Moby Dick

            It's an oldie, but a goodie, released in 1956, way before obsessive-compulsive became part of late night TV pop-culture.  I was surprised to discover that Ray Bradbury as well as John Huston wrote the screenplay.  Huston directed this rendition of Herman Melville's classic tale of evil elicited in Ahab by the great white whale for the screen.  It's Ahab's obsession that's evil of course, no fault of poor ole Moby, although maybe ... since Melville spent one entire chapter relating the symbolic connection between white and evil.

            The movie is no replacement for the novel, but it's a study in the power of good acting to view this.  Gregory Peck plays Ahab and it doesn't take many close-ups in this two-hour flick to become absolutely convinced that Peck himself is crazier than Ahab.  The look in his eyes is enough to send tough sailors scurrying for cover.

            In all, it's a great book but a very dark tale told from the viewpoint of Ishmael, the lone survivor, who is played by Richard Basehart.  I thought he was okay, but a little weak for the part.  The Pequod sails from New Bedford in 1841 with the well known cast of characters: Captain Ahab, Starbuck the first