Amundsen

This Norwegian biopic of polar explorer Roald Amundsen offers an overview on the great national hero, tracing his conquest of the South Pole and subsequent Arctic exploits while examining the driven psyche behind his iconic achievements. Hagiography it is not, as, by exploring its subject's life from the perspective of his estranged brother, the film balances Amundsen's extraordinary adventures against a self-involved and often ruthless personality. Pal Sverre Hagen's steely central performance certainly doesn't sugar the pill, and one can understand Amundsen's anger at the churlish British reaction to his beating Robert Falcon Scott to the South Pole (Amundsen was berated for his use of polar dogs as both sled-pullers and food supply). Handsomely mounted and facilitated by polished visual effects, Espen Sandberg's film is often as chilly as the frozen tundra it depicts, but is worth persevering with if you're unfamiliar with the fascinating biographical details.