Original subtitles

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I can't feel my feet!

Don't worry.

You'll be fine.

We're almost there.

In England they believe Amundsen is dead

Just leave whatever you've stolen

and get the hell out of here.

- Go. Leave! - Who are you?

Who are you?

I'm sorry, I'm... Roald's brother.

Oh, yeah?

I'm Leon.

Oh, I'm sorry.

No, I'm sorry.

I thought no one was home.

I didn't realize.

Bess Magids.

I arrived just yesterday.

He... didn't tell you?

No.

I...

I'm sorry I intruded,

and I'll let you get back to sleep.

No, it's fine. I...

I can't sleep.

I guess I'm still on Canada time.

Oh.

How do you know my brother?

Oh, well, we've known each other for a couple years now.

Oh.

There isn't...

a-any news, by any chance?

No.

I know I saw a bottle of wine around here somewhere.

Ah.

- Personally, I prefer whiskey, but... - Oh.

this is better than nothing.

He was supposed to fly across the pole

and be back in good time to meet me here.

Instead, there's Wisting,

waiting as I stepped off.

- Good man, Wisting. - Mm.

He seemed a little bit more worried than either of us.

Yeah.

It is weird, looking at you.

Why?

I'm sorry, I...

I didn't think you two looked alike at first,

but now I...

So he hasn't spoken about me?

Oh, well...

He mentioned he had many brothers, of course.

But he hasn't really talked about me.

No, but...

We don't talk about family and such.

But he talked about the expeditions, right?

The Northwest Passage and the South Pole?

Of course.

But nothing about me?

No, but you weren't on any of those.

No, no, no.

Roald and I, we're not really talking.

We haven't spoken for a few years now.

Really? What happened?

Uh...

I'm sorry. You don't have to answer that.

No, that's fine.

We were four brothers,

but mostly it was just Roald and I.

And our father, did Roald talk to you about him?

He owned ships or something,

and was an adventurer?

I don't know about adventurer,

but he always came home with the best gifts, you know?

I remember when he came home with that globe.

What's that in the middle?

So the air can reach the flame.

No, what's there?

For real.

No one knows. No one has ever been that far north.

Some believe

there is land up there.

Yet to be discovered.

Roald kept staring at the holes at the poles.

Everything else was already mapped out by then.

but, you know, those holes, those areas,

were all that was left to discover, really.

Roald became obsessed with the poles.

Look! Four degrees!

He started experimenting with polar conditions.

Good night.

And you.

- Just a little more? - No, you can read more tomorrow.

Good night, Roald.

Our father died at sea,

thousands of miles from home.

Then a few years later our mother fell ill.

Leon, take care of your brother.

You're the big brother. Take care of Roald.

When Fridtjof Nansen

returned in triumph after being the first man

to cross Greenland on skis,

it was impossible to hold us back.

From that day, Roald and I knew exactly

what we were going to be.

Our first test was this excursion to Hardangervidda.

We got caught in a blizzard.

I kept walking in circles all night to keep safe.

In the morning I realized that Roald was gone.

Roald!

Instead of walking in circles,

he had taken shelter in a snow cave.

But the temperature dropped during the night,

so he woke up in this coffin of ice.

Roald!

Roald!

Roald!

Hang in there!

His reaction made me realize

that he had something that I didn't have.

I didn't really know what it was.

I just knew for sure that I didn't have it.

You saved his life.

I can't help it. I keep looking at the door,

thinking he's going to suddenly burst in.

Keep talking, please.

It's good to hear you talk.

- The Northwest Passage? - Yes.

Roald was the second officer on the first ship

to spend the winter in the Antarctic, you know.

After that, he came up with this crazy plan

to use a small fishing vessel

to do what the huge British expeditions had failed to.

You weren't on it?

No, no, no.

I stayed home and took care of the funding.

Roald went to confront the ice.

And you, the creditors.

The first man to sail through the last path

of the Northwest Passage.

The up-and-coming young Norwegian explorer,

Roald Amundsen.

THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY, LONDON

Thank you. It's...

Thank you. Um...

It's...

It's such an honor to be here.

Thank you.

Oh.

I would also like to thank you,

Dr. Nansen.

I would not be standing here today if it wasn't for your...

your advice, your support.

Thank you.

In our quest for the Northwest Passage,

we spent two winters in a small,

completely isolated harbor

called Uqsuqtuuq.

We named the place Gjoa Haven.

A bit easier to pronounce.

And here we got the chance to meet and study

the Netsilik Inuits.

