the red tent chronicle the series of polar disaster begin with the crash of the dirigible pilot by italian general umberto nobile try to make a historic air crossing of the north pole . nobile be play by peter finch in this epic film that unfortunately due to a bad publicity campaign and an indifference to the subject by western audience make this historic russian italian jointly produce film a financial disaster . that a pity because photographically it one of the fine thing ever put on celluloid stock . there be some absolutely breathtaking shot of the frozen tundra and the performance of the actor battle the element be first rate . maybe a straight narrative might have be well instead of have the age nobile confront some angry spirit of the past . nobile be still alive when this film come out and he would die in 1978 still a figure of controversy . the dream with the angry spirit be a device frankly rip off from george bernard shaw st. joan . maybe the film could be best compare to william wellman island in the sky that star john wayne . the fictional character there be mostly rescue and hold together by duke leadership . of course some thirty year advance in aviation and no political interference help wayne men . and island in the sky be a work of fiction . maybe it wouldn not be so if men of science could simply be men of science without answer to compete ideology . nobile and his men get catch up in the politics of the time . politics claim a lot of their life and the life of roald amundsen and party who vanish in a rescue attempt . nobile also make some bad choice and have some bad choice force on him by mussolini fascist government . he be also a man out of his element and he be great aviation pioneer and but not a polar explorer . he pay with his reputation and some of his party pay with their life . sean connery have a small role a roald amundsen and i wish we have more of him here . finch have a very effective scene with claudia cardinale the widow of one of his men where she take him to task . hardy kruger do a fine job a the aviator present finch with a very disagreeable choice . i would recommend see it and but only on the big screen . or definitely in a letter box version . the formatted vhs i have definitely hamper the spectacle .