how many have you got?
100? - 100 for the North Pole,
they're the best you can get.
- [Roald] That's perfect.
- We are going to the North Pole, aren't we?
- Yes, of course, where else would we go?
- Amundsen said he was going to sail
through the Bering Strait to the west of Alaska.
He said it was going to save time
since his earlier voyage seemed interminable to him.
He planned of course to the southwest right here
past South America and then back up to the Pacific
heading toward the north.
Presto, here he is on the equator.
(mischievous music)
- Roald! - Huh?
- Quick, up on deck, gotta see this.
(shouting)
(upbeat music)
- Saucing the equator.
It's a tradition, first time across are initiated.
- To Neptune, at the equator.
We're in the southern hemisphere.
(laughing)
- Now I'd better tell you,
I've got another little surprise.
- Oh yeah, what's your surprise?
- [Roald] We're not going to the North Pole.
- [Men] What?
- We're going to the South Pole.
Robert Perry's been to the North Pole, right?
We'll be the first ones to get to the South Pole.
- But Robert Scott, a British officer is already on his way.
- [Roald] Then we'd better hurry, the race is on!
- [Old Man] And Amundsen headed for Whale Bay.
(ominous music)
- Over that way, the barrier is lower.
(penguins squawking)
(dogs barking)
- Here is Amundsen getting close to the Pole
but Scott's already on the ice.
(laughing)
Scott and Amundsen are about 1,400 kilometers away now.
In summer, Amundsen chose his best huskies.
Scott is using Manchurian ponies used to the cold
and a motorized sleigh.
But which one is going to win?
(dogs barking)
- In April, the polar night begins.
We have two months to put supplies along our route
to the pole, we'd better begin now.
(ominous music)
(tool clanking)
That's it, we can return now.
(engine sputtering)
(laughs and claps)
(groans)
- That's a broad of huskies.
- Look, the sun's going below the horizon.
We aren't going to see it again for four months.
That's fine, red tents are more visible
and could be warmer.
(laughing)
(men muttering and laughing)
- The night we've lived was months long.
Today we'll see the sun.
(men awing)
- Well our first sunny day was pretty short.
- Right we've waited six months, now let's go.
- [Men] Marsh, marsh.
- The mountains are 6,000 meters in altitude.
We have to find a passage, that way.
(wind howling)
- The passage, over there.
(grunting)
- The ponies are sweat and frozen, now they can't move.
Destroy them and we will pull.
(suspenseful music)
(shouting)
- [Helmer] Help, help, get me out of here.
Help, help!
- Don't move even a little finger.
- I won't, but hurry!
- You see, using long skis was a good idea.
All right, back on our way.
(exciting music)
Some of the dogs can't go on.
I'm sorry, that one and him and that one.
- We have to?
- [Roald] Yes, Helmer, we have no choice.
(men muttering)
(dramatic music)
86 degrees south.
240 leads and it's a straight ahead.
Let's see 89 degrees, 35 minutes, we're almost there.
Victory, first men to make it!
The Pole is here, the South Pole!
(laughing)
It's ironic, all I'd ever thought of was the North Pole.
Now I'm as far away as I can be.
- Great, but I'm freezing, let's go home.
- Norwegian flag, they beat us to it.
They've gone back already.
Let's take the picture, then we'll return.
- [Old Man] Captain Scott and his men arrived
at the South Pole one month after Amundsen
but like so many other explored before them,
would bravely face polar ice and snow
and piercing glacial winds.
None of these men returned.
Today at the South Pole, there is in their honor,
a base named Amundsen Scott.