They taught us invaluable lessons

on how to survive in Arctic conditions.

They travel efficiently over the ice

using lightweight sledges, very light,

and polar dogs.

And this method proved absolutely vital to us

in our exploration of the land.

The Netsilik way of life is, of course, unique

and highly specialized,

and they are now among the last indigenous people who have yet

to encounter missionaries from the south.

So...

- Well, not for long, eh? - Hear, hear.

It's...

I hear people say lots of things about the Inuit.

That they are lazy, for example.

Well, they are not lazy.

They are smart.

They know that if you hurry too much, you sweat too much.

And if you sweat too much in freezing temperatures,

that could mean the end of your life.

You see, Roald had learned basic survival skills

from the Inuits.

This was key to fulfill our dream,

becoming the first to reach the North Pole.

But the British didn't seem to take these lessons

in so-called "primitive survival skills" seriously,

even though they were planning an expedition of their own.

That was a well-presented lecture, Amundsen.

The English are skeptical to polar dogs.

They prefer setters.

Mr. Scott.

Ah.

My friend, how are you?

Good to see you.

You have met, I presume?

- No. - Ah.

Roald Amundsen, this... This is Robert Falcon Scott.

Pleasure to meet you.

And congratulations. I'm deeply impressed.

Well, the pleasure is all mine.

You know, the stories of British explorers

changed my life.

John Franklin, I mean.

We would never have made it without the British pioneers.

But someone had to take the last step.

And with such a tiny fishing vessel.

- Who'd have thought it? - No, no.

She was tired at the end, but...

And you?

Ambassador Nansen?

I assume that you're ready to explore again.

You heading for the pole?

Which is it to be?

- North or South? - Mm...

I'm still tied up in diplomacy, I'm afraid.

Of course. After all...

there are more important things than examining ice.

Gentlemen.

A pleasure.

Do you think he's going north or south?

Remember this, Amundsen:

Studying the Arctic is not about being first,

but about exploring the waters' area, depth and character.

They're all planning expeditions.

We don't have much time.

To cover 3000 km in 100 days,

we need minimum weight and maximum speed.

The English have motor sleds. Scott tested them up in Finse.

I'd prefer polar bears to pull our sleds.

But I probably won't go for that in this situation.

Only one thing is proven for something like this:

Polar dogs.

Many polar dogs.

Suddenly, Nansen's wife

became seriously ill.

And we saw that as an opening to borrow his ship, Fram.

We don't want visitors.

I understand. I apologize. My name is Roald Amundsen.

Your father knows who I am.

If you could tell him it's me,

perhaps that will change matters?

I'll let you have Fram.

On two conditions.

One:

Hjalmar Johansen...

constantly comes begging for money.

But I am the one who's indebted to him.

He deserves a second chance.

I thought Johansen wasn't in any condition to...

- Doesn't he drink? - Hjalmar is going with you.

And the second?

I don't want Fram used for some headless race to the North Pole.

This is a research mission.

Research.

Understood?

Black six-man tents, 20 pairs of hickory skis,

five cooking pots, two sextants,

one spirit compass, two field glasses, two cameras and three hypsometers.

One challenge related to speed

is that at temperatures below minus 25,

the snow changes consistency.

We can solve that with a thin layer of ice under the runners.

But the weight is key.

Each sled must be under one ton.

We have the dogs.

- Meaning? - As the weight decreases,

we won't need as many sled dogs.

Polar dogs are cannibals, so they will provide well for us and them.

That's nature. It's no worse with a dog than a pig.

You see a difference between a dog and a pig?

I think most people do.

I'm not happy about eating loyal travel companions.

The question is: Do we want to be first, or is that not so important?

Wisting!

So then we started gathering the crew.

210.

You'll probably be

the first one to discover new land up there in the ice.

Thank you, but I want you to have that honor, Captain.

...all the information.

What is it?

Captain.

I came as quick as I could.

Is something wrong?

Roald?

What does it say?

"North Pole Reached."

- Frederick Cook? - Cook?

"Cook left his diaries with a local hunter." He has no evidence.

The expedition is dead.

- Even if he didn't actually make it? - And he has no evidence?

Roald is right.

As long as they claim it,

it's no longer newsworthy.

No one will finance our expedition.

It's over.

We'll continue as planned.

But go to the South Pole.

Let's just do it.

OK.

But how?

Let's keep it secret, tell no one, and go all in.

Mum's the word.

Yes.

That means we have to lie to everyone.

