Antarctica: A Year on Ice Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Antarctica: A Year on Ice Blu-ray Movie Review

A very cool documentary.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman April 20, 2015

They say that humor is the key to a successful marriage, and after over 20 years of wedded bliss (for me, anyway, can’t speak for my wife), I can attest to that fact. That may be one reason why my ever patient spouse didn’t off and club me over the head with a rolling pin one day when I was fantasizing about my dream life on an isolated island where I could withdraw from the hassles of life (not to mention the trolls of the internet). I stated as long as I had satellite tv and (glutton for punishment that I am, as ironic as it may sound) a wifi connection, I’d be fine. “Well, I wouldn’t be,” my wife answered, “I’d get lonely.” “Well, you’re not on the island!” was my unthinking reply, one which thankfully made us both burst out laughing. For those who prefer frosty coolness to more languid tropical weather, but who still yearn for a place removed from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, there’s a small but hearty population of rugged souls who matriculate to Antarctica every year, working in a number of sometimes surprisingly mundane jobs that support the research activities of the several nations which have set up small but thriving communities on the frigid continent. Some of the heartiest of these souls actually stay in this pristine and sequestered environment over the winter, and among those folks is filmmaker Anthony Powell, a guy who has been journeying south (as in way south) for several years. Powell actually met and married his wife Christine there (home video of their very touching wedding ceremony is included in the documentary), and he obviously has a deep connection to this land that very few have seen and even fewer have had the temerity to call their “home” (more or less, anyway). Antarctica: A Year on Ice is an often fascinating exploration helmed by Powell which seeks to illuminate the lives of everyday Joes and Janes who have for a variety of reasons made the forbidding and even hostile environment of Earth’s southernmost point part of their lives.

Antarctica: A Year on Ice begins rather unexpectedly with a shot of verdant grasslands and a bevy of cows, of all things, two elements which serve to introduce filmmaker and narrator Anthony Powell in his “real” home of New Zealand. That “real” descriptor may not be all that accurate when you get right down to it, however, for Powell has spent much of the past couple of decades on Antarctica, even deigning to stay there over the incredibly frigid (and dark) winter months. His experiences have piqued the curiosity of so many for so long that he decided to detail his travels for this documentary. Antarctica: A Year on Ice manages to be both rather epic in scope, courtesy of some frankly jaw dropping vistas of ice and rock, as well as surprisingly intimate as interviews with some of Powell’s “fellow travelers” are utilized to help reveal what living in such a bizarre place is like.

One of the unexpected ironies that comes out is how so many intrepid souls manage to trek to Antarctica with visions of adventure dancing in their minds, only to find out how unexpectedly mundane their lives are once they get there. Many of these people are consigned to indoor jobs where they spend most of every day staring into computer screens, certainly something that is no different than lives they probably could have lived in a much less forbidding environment. That aspect leads to a certain amount of disillusion, something that’s clearly on display in some interviews, even if an underlying spark of excitement still remains.

Powell spends quite a bit of time on these folks who populate a number of international bases dotting the continent, but he also forages out into the wilderness, where he’s tasked with setting up equipment for the New Zealand outpost. Powell is something of an inventor and he’s also fascinated by time lapse photography, two things that give Antarctica: A Year on Ice even more of a distinctive air. The “forces of nature” that Powell is so entranced by are brought almost miraculously to life in the documentary, with things like cloud formations seeming to be constructed by some unseen architect, only to be dispelled as quickly as they’ve been formulated.

There are also fascinating tidbits with other “inhabitants” like penguins (including some sadly graphic footage—no one ever mentions how many dead penguins there are on Antarctica, something Powell mentions at one point). Other issues like surviving in an environment which at one point in the year has nothing but sunshine and then a few weeks later nothing but darkness are also explored in an inventive and interesting manner.

Part incredible travelogue and part riveting exploration of a still very vibrant pioneer spirit that motivates a few thousand people with surprising regularity, Antarctica: A Year on Ice benefits both from its unusual setting as well as Powell’s rather fascinating visual sense. This is a documentary that is both epic and intimate, with a number of unforgettable people in a completely unique environment. Very cool indeed.

Antarctica: A Year on Ice Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Antarctica: A Year on Ice is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Music Box Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. There's relatively little technical data about the shoot available online, though it appears from some variances throughout this presentation that a variety of (digital) cameras were most likely used. A lot of this high definition presentation offers very natural and well saturated color as well as superb fine detail (see screenshot 1), but there are occasional sequences that are fairly soft looking, and even some that exhibit more "video" like elements such as halos and a bit of fuzziness. There are actual video source elements utilized for sequences like the sweet home movies of the Powells' marriage, and those expectedly look fairly soft and ill defined in comparison to the bulk of the documentary. Contrast is very strong, helping to keep the omnipresent whites from ever really blooming (though they come close a time or two). There is recurrent banding on display, something that afflicts that very whiteness, as well as other moments like shots of the Aurora Borealis. A couple of the interview segments have a slight dusting of video noise as well.

Antarctica: A Year on Ice Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Antarctica: A Year on Ice's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is subtly immersive when the documentary ventures outdoors, with elements like wind or the pitter pat of penguin feet offering good surround activity. But this is largely either narrated or comprised of interviews, two elements which obviously don't provide a lot of opportunity for "wow" sonics. That said, fidelity is excellent and there are no issues with damage like dropouts.

Antarctica: A Year on Ice Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Outtakes and Behind the Scenes (1080p; 4:02)


• Ship Offload Time Lapse (1080p; 8:18)


• A Penguin Ate My Camera (1080p; 1:08)


• Saving Scott's and Shackleton's Huts (1080p; 4:59)


• Newstalk ZB Radio Interview (1080p; 12:17) is an audio supplement featuring Jack Tame interviewing Anthony Powell.


• Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 1:52)


• Director Commentary


• Anthony & Christine Powell Commentary

Antarctica: A Year on Ice Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This one of a kind documentary features a completely unusual setting along with a coterie of really interesting people. Powell makes for an extremely engaging host and tour guide, and Antarctica: A Year on Ice should appeal to armchair explorers and the more ecologically minded alike. Technical merits are generally strong and Antarctica: A Year on Ice comes Highly recommended.