Explorers of the World: A dusty, weird trip through the past

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, only if you’re into the history of documentary filmmaking or just have a weird obsession with old footage of people poking at exotic wildlife. If you need a narrative or, you know, a movie with a point, skip this. It’s a bit like watching someone else’s home movies from a century ago, but with way more ships and snow.

The whole thing feels disjointed, which makes sense since it’s just stitched-together footage from six different trips. One minute you're watching the Arctic tundra, and the next you're in a canoe in the Amazon. It’s a lot to process without much context.

Oddly specific observations

The sheer amount of effort they put into filming these expeditions is honestly wild for the time. I kept wondering how they kept the film dry, especially during the Antarctic stuff. Dr. Laurence E. Gould’s shots of the Byrd expedition are pretty stark, though they drag on for a while.

• The footage of the Siberian Arctic looks cold enough to make you shiver through your screen.
• There’s a moment in the Borneo segment where a local is just looking at the camera, completely confused, and nobody bothered to edit it out. It’s my favorite part.
• The transition between the Ross Sea and the Amazon is so jarring I actually laughed.

It’s not as polished as The W Plan or anything with a real budget. It feels very much like a museum project—stiff, educational, and occasionally dry as a bone. But there’s a raw quality to it that you just don't get in modern docs.

I found myself wondering if these guys were actually finding anything or just wandering around until their film ran out. They really love showing off their ships. The schooner Morrissery gets more screen time than some of the actual explorers. 🚢

If you're looking for something that moves fast, this is not it. It’s more of a mood piece, I guess? A very dusty, black-and-white mood. It’s not quite as intense as the drama you’d find in Tseka komissar Mirostsenko, but for what it is, it’s a neat little time capsule.

I wouldn't call this an "experience" or any of that fancy critic jargon. It’s just footage. Sometimes it’s cool, sometimes you’re just staring at a guy holding a stick in the jungle. Take it for what it is. 🎞️