Nansen, of course, but...

Also the King.

But that...

We won't worry about that.

Let's instead think about what happens...

if we succeed.

Imagine if we succeed.

Imagine if we succeed!

Hi, Hjalmar.

What?

Are you planning on bringing that cabin up north?

You know it will get crushed in the ice.

Churned into the sea.

Are you that confident you'll find land up there?

- Did you row all the way from town? - Yes.

Have to use my strength for something.

True.

I...

I'm a different man

up there in the ice.

Just ask Nansen.

When he hurt his back, I had to carry him.

Did you know that?

I suppose that's how it is.

We're all better men up there.

Why not join us?

Perhaps you're too old.

- I'm two years older than you! - Is that all?

No, I need to stay here.

We're still not financed 100%.

I spoke to a radio producer.

I can't bring a radio.

Then Nansen will contact me. Tell me to turn back.

When are we going to tell him?

When it's too late.

MADEIRA, SEPTEMBER 9, 1910

Many people have had many questions

about this expedition.

Why we are bringing a cabin up to the Arctic drift ice.

Why we brought 90 polar dogs from Kristiansand,

instead of picking them up in Alaska on our way back north.

And the truth of the matter is...

that...

We have no intention

of heading north again

after rounding Cape Horn.

We are going to continue southward.

The British plan to annex Antarctica.

Robert Scott is on his way with 65 men,

motorized sleds and horses.

It appears the only thing

he forgot to consider...

is us.

Because we...

are going to be the first... to reach the South Pole.

So all I really need to know is that I have

your full...

support.

And that those who want to take part in this

raise their hand.

Very good. Then that's settled.

- Good luck. - Thank you.

At this moment King Haakon is being informed of our change of plans.

I ask you not to judge me too harshly.

I assure you that I one day shall resume the original plan

and study the ocean currents around the North Pole.

This is no longer an expedition.

It's a race.

This is Antarctica.

The coldest place on Earth.

A desert of ice.

First we raise our cabin, Framheim, at the Bay of Whales.

We will spend the winter there, after placing depots along the route.

Once the sun returns after the polar night,

we shall begin our 1300-kilometer-long journey

to the South Pole.

There is no map.

And little information about what to expect.

Only the knowledge

that no human

has set foot here before.

FIRST ATTEMPT, SEPTEMBER 8, 1911

It's minus 56 degrees!

We have to turn back!

We're all spread out!

Turn back. Every man for himself!

Let the others know!

Are you all right?

Yes, we're coming!

I see you...

You took your sweet time?

We headed out too soon.

You left us behind. You abandoned...

I made it clear that it was every man for himself on the way back.

You don't abandon your men

to die!

In a blizzard!

Nansen would never have done that.

This wasn't an expedition.

This was panic.

You set out too early, to get a head start on Scott.

The thing is...

Scott.

Scott has been preparing for four years.

He's taking Shackleton's old route over the mountain.

While we go this way.

Through a terrain where no one has ever set foot.

We may as well be on a foreign planet, Johansen.

And you think...

that should be without risk?

Have I not made myself clear?

Are there...

certain individuals here

who still don't understand

what kind of undertaking this is?

- No. - No.

Because in that case...

it might be useful, Johansen,

if you shared with us, since you care so much for him,

what Nansen's motto was

when he crossed Greenland.

What was it,

Johansen?

"Death..."

"...or the west coast of Greenland."

Yes.

So what do you think ours is?

Johansen.

I have...

You won't be joining us any further.

I want you to map the area around King Edward's Land.

Under Presterud's command.

Why are you telling me this?

Maybe so you know a little bit more

about the man you're getting involved with.

Have you ever been out in Arctic conditions?

No.

Ever driven a dogsled in a blizzard?

Why?

I have.

SECOND ATTEMPT, OCTOBER 20, 1911

DAY 10

Are you ready?

DAY 24

Wisting!

Come on!

Mount.. Bjaaland.

Mount Hassel.

Mount Hanssen.

Mount Wisting.

Mount Presterud.

And Mount Johansen.

We might as well

get started.

Want me to do it?

It looks good to me.

No thanks. I'm not that hungry.

Ever seen a man with scurvy, Bjaaland?

First you start acting strange.

Listless and tired.

Then...

your gums start bleeding.

Your teeth fall out.

Then old sores and fractures

flare up again.

What about you, Wisting?

What are you thinking about?

Just that... Here we are.

In the world's largest wilderness. The same size

as all of North America.

And that flame...

is the only source of heat on the entire continent.

