WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
The push for discovery. With a seemingly indomitable will to be the first to accomplish a task for king and country, human beings are often capable of daunting feats, physically and mentally, to see said goal achieved. When hardship strikes, however, this is the time when true fortitude is tested. It is 1912, and a group of four men making up the British expedition through the Antarctic to the South Pole has almost reached its final destination. Already 11 weeks into the journey, 36 miles remains between them and desperately needed supplies.
However, for one member in the party, Titus Oates (Tim Bettsworth), the road has taken a terrible turn–injury plus severe frostbite. The group’s leader, Captain Robert Falcon Scott (Rod Glenn), silently watches Oates each night in camp while the others, Dr. Wilson (Peter Prentice) and Birdie Bowers (Andrew Candish), tend to Oates’ pain-filled care. Days continue to pass, and Oates’ condition only worsens, soon becoming more and more tedious for him to keep up on the arduous hikes against harsh snow and ice. With time against them, Oates faces a fateful choice–save his life or save the greater mission.
Next, my Mind:
With a bold choice to ensure realism is forefront in order to have greatest impact on the viewer, writer/director Javid Zaidov and producer Oliver Sunley took to the stark, wind-swept, snow covered landscapes of Hardangervidda, Norway’s mountain flats to deliver a powerfully visual and emotionally deep retelling of this 1912 venture to the South Pole by Scott and fellow Brits Oates, Wilson, and Bowers. Holding nothing back in illustrating the brutal, unforgiving conditions these four adventurers faced, superb cinematography brings these hard realities to effective, sobering life, putting you right in the heart of the dilemma the men encountered with Oates’ deteriorating state of being, while also knowing their final goal was within reach. It’s a study in perspectives, the greater good, the bonds of friendship, and the willingness to accept choices made for the betterment of all. Add in Andrea Boccadoro’s soul-stirring soundtrack–it’s perfection.
Bettsworth simply does a fantastic job in his portrayal of the seriously struggling Oates, presenting a man driven well beyond what most of us would have even endured to that point, unwilling to give up or give in to his physical limitations, suffering in agony for the sake of the mission, day by day, night by night. It’s a poignantly heartbreaking yet moving, inspirational character, and Bettsworth embodies it with precision and intent. Glenn’s Capt. Scott exudes the commanding leadership presence he is meant to convey, and without saying a word, you still see and feel the conflicted mind he has when it comes to knowing the remaining distance they must go while witnessing Oates’ weakening state. Prentice and Candish both enact Wilson and Bowers’ roles to solid effect as well, both torn in spirit and soul for their afflicted friend and countryman, yet, like Scott, knowing what potential decision Oates might make is unavoidable.
In total, “Outside” is an impressively executed, keenly affecting, profoundly impacting short film that more than deserves accolades on all levels for it’s willingness to do what so many independent films excel at–delivering strongly written stories in the most human ways possible so as to have the best, lasting effect on anyone who watches them.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
