This Review Reveals Minor Details About the Plot.
Shave the Polar Bears
Plot Overview
The golden age of Arctic exploration saw Norwegian 
explorer Roald Amundsen
(1872–1928) with Swedish scientist Finn Malmgren reach the South
Pole in 1911, followed by American adventurer Robert Pearey's mad
dash by dog sled to the North Pole. In 1928 Italy in an attempt to
secure its reputation on the world stage, mounts an expedition led
by General Umberto Nobile (Peter Finch) to land the semi-rigid airship
Italia on the North
Pole by flying it from the northern mining town of Kingsbay on the
Arctic Spitsbergen Islands.
In this Hollywood version Malmgren
(Eduard Martsevich) and local mining nurse Valeria (Claudia Cardinale)
meet in the dispensary, frolic in the snow and fall in love. When
her love fails to return, and the town turns into a festival of curious
onlookers, all hope seems to be lost … until a Russian radio
amateur picks up a signal (“SOS Italia on ice
vicinity of …”) making news around the world and for
the survivors rekindling hope when they get a return message
(“Russian icebreaker Krassin left ….”)
The summer thaw, drifting ice, and poor planning put rescue in doubt and one leader in turmoil as he tries to second guess himself after the fact.
Ideology
The Italian government had sent with the airship the aging steamer Città di Milano (City of Milan) as a support vessel under the command of Giuseppe Romagna Manoja (Massimo Girotti.) He became the risk-averse rescue coordinator having, “in all my life never disobeyed an order.” As for Amundsen (Sean Connery), he felt that too much courage and too little courage were both dangerous on the Arctic ice. Solomon advises, (Eccl. 8:5) “Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment.”
The narrator pegs the motivation for adventure as, “The explorers' age-old reason or vanity: the desire to be first.” Valeria thinks it “silly.” Daring search & rescue pilot Einar Lundborg (Hardy Krüger) is a mercenary: “Men are risking their necks for fame, a medal, promotion, or money. What's wrong with money, mm? Just a means to happiness.” Amundsen observes: “But you don't look like a happy man, exactly. More like a man who's learned to be indifferent to unhappiness.” Solomon wrote, (Eccl. 8:6-7) “Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him. For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?”
Malmgren tried to guide a party of three survivors out on foot—not recommended—and found the conditions likely to be the death of him, and the sorrow of his loyal girlfriend. He'd have spared her some grief had he simply given her “a fortnight of pleasure” before leaving rather than some hope of a future with him. (Eccl. 8:8) “There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.” He was a Swedish humanist with his feet on the ground, not an Italian Catholic seeking eternal rest, but it was all the same to the ice.
Leadership was put in an untenable position inviting blame no matter what they did and self-recrimination no matter the outcome. (Eccl. 8:9) “All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.”
Production Values
“” (1969) was directed by Mikhail K. Kalatozov. The screenplay was written by Ennio De Concini and Richard Adams. It stars Sean Connery, Peter Finch, and Claudia Cardinale. We see some very good acting by Finch as Italian General Umberto Nobile. Sean Connery as Amundsen, and Cardinale as Malmgren's girlfriend also pulled their weight. This movie displayed a good extent of character actors, each given enough screen time to develop his character.
It is rated G for general audiences. It had two primary versions. In Russia was distributed a Sovscope 70, 70 mm roadshow version at 2½+ hours. The non-Russian speakers were dubbed into Russian. The “International Version” was pared down to 121 minutes, in a 2.20:1 Sovscope 70 format cut to 1.66:1 spherical widescreen. Here the original score was replaced by one by Italian composer Ennio Morricone. This one used the lead actors' original English language voice tracks.
It was filmed in Italy and the Soviet Union employing Russian, Italian, and English languages. Sound Mix: 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints); Mono (35 mm prints.) Color: Technicolor with B&W archival and some ersatz archival footage. Photographically it's a masterpiece. Ennio Morricone's musical score was moving. The film used tangible special effects, not CGI. The script is like a Russian novel; it weaves in and out a complex tale.
Review Conclusion w/a Christian's Recommendation
This film was engrossing and only nail-biting in places—ship crash, ice cracking, polar bear confrontation. Interesting but largely forgotten subject matter that would appeal to aficionados of far north adventure stories. It's not a quick fix quest, more food for thought.
Movie Ratings
Action factor: Decent action scenes. Suitability for children: Suitable for all ages. Special effects: Well done special effects. Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day. Suspense: Keeps you on the edge of your seat. Overall movie rating: Four stars out of five.
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