With the exception of Scott's, of course.

DAY 40

DAY 45

DAY 55

How far do we have left?

I think we're very close.

Very, very close.

I don't know if those match mine.

What do you have?

Hang on.

I'm double-checking now.

As far as I can tell, it's correct.

OK.

So then...

Then that's settled.

Come on, let's do this.

Let's do this.

THE SOUTH POLE, DECEMBER 14, 1911

Look at the flag.

So which way is north?

- That way, right? - No, that way.

I'm thinking it's that way.

Strange how it's all connected.

And surely no one has ever been in a place

more diametrically opposed to their stated goal.

That's also amusing.

Let him go.

I wonder where the Englishmen are.

Dear Captain Scott.

As you are probably the first to reach this spot after us,

I will ask you kindly to forward the enclosed letter

to King Haakon VII.

If you have any use for the articles left in this tent,

please do not hesitate to help yourself.

The sled outside

may also be of use to you.

With kind regards,

I wish you a safe return.

Telegram for Amundsen.

A telegram?

- What does it say? - "Agrbf amgif akr..."

It's in code!

What does it say?

We made it!

Know what, Nicolay?

I never really liked this china.

We can't have bad china.

Now we can buy a new set!

Amundsen reached the South Pole!

Amundsen reached the South Pole!

Amundsen reached the South Pole!

THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY, LONDON

Well, gentlemen,

we don't usually allow ladies into the club.

But since little Mary here has written such a beautiful poem,

I thought we may make an exception.

Though naught but a simple cross

Now marks those heroes' grave

Their names will live forever

O England, land of the brave

Captain Scott and his brave men

reached the South Pole on the 17th of January,

only to discover that Mr. Amundsen

had got there first.

One can imagine the sense of deception

that our brave countrymen must have felt

on their way back from the pole.

And thanks to Scott's diaries,

we know exactly what happened.

We know that Mr. Amundsen

wrote a letter to the King of Norway,

which he wanted Captain Scott to deliver on his behalf...

mistaking our officers for mailmen.

Our guest was attended by good fortune throughout.

Fine weather.

Sound health.

A transport that never broke down.

For which we congratulate him.

Captain Scott,

a true British hero...

who pulled his own sled...

may have lost

an unequal battle

against illness and hunger.

But he refused to resort to barbarism,

behaving like a gentleman

until the bitter end.

I should therefore like to propose a toast.

To the true heroes of this expedition...

the dogs.

Oh, I see you're planning for the moon, Mr. Amundsen.

Charles Bennett.

Good to see you, my friend.

- Good to see you. - You must meet my wife,

a fellow citizen of yours.

Kristine Elisabeth.

Mrs. Bennett. It's an honor.

You can just call me Kiss.

And the honor is all mine, Mr. Amundsen.

Forgive me.

The treatment you are getting from these British is shameful.

After such a triumph!

It was...

terrible to learn about Mr. Scott and his men.

Frightful bad luck.

I...

So close to safety.

Well, when you prepare

everything,

you have everything in order,

they call it luck.

And when you neglect to take

even the most necessary precautions

and meet defeat,

they call it bad luck.

What do you mean?

Well, Scott.

He was a great scientist.

Excellent sportsman.

But Nansen had told him to use skis, dogs.

But he still... He insisted on...

On machines and ponies.

When the British tend to want to conquer things...

They do, they do, but you can't conquer nature.

You just...

You just can't.

You just have to play along... with it.

He has a thing for married women,

I guess.

- Are you? - Married?

- Mm-hm. - Yes.

I know about Kiss.

There have been others. So what?

We're both adults.

Do you think Roald would forgive us

if we took a taste of one of the bottles

from the South Pole?

Do you know who owns this house?

The one person who has no need for it.

THE OLD GENTLEMEN'S CLUB, KRISTIANIA, JULY, 1916

- Congratulations, Amundsen! - Look this way, please!

Kiss.

Kiss.

Can you hear me?

Honorable Roald Amundsen.

We Norwegians

are proud

that you planted the Norwegian flag on the South Pole

before the English!

It's impossible to imagine

what sacrifices this incredible feat demanded.

What steadfastness and heroism.

With such a triumph it's easy to forget

that the South Pole wasn't the real goal. Merely a step on the way.

But Amundsen is a man of his word.

So next year he is heading through the Bering Strait, into the ice.

And cold.

And darkness.

To study the polar currents

and drift across the North Pole.

For at least five years!

This may sound like a superhuman challenge.

