Product Details

• Actors: Larry Audlaluk, Sophie Avingaq, Bronwen Booth, Chip Chuipka, Henry Czerny
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Turner Home Ent
• VHS Release Date: May 4, 1999
• Run Time: 95 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0780622693
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,819 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This moving film, originally produced for cable channel TNT, concerns the rocky collaboration of American explorer Robert Peary (Henry Czerny) and his African American valet turned adventurer, Mathew Henson (Delroy Lindo). Over many years and several costly failed attempts to reach the North Pole, Peary loses pieces of his body from frostbite and almost sacrifices his family for the sake of standing "where there is no east or west," at the top of the world. Henson loses some things, too, particularly Inuit friends whose fascination with his black skin leads them to love and honor him as a lost cousin--a regard unlike anything Henson had ever known in white America. But Henson also gains a lot: a broader sense of his possibilities and passions and a respect for his capacity to dream. He heroically saves Peary more than once on grueling expeditions that have to be abandoned before the Pole is in reach, and over time he demands and receives respect from his selfish employer. Both lead actors are wonderful: Czerny has never let the camera see through his cold eyes quite the way he does here and Lindo does a magnificent job portraying a man who evolves--at all sorts of peril--from the sum of others' ideas about him into a hero on his own terms. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Matthew Henson finally has his day on screen!, February 22, 1999

By A Customer

Matthew Henson is one of the most beloved African American heros. His 18 year partnership with Navy Lt. Robert Peary made it possible in 1909 for an expedition to reach the North Pole. Only today do we understand how difficult and dangerous is this 1,000 mile route over the frozen ocean. Those who have sought to repeat the adventure in modern times have all gone only half way and had to be air rescued! Henson is a great icon to African Americans because of his impeccable character. He was highly skilled, loved by the Eskimos, saved the lives of others, was indispensable and yet quiet, good natured and modest. Turn of the century white society had no place for him and so Peary received all the honor, gold medals, Navy Pension, etc. While Peary died in 1920, Henson lived until 1955. While Peary's image faded, Matt's legend grew. Today he is finally "in the Navy" - buried in Arlington National Cemetery next to Peary and the USNS HENSON oceanographic survey vessel sails the worlds oceans. Delroy Lindo did an admirable portrayal of this great man in the first ever, but hopefully not the last, movie about the real North Pole story. A great gift to any young person needing a role model and a must see for Black History Month.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It was excellent., November 9, 1999

By A Customer

I want to share this movie with my 5th grade class. We are reading his biography in class and it woud be great to see the comparisons.

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting historically based movie about race to north pole, February 8, 2009

By	Bosehill "bosehill" - See all my reviews

I enjoy historically based movies. I saw this on TV and decided to buy it. I could only find it in VHS, but conidition was new with a good price.