Product Details

• Actors: Yvon Chouinard, Doug Tomkins
• Directors: Chris Malloy
• Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Magnolia Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: June 8, 2010
• Run Time: 87 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B003DNLLLS
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #47,309 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

180° SOUTH: CONQUERORS OF THE USELESS follows Jeff Johnson as he retracesthe epic 1968 journey of his heroes Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins to Patagonia. Along the way he gets shipwrecked off Easter Island, surfs the longest wave of his life - and prepares himself for a rare ascent of Cerro Corcovado. Jeff's life takes a turn when he meets up in a rainy hut with Chouinard and Tompkins who, once driven purely by a love of climbing and surfing, now value above all the experience of raw nature - and have come to Patagonia to spend their fortunes to protect it.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What's Useless About It?, June 14, 2010

By 

Karl E. Weaver "karlweaver" (California, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: 180° South: Conquerors of the Useless [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)

This movie is a documentary, but it's a little hard to categorize. I think I'd really call it a POLEMIC- against Western capitalist culture, which is dominating most of the world at present (since even so-called "third world" countries are intent on emulating the successes of capitalism). How DO you describe a movie that encompasses sailing, surfing, mountain-climbing, retracing a climb made in 1968 by world-class climbers, lectures about the evils of dams and environmental destruction, a commercial plug for protecting Patagonia, the history of Easter Island, and philosophical musings and mumblings, all wrapped together and packaged with some of the most idiosyncratic music score I've ever listened to in a movie? [I don't know what to call this music-it's mostly one-voice, accompanied by guitar or other simple instrumentals-it sounds sort of folksy-rustic-country, but nothing that I've ever heard before. Sometimes it was irritating, and sometimes I really enjoyed it].

The subtitle, Conquerors of the Useless, refers principally to the whole activity of mountain-climbing. Risking your very life--for what? To stand for a few minutes or an hour on top of a piece of rock, then climb back down again. Does the world need this activity? Why do some people feel compelled to do it (or so many other extreme things that we seem compelled to do, for no clear gain) That becomes a metaphor for the whole question of what is "useful" and what is "useless"--for the world, for mankind as a species, for our survival.

The narrator solemnly asserts things like, "I'm beginning to think...(you know, differently about the world). I'm rather suspicious that he more or less had these same views before he even set out on his journey, and simply used the journey to reinforce them. But-no matter. The issues are serious and relevant. Now, after the gulf oil spill, the whole debate about how we use our environment, and whether we have a sustainable civilization at all, certainly seems more highly relevant today than when this film was made.

Hard to characterize. Serious and whimsical. Focused and unfocused. Some beautiful scenery. My favorite quote is not the obvious one (on the cover) but "It's really very difficult to simplify your life. It's very easy to let it become complex." If you are an ardent environmentalist you'll probably enjoy the film. If you are not an environmentalist, then try watching it with an open mind. You really do not have to believe everything the narrator asserts to find this film interesting. It could be the starting-point of a hundred arguments or discussions (a great film actually, for various college-level classes to discuss).

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Impressive......gets me in the mood for another real trip., February 23, 2011

By 

Torre Paterno "tpaterno" (usa) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: 180 South (Amazon Instant Video)

I loved it. Not so much for the hippie, environmental aspect, as much as the joy of the open road/sea. highly recommended.

10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent film, June 22, 2010

By 

Eric L. Willard (Maryland) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: 180 South (DVD)

I couldn't believe some people were giving 1 star and still saying that the visuals and movie in general were excellent. Do not even read these reviews. They are unjustified in every way. I would have given this 5 stars except for 2 issues.
There are NO subtitles and the story itself was pretty much already told in a movie called "In Gods hands". Also, the entire session on Chile, although it was interesting to know, seemed long and drawn out.
The sessions on Easter Island were amazing and the woman (Makohe) they meet who sings will bring tears to your eyes. She joins the group mid-trip by a stroke of luck.
I watched this movie from start to finish, then started again while doing chores around the house, and then let it play while going to bed and fell asleep watching it a 3rd time thanks to an excellent music score.
I especially liked the long, well documented behind the scenes. I believe it was Yvon in the movie who said, "Who cares about the holy grail. It's the journey that matters. Some Plastic Surgeon or CEO climbs Everest and there's a sleeping bag with a chocolate mint waiting for him. He left as an A-hole and returned as an A-hole." I may have misquoted but I was close. You get the point.
I will reccomend this to anyone I know who loves the surf, the ocean, or anyone else I even THINK will like it.
4 stars.