But Amundsen

is also the right man for that.

Hurrah!

Hurrah!

Hurrah!

Nansen has this theory

that I can drift in the ice all the way to the pole.

And what happens on the North and South Pole

is crucial for the global climate.

But this isn't what you want.

This was his condition for lending me Fram.

I didn't think he would hold me to it.

No. Five years in the ice...

We don't have to worry about that.

It means nothing for us.

When we think about each other,

it's as if we are together.

I feel you.

I feel you.

I feel you.

Right?

We have our wireless conversation that no one can take from us.

You...

You are mine.

You are mine, mine, mine.

You will always feel that I am with you.

Always.

Roald was forced to prove Nansen's theory

that it was possible to drift with the polar ice

all the way to the North Pole.

So he...

ordered this new ship,

tailor-made for himself, named Maud.

And that ship...

costs much more than we had.

Only a sensational triumph

could save us from total bankruptcy.

But as it turned out,

it would take a long time to drift towards the pole.

A very long time.

FIRST YEAR IN THE ICE CAPE CHELYUSKIN, SIBERIA

Five months left

till the next sunrise.

We have to chop ice before the ship gets crushed.

- How does this look, Captain? - We need to remove more.

Right here...

Captain!

Captain!

Wisting, come here!

UNKNOWN AREA

Hmm.

Yes...

Bear!

Bear!

Bear!

- Want some of this? - No, just get it over with.

I'll take some.

You'll be fine.

SECOND YEAR IN THE ICE

AYON ISLAND, EAST SIBERIAN SEA 2250 KM FROM NORTH POLE

Captain?

Nice mustache.

I'm in the process...

Tessem...

wishes to leave the expedition.

He can't get rid of his headache.

And can hardly sleep.

How far is it to that telegraph station on Dickson Island?

Around 700 kilometers.

Impossible.

Knudsen has volunteered to go with him.

Tessem?

We need to send some mail to the people back home.

Could you take responsibility for that?

Yes, Captain.

Bring Knudsen.

We'll give you a dog team. You should make it in four weeks.

You know, it does something to a man,

being trapped in the ice for so long.

What do you mean?

Welcome, one and all.

Will you look at this!

I haven't heard from you for some time.

I walk around here making small talk with you.

It's time you respond.

I have transferred my property,

Villa Uranienborg,

to you.

So I know you will always have a home.

No matter what might happen.

THIRD YEAR IN THE ICE

CAPE SERDZE-KAMEN, CHUKCHI SEA 2570 KM FROM NORTH POLE

- What's going on? - Shh!

Please.

Sverdrup, get the medical kit.

Cod-liver oil is never wrong.

Did that taste good?

This is so delicious.

I think we have to taste it right away.

Do you want some on there?

- Mm-hm. - Very well.

No, no!

No, no, no!

Look at this.

More playmates, I see.

That is one special...

One very special person.

What?

Her father wants us to bring her to Norway.

Get an education.

But that...

We can't bring all of them.

Kakonita is an orphan. That's different.

But we can't start... That...

I think it's time for that film from the South Pole.

Those are penguins. They can't fly. They just walk around.

Let's see if it wants the pipe.

No, it doesn't.

Imagine when Kiss meets them.

We'll be like a small family.

We will.

[Roald Of course Nansen is right about his ocean-current theories.

But five years in the ice

is much too optimistic.

The expedition went on for too long,

and Roald lost his focus.

He began to think of other means and technology

to reach the North Pole.

We must.

We must.

If there is land up here,

with people, with a civilization...

We must reach the North Pole. See it with our own eyes.

Girls?

And then he just left,

making Wisting the captain.

Hyah!

We put all our money in that boat.

Everything.

ALASKA, USA, 1923

We know nothing

about this vast white space.

These two-and-a-half million square kilometers

of frozen polar sea.

So we...

are going to fly there.

We will be the first to look down

at the last piece of the Earth

that has resisted every attempt of discovery.

And we have no guarantees, of course,

that we will find land up there.

A hidden continent beyond the pole.

But if we do,

it will be one of the most significant discoveries

in the history of the world.

But then he got hold of two Junker airplanes

and named them Kristine and Elisabeth,

and I guess you know how that went.

Thirty meters of flight, and then...

$80,000 worth of planes just...

left there in the snow.

He...

He lost it.

I'm sorry, but there's no other way of putting it. He...

You don't know him.

I'm sorry?

I mean, you did once, but you...

you don't.

I think I know my brother better than anyone.

I was there.

