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"Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth...whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off -- then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball."
So it begins...
Ray Bradbury's first Hollywood job, as screenwriter, and what a job he did! This is, far and away, the finest translation of this unique and wonderful story, by Herman Melville, taken from the true account of the whaleship "Essex." The only time in Maritime records of a whale deliberately ramming a ship! Richard Basehart is a low-key and very convincing Ishmael, Orson Welles, brilliant as the Preacher in his curious pulpit fashioned after a whaling ship, and ascended via a rope ladder... and Queequeg is magnificent, an exotic creaure, replete with unusual tattooed designs all over his face, and seldom without his unique pipe. Quite a memorable character...Gregory Peck is great as Ahab, and does a wholly convincing job of potraying the tortured Captain of the Pequod, pacing ominously up and down the deck, on his stump, fashioned from the jawbone of a whale, planning his revenge on the "damn-ed whale." His stentorian tones, and the portent with which he delivers his lines, is something to watch... Pip the cabin boy, is great with his tambourine and his joy at being at sea with the whaling men; what an adventure! When the Pequod sets out to sea, the women of the town look on, grief, sorrow and resignation etched in their faces, and then the mood lightens when the men sing as they work on the ship. And my favorite lines from Elijah...(paraphrasing)"There'll come a day at sea, when you'll smell land and there'll be no land, and all, all save one, shall perish." The adventures at sea, and the byplay between the crew, and the obvious affection and respect and awe they all feel for Ahab; wonderful stuff, and this affection eventually dooms them to follow him to their ultimate fate and encounter with Moby Dick. The effects are superb, even by today's standards, and the acting unparalleled. You will smell the salt water and feel the wind on your face when you watch this, the ultimate movie interpretation of Moby Dick.
Ahab's stirring words to the crew, revealing his true intent on this voyage...
"Whosoever of ye raises me a white-headed whale with a wrinkled brow and a crooked jaw; whosoever of ye raises me that white-headed whale, with three holes punctured in his starboard fluke- look ye, whosoever of ye raises me that same white whale, he shall have this gold ounce, my boys!"
"Huzza! huzza!" cried the seamen, as with swinging tarpaulins they hailed the act of nailing the gold to the mast.
"It's a white whale, I say," resumed Ahab, as he threw down the topmaul: "a white whale. Skin your eyes for him, men; look sharp for white water; if ye see but a bubble, sing out."
"Captain Ahab," said Starbuck, who, with Stubb and Flask, had thus far been eyeing his superior with increasing surprise, but at last seemed struck with a thought which somewhat explained all the wonder. "Captain Ahab, I have heard of Moby Dick- but it was not Moby Dick that took off thy leg?"
"Who told thee that?" cried Ahab; then pausing, "Aye, Starbuck; aye, my hearties all round; it was Moby Dick that dismasted me; Moby Dick that brought me to this dead stump I stand on now. Aye, aye," he shouted with a terrific, loud, animal sob, like that of a heart-stricken moose; "Aye, aye! it was that accursed white whale that razeed me; made a poor pegging lubber of me for ever and a day!" Then tossing both arms, with measureless imprecations he shouted out: "Aye, aye! and I'll chase him round Good Hope, and round the Horn, and round the Norway Maelstrom, and round perdition's flames before I give him up. And this is what ye have shipped for, men! to chase that white whale on both sides of land, and over all sides of earth, till he spouts black blood and rolls fin out. What say ye, men, will ye splice hands on it, now? I think ye do look brave."
"Aye, aye!" shouted the harpooneers and seamen, running closer to the excited old man: "A sharp eye for the white whale; a sharp lance for Moby Dick!"
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Reviews with images
I love this film and I'm THRILLED to see the HD restoration!
I'll try to keep this short...This review is for the KL Studio Classics dvd, (not Blu-ray), release of Moby Dick. (See pic)I own different copy of this film that is nearly impossible to see/watch. The KL version is the one to own.I LOVE this film and I'm THRILLED to see the HD restoration,and extra scenes apparently(?).It inspired in me an interested in this period in history,when whaling was a way of life, and also in the actors, Orson Welles,Richard Basehart and Harry Andrews chief among them.Sadly, Gregory Peck felt he was miscast as Ahab, (I agree) ,and wasunhappy with his performance. This issue caused a great rift betweenhe and his former friend, director John Huston that was never resolved.I highly recommend this particular release of this utterly riveting classic.I just can't rave enough about this movie, I'll watch it again and again.I feel very fortunate to have found this great film, fully restored in HD!
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Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2003
Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2013
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Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2022
