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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 995

The Great White Silence

1924108 minUnited Kingdom
Documentary

Synopsis

Herbert Ponting's camera follows the Terra Nova expedition from its departure in New Zealand to life at the Antarctic base. Seals, penguins, ice formations and preparations for travel share the screen with the explorers. The film then uses intertitles to relate the fate of Robert Falcon Scott and the men who continued toward the South Pole.

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Video edition
Wikimedia Commons
Original language
No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: not identified.
This copy runs
107:32
Subtitles
No subtitle track in this language

No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: not identified. No subtitle track in this language.

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · Herbert Ponting · Public domain

Cast

DirectorsHerbert Ponting

Historical context

Ponting filmed the real expedition but remained at the base rather than accompanying Scott on the fatal polar journey. That distinction matters: the Antarctic observations are filmed records, while the final ordeal is conveyed through the film's later arrangement of images and text.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film referenceWikidata — film identity and credits

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 15, 2026.

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