That's where we met.

In Alaska.

In Deering.

He did not strike me an irrational man.

Just the opposite.

Well, you haven't heard the whole story yet.

Amundsen Gives Up Polar Flight

Aline?

Hello. My name is Engelbregt Gravning.

We just wanted to drop by

to let you know we're moving in next door.

So that was...

Oh...

Look, there are some other children!

Hi there! My, you sure have grown.

Meet these two lovely girls.

I'm going to enroll them in school. These girls are smart.

Wow!

All the way from America.

Say goodbye to Uncle Leon. Bye-bye!

- Bye. - Thanks for a lovely day.

Bye!

I was worried about what he was up to.

But Roald continued his hopeless romance with Kiss,

who lived in London with her husband.

And he kept spending money we didn't have.

Roald?

Look at this. They are so smart!

Wait till they start school.

May I have a word?

- Now? - Yes.

Polar Paradise

"Has Roald Amundsen lost his mind?"

It's much easier with dogs. They don't read the newspapers.

You had to beat them, didn't you? Out there?

You mean we should do the same with journalists?

Polar dogs are like wild animals.

It was brutal, but the only way to get them to obey.

I know you have ordered three new airplanes.

I was going to tell you...

It's impossible. Cancel the order.

Do you really want to fly again? Considering how it went?

- That was bad luck. The landing gear... - Luck?

What were you thinking, with those small planes? That isn't science!

That's... sport.

Highly dangerous.

It was OK when we made money.

- We had no choice with the South Pole. - Or now. I'm getting old, Leon.

I don't have time to do things Nansen's way. Not even Nansen does.

Someone will fly to the North Pole.

It's simply a matter of who gets there first.

Those planes were too small.

We need something bigger, and we can get it.

Come!

I have...

As long as I can remember,

I have followed you from room to room.

I can't remember a single time you have come to me.

Can you?

What are you talking about?

I don't mind living in Roald Amundsen's shadow.

But not when you hide things from me, risk other people's lives.

Not one life has been lost.

- That depends. - On what?

You still owe $20,000 for the other planes.

Are you aware of that?

No.

Yet you just ordered new ones?

We don't have that money. I can't raise any more.

I have lent you 100,000 kroner from my own pocket.

- And you give our properties to Kiss? - I want her to have a home.

A home?

She's one of the wealthiest women in England!

I have a family to worry about.

Strictly speaking, so does Kiss Bennett.

I don't recognize you anymore.

No one does.

What kind of captain leaves Maud and the expedition,

comes home with two innocent children, and lies?

You're right. I lie.

I do, Leon.

What did you think?

That I told you everything?

Like before?

How would that go, Leon?

Hm?

What would I have achieved

if I had done that?

Nothing.

You would only have said no.

You don't dare anymore.

You've become a coward.

I...

I can no longer manage your finances.

I'll waive my powers of attorney.

Find someone else.

Let me know who, and I'll send a claim for the money you owe.

Leon!

And...

that was the last time I saw him.

Hi!

Of course, Roald didn't follow my advice,

and ordered the planes anyway.

Now he's bankrupt and missing.

I sense a note of satisfaction in your voice.

It was a tragedy.

Very shameful.

He had no one.

And then the bankruptcy, it nearly killed him.

Do you know anyone else who could come back from that?

It's just money, Leon.

- What do you mean? - It's just money.

- No, it's not just money. - Yes.

He risks everything to do what no man

has ever done before,

and you, you're talking about a house.

Maybe he gave you that impression,

but my brother is not the victim here.

There were casualties, you know.

Yes. Hjalmar.

Not just Hjalmar. There were others.

Some of the crew.

The Maud expedition lasted for seven years.

Seven.

In that time,

several men had left or just...

disappeared.

What do you mean, disappeared?

Tessem and Knudsen.

They went on an 800-kilometer trip from Maud,

over the ice to the mainland, but they never arrived.

Remains of a campfire were found,

along with charred bones.

It was assumed that either Tessem and Knudsen had died

and that the other had cremated the corpse.

Later, a mummified body

was found on the mainland shore,

across from Dickson Island.

Died only three kilometers from the weather station.

Seeing its lights as he fell down and...

died of exhaustion.

Meanwhile, Roald was having hot baths in luxury hotels

and flying planes, and traveling...

He was stuck in the ice for three years.

Sverdrup, Olonkin and Wisting remained on Maud

for seven years, until the ship got arrested

when it came to land, due to Roald's bankruptcy.

You know...

