Ice Station Zebra (1968)

VHS CASE/SIDE

MPPA Certifcate Number: 21655

Length of film:  148 Minutes

Rated: G

Genre: Adventure, Thriller

Director:  John Sturges

Starring: Rock Hudson, Ernest Borgine, Patrick McGoohan, Jim Brown, Tony Bill, Llody Nolan, Alf Kjellin

IMDB Rank: 6.6/10

Part 1 Time:  81 Minutes

Part 2 Time:  67 Minutes

Where does the first part end? The USS Tigerfish has resurfaced three miles outside of Ice Station Zebra. Cdr. James Ferraday (Rock Hudson) and Mr. Jones (Patrick McGoohan) plan for the on foot expedition.

Final line of dialogue on the first part: “As you reminded me, Mr. Jones, my orders are to get you to Zebra. We move out in 10 minutes,” Cdr. James Ferraday responds to Mr. Jones

First line of dialogue on the second part: No dialogue, in the first minute of part two as the on foot exposition begins, following this scene a crewman on a radio states “10 degrees left.”

How jarring is it when the first part ends? Minimal/Somewhat, despite the setbacks experienced on the USS Tigerfish voyage to the Arctic, the crew has arrived three miles from Ice Station Zebra and will have to continue the expedition on foot. As a snow storm rages on how will the crew manage to traverse the harsh conditions of the landscape?

Which part is better? The first part of the film is set primarily on the USS Tigerfish (a submarine). Throughout the voyage there seems to be a force that is attempting to prevent the crew from reaching their destination, pointing to a possible Russian infiltrator within the crew. Part two highlights the events transpiring at Ice Station Zebra and the conflict between Russian and United States forces as both groups search for the film data. Part two is better as the identity of the infiltrator is made known and the conflict is seemingly resolved.

Academy Awards: 1969- Best Cinematography (Nominated), Best Effects-Special Visual Effects (Nominated).