Captain Scott

Author(s): Sergio Requejo
Location: Spain

“Captain Scott”

Directed by Neil Jordan
Written by John Logan
Music by Michael Nyman
Cinematography by Dion Beebe
Edited by Stephen Mirrione
Produced by The Weinstein Company

Principal Cast:

Russell Crowe (Captain Robert F. Scott)
Sean Bean (Capt. Oates)
Daniel Craig (Roald Amundsen)
Colin Firth (Lt. Evans)
James McAvoy(Peter Scott)
Natascha McElhone (Kathleen Scott)
Clive Owen (Lt. Bowers)
Stephen Rea (Dr. Wilson)

Tagline: “Death cannot be far”

Synopsis: The expedition of Captain Scott tries to be the first one to conquer the South Pole but, after a long year in the big blue desert, the English group found the Norwegian flag that Roald Amundsen left there one month before. In the way of return they are punished by the intense cold and the ice storms. The failure of the mission makes the forces disappear little by little and after numerous limit situations, all the members of the expedition die because the illness and the lack of food. One year later the place where they were sheltering is founded. They found the bodies and all their stuff. Between the personal stuff they found Captain Scott’s last unsent letter to his wife Kathleen, as well as the diaries of Evans, Wilson, Bowers and Oates. In his last letter to his wife, Captain Scott thinks that his death is inevitable and he refers to her as "my widow ". Scott encourages Kathleen to get married again and he wishes that Peter, his 3-year-old son, studies natural history. When his wife's last letter was sent from London in October 1912, Scott had been dead already 7 months.

Through the three hundred letters of Captain Scott, and their diaries, his son, Peter Scott, will know all the hard details of the catastrophic expedition, 25 years before. Peter, with the help of his mother, dedicates all his life to compiling the letters and diaries of his unknown father. Sir Peter Scott became a famous ornithologist and a conservationist, in order to honour and to satisfy the desires of his father.

What the press would say:

Based on the terrible real facts of the expedition to the South Pole, the scriptwriter makes a meticulous documentation work with the diaries and the three hundred letters that Scott sent to his wife. He completes and gives the last form to the script adapting the book of Ranulph Fiennes (Captain Scott) that describes the whole exploit. Logan makes an intelligent and emotional script about the expedition, focused in the last days of the group and in the relation between the five men, in the numerous limit situations. By flash - back Peter Scott will know the real history about his father, in a film explained in four different, perfectly connected, epochs. The original title for this film was “Three hundred letters from Captain Scott” but producers find it not very commercial.

About the cast it is necessary to emphasize the mutual understanding of the whole group of actors. They formed a real team and it is not necessary to feed the rumours about the possible conflicts between any of them, because it wouldn’t be good for the film and it would eclipse the interpretations of these real prominent figures, treated with great sense. The scene in which Oates, (played by Sean Bean) with his legs wounded, decides to retire voluntarily from the group, not to delay them, is one of the most impressive in the film. The last words from Oates were: "I am just going outside and may be some time". Russell Crowe faces a big challenge: "If you don’t make a great performance with a character like this you can think you’re not as good actor as you believe" - Russell Crow confesses. But Russell has worked out victorious of a role with lot of courage and he has praised the work of his companions (probably to silence the rumors about the conflicts during the filming). In the London unit the conditions were much better and it is necessary to emphasize the great work of the actress Natascha McElhone who plays the role of Kathleen Scott, a sculptress full of strength, sensibility and entirety. Ridley Scott was the first choice to direct this film (maybe because his surname) but Neil Jordan convinced the major just to confront a great personal challenge, and “Captain Scott” shows everybody that it was a very good decision.

FYC:

Best Picture
Best Director: Neil Jordan
Best Adapted Screenplay: John Logan (based on “Captain Scott” & his 300 letters and diaries)
Best Actor: Russell Crowe
Best Supporting Actor: Sean Bean
Best Supporting Actor: James McAvoy
Best Supporting Actress: Natascha McElhone
Creativity Awards