Wisting, he had seven children,

but three of them got sick and died at home

while he was stuck in the ice.

Still, he was faithful to his captain.

Refused to let the ship get arrested by creditors.

These were grown men.

They knew what they signed up for.

Then there were the little girls.

He loves them.

He sent them away, Bess.

He had to.

Bess...

There's something I think you should know.

Roald told me of a letter from Kiss.

He was waiting for her.

With the girls.

She broke it off.

He had no choice.

He had to send them away.

Who do you think looked after the girls when Roald was gone?

It was us most of the time. He didn't care.

They had two years of school here, and then he...

he put them on a boat back to Siberia.

What kind of person does that?

You're twisting things around.

You see that banner behind me?

"All for Norway." "All for Roald" is more like it.

He's like a child. He only cares about one thing.

The North Pole.

Himself.

He's your brother.

He's out there somewhere.

You should be praying for him.

He's probably happy now.

Dying like a martyr in the ice together with his men,

like in the... stupid adventure books we used to read.

I don't understand you.

Why are you so angry?

- I told you. - You say you hate him.

But here you are.

You expected him to come back.

Didn't you?

You're waiting.

That's why you're snooping around here.

That's why you still live next door.

You're mad at him because he manages without you.

That's rubbish.

You're mad at him because if it wasn't for Roald,

you'd be off somewhere importing wine or something.

And he would have still made history anyway.

- With or without you. - I don't have to listen to this.

ARCTIC OCEAN, 251 KM FROM NORTH POLE

Dietrichson?

Riiser-Larsen?

Ellsworth, Feucht. Everybody.

It's enough now.

This is it.

We have done all we can.

And you...

have done more

than I could ever ask.

We have been trying for weeks to build a runway,

and the one we have now is not even close to long enough.

But there's no more food.

And it will have to do.

We didn't make it to the North Pole.

But we will make it home.

I've seen things like this end well.

Many times.

It is what it is.

Amundsen.

CITY HALL PIER, OSLO JULY 5, 1925

They love you even more now that you've risen from the dead.

THE ROYAL PALACE, OSLO

- Thank you. - It's so good to see you again.

It's good to see you again. Impressive!

Congratulations, Mr. Amundsen.

- We had the worst of fears. - Thank you.

We'll see you shortly.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Thanks.

Captain!

Thank you so much. Thank you.

- I see a few new gray hairs. - Yes, it was quite rough.

- Just remember to... - I know. I know.

I'm a married woman. I'll be discreet.

You can talk more later, in private.

This was very...

It was special.

We are going to...

You look very well for a dead man...

Captain.

How... How did... How...?

It's...

good to have you back.

Congratulations!

- Congratulations. - Thank you.

Most impressive.

Thank you.

We should go.

So, tell me,

does Kiss still own all of this?

You shouldn't listen to my brother.

He doesn't understand people like you and me.

He lives in a very small world.

And if it's about funds,

I-I am getting money.

I guarantee it. There will be a book.

You saw how they greeted me now.

I-I will get financing for sure.

Do you think I care about money?

Do you think that's what this is about?

I...

I want to say something.

It has always been easier for me...

than the others...

to be alone out there.

You know, to me, it...

it's just beautiful, you know?

But this time,

I was scared.

I thought I would never see you...

again.

You started something you needed to finish.

I understand that.

Once you've done it...

once you've seen what lies beyond the North Pole...

I will marry you.

But if I do this...

If I go and get my divorce...

promise...

whatever we do...

we do it together.

I promise.

Oh, I promise.

There's this...

Italian engineer.

He has constructed an airship.

The plan is good. Much safer. Like sitting in an armchair.

The problem is,

Mussolini wants it to be an Italian expedition

with me onboard.

- Mm. - Can you imagine?

So you... Wait, shut up.

You're going to reach the North Pole

in an armchair?

I am an old man.

I noticed.

Do you think I'll find it up there?

Oh, yes.

You've wanted this your entire life.

You've never given up.

Most people, they give up on their dreams.

Let them die.

Not you.

And you dream bigger than everyone.

You will find what you are looking for.

I know it.

And then...

- ...and then... - And then.

I guess someone...

has to find out if Santa Claus really lives up there.

Oh, yes.

But I won't be sailing under an Italian flag,

I can tell you that.

THE AIRSHIP NORGE, THE ARCTIC MAY 11, 1926

Captain? We are only a few minutes away.

- Have you seen anything? - No.

Nothing but ice.

Captain?

Are we there?

Mm-hm.

