Nankyoku monogatari (1983)
Antarctica (1983)
DVD9 Custom | VIDEO_TS | NTSC 16:9 | 02:23:10 | 7,34 Gb
Audio: Japanese DTS 5.1 @ 755 Kbps and AC3 5.1 @ 448 Kbps; Cantonese AC3 2.0 @ 192 Kbps
Subtitles: English, French (added), Spanish (added)
Genre: Adventure, Drama
DVD9 Custom | VIDEO_TS | NTSC 16:9 | 02:23:10 | 7,34 Gb
Audio: Japanese DTS 5.1 @ 755 Kbps and AC3 5.1 @ 448 Kbps; Cantonese AC3 2.0 @ 192 Kbps
Subtitles: English, French (added), Spanish (added)
Genre: Adventure, Drama
Nankyoku Monogatari is a 1983 Japanese film directed by Koreyoshi Kurahara and starring Ken Takakura. Its plot centers on the 1958 ill-fated Japanese scientific expedition to the South Pole, its dramatic rescue from the impossible weather conditions on the return journey, the relationship between the scientists and their loyal and hard-working Karafuto Dogs, particularly the lead dogs Taro and Jiro, and fates of the 15 dogs left behind to fend for themselves.
IMDB
Wikipedia
Well, having thought that the fantastic Vangelis album was a soundtrack to a documentary, I discovered that it was actually a Japanese feature film. It's a dramatisation of an actual incident - when a Japanese Antarctic expedition ran into trouble and were forced to leave a dog pack behind to fend for themselves. The incident seems to have hit the Japanese headlines at the time and had books written about it.
The film felt a little drawn out, but was countered by some truly spectacular location photography, rivalling scenes from MARCH OF THE PENGUINS, for instance. The music, composed by Vangelis at the top of his form, just after he had scored BLADE RUNNER, gives the film a haunting and unique feel.
Nankyoku monogatari (1983)
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I suspect more people have heard the album than have seen the film and it's certainly hard to find.
Despite an onscreen disclaimer assuring that no dogs were hurt in the making of the film, they certainly look like they had a rough time in some of the scenes. The re-enactments of what may have happened to the original dogs are upsetting enough as it is. Animal lovers, you have been warned.
Nankyoku monogatari (1983)
True story that took place during the Geographical year 1957-58, in the freezing ice and snow of Anarctica, by a Japanese expedition team on their journey to the Antarctic Mount. Batnnutan and back;a trek of some 500 miles.
Leaving Showa Base with a team of 16 tough Sakhalin sled dogs the three man expedition of geologist Ushioda meteorologist Ochi and Dr. Ozawa had no trouble reaching their main objective, Mount. Batnnutan. On the way back they ran into heavy snows and fog that caused them to go snow-blind and get lost. Helpless with no way of getting back to their home base the men unleashed two of their sled dogs, Taro & Jiro, who reached Showa Base and brought back a rescue party to save both the three men and 15 sled dogs.
Nankyoku monogatari (1983)
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At the base it's reported that the weather had gotten so severe that they would have to abort the expedition and return back to their icebreaker, the Soya, that would take them back home to Japan. Unable to bring them along the men were forced to leave the dogs, including the two who rescued them Taro & Jiro, at the now deserted Showa Base and; thus leave them to the bitterly cold Antarctica winter that was just starting to set in.
Heartwarming and true story of men and dogs and how left on their own the sled dogs, answering the call of the wild, formed a wolf-like pack that for over a year survived everything that the inhospitable Antarctic winter had to offer them; a frozen and agonizing death.
Nankyoku monogatari (1983)
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Beautifully photographed with incredible wide angle shots that showed the audience how vast and eerie the Antarctic really is. We see the dogs roaming around like a bunch of dark and unrecognizable black specks in the limitless white background. "Antarctica" also has a number of fascinating views of the Southern Lights, the Borealis Australis, as they illuminate and light up the cold and dark Antarctic winter night.
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By the time the winter was over ,in September 1958, the Antarctic spring set in with the ice packs breaking apart and causing a number of the surviving sled dogs to fall into the open waters where they drowned. Back home in Japan both Ushida and Ochi were heart sick over leaving the dogs behind and a year. later going on another Antarctic expedition mostly to find and take back the frozen bodies of the sled dogs, that were like members of their family. The two never expected to find out just how wrong they were in underestimating their courageous and unconquerable canine friends.
Nankyoku monogatari (1983)
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Not exactly a "Lassie Come Home" type of movie the film "Antartica" shows how deep the bind is between man and his best friend and companion the dog and it will really touch you when at the end of the movie. With all hope gone, for the dogs left behind, like a winter mirage Taro and Jiro materialized out of the snow to the shock and delight, to the point of tears, of those who so sadly were forced to leave them behind and to face certain death.IMDB Reviewer
Nankyoku monogatari (1983)
Antarctica is a fascinating film on several levels. First, it pays tribute to the survival instincts of these two dogs. The account of their handlers points out the deep bonds that can exist between animals and humans. And the film, based on fact, gives an interesting visual portrait of Antarctica's unusual environment. Akira Shiizuka's eye-inveigling cinematography and the music by Vangelis add special luster to this Japanese movie.
Nankyoku monogatari (1983)
Special Features:
- Trailer
- Motion Picture Archive
Nankyoku monogatari (1983)
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