Everybody?

It's 22 minutes past midnight.

On the 12th of May, 1926.

And we have reached the North Pole.

- Congratulations. - Ellsworth.

Nobile.

Mr. Nobile, do you think you could have done it

without the help of Captain Amundsen here?

Amundsen is a great explorer.

But let's not forget this is an Italian airship.

Italian technology and funding.

It is why I am planning a new expedition

with an airship called Italia, and I will be the captain.

I stood there on that airship,

with the Italian and that damn dog.

And suddenly...

Suddenly it was...

over.

Done.

Over and done.

No more white spots on the map.

You are much more than that, Roald.

There's much left to achieve.

In medicine.

Technology.

In politics.

Hm.

I hear you're writing a book.

Who has said that?

Someone who cares about you.

Wisting?

He said you may be angry

with the English.

With Nobile.

Even with your own brother.

And I thought:

Is there a worse time to write an autobiography?

Fridtjof Nansen. Always ready to help whoever it may be.

What will you call it?

"My Life as an Explorer".

- Explorer? - Yes.

But think about what I said.

We still need a good relationship with the English.

In my experience,

the English,

by and large,

are a breed of poor losers.

This is exactly what I mean, Roald.

If I could have one wish,

I would want Scott to survive.

Then he would simply be number two. The loser.

Instead they made him a martyr and me the villain

who beat him.

I won, but was made a villain.

And I have always lived according to the strictest code of honor.

I planned the South Pole so well that I made it look easy.

That's the biggest mistake I've ever made.

A book...

is forever.

MY LIFE AS AN EXPLORER

Leon?

Leon?

Have you finished it?

Yes.

He castigates everyone.

The English. Scott.

Nobile.

Hardangervidda, when I saved his life.

"I was frozen stuck in a block of ice."

"I struggled to free myself, but to no avail."

"I cried out for my..."

"...companion."

That's all that's left of me. A companion with no name.

My dear, are you crying?

First to spend the winter in Antarctica.

First through the Northwest Passage.

First on the South Pole.

First to circumnavigate the entire Arctic Ocean.

First to navigate the Northwest and Northeast Passage.

And the crowning glory: First to fly over the polar ice cap,

between the North Pole and Alaska. And thus, first on both poles.

In brief:

The greatest polar explorer in history!

AFTENPOSTEN NEWSPAPER, OSLO MAY 26, 1928

Wisting?

Captain?

Nansen. Where...

Where is he?

- And the King and Queen? - They sent their apologies.

Because of that damn book. I knew it.

And Bess isn't here either.

She'll be back soon.

As you all know,

Umberto Nobile has set out on a new Arctic expedition.

But his airship has gone missing.

A cyclone has struck the west coast of Spitsbergen.

Most likely blowing the ship eastwards.

The rescue operation must be by plane.

But no airplane has ever succeeded

at crossing this area.

I will be the first.

Mr. Amundsen, I'm sure everyone here would like to know,

our international guests as well as us Norwegians,

will you take part in the search and rescue of Umberto Nobile?

Yes, sir.

Right away.

Amundsen?

Amundsen?

TROMSØ, NORWAY JUNE 18, 1928

Congratulations. That was...

Oh.

Bess Magids.

Amundsen.

Captain Amundsen.

Well, Captain,

you play poker?

What happened?

He's gone, Bess.

He...

Nobile went missing,

and Roald took a plane to find him.

Why?

The... plane went down somewhere.

I'm so sorry, I...

I should have been there. I...

I could have stopped him.

Nobody could have.

ROALD AMUNDSEN DISAPPEARED ON JUNE 18, 1928, AT THE AGE OF 56.

HE WAS NEVER FOUND.

AS PART OF SOUTH POLE DAY,

A TWO-MINUTE SILENCE WAS OBSERVED IN NORWAY ON DECEMBER 14,

IN REMEMBRANCE OF ROALD AMUNDSEN.

LEON AMUNDSEN DIED SIX YEARS LATER OF A BLEEDING ULCER.

FOLLOWING HER ENGAGEMENT TO ROALD, BESS MAGIDS MOVED BACK TO CANADA.

THERE SHE MARRIED AND DIVORCED TWICE. SHE DIED IN 1971.

KAKONITA AND CAMILLA RETURNED TO EAST SIBERIA ALONE.

LATER THEY BOTH MOVED TO VANCOUVER, CANADA.

THEY REMAINED CLOSE FOR LIFE.

Provided by explosiveskull https://twitter.com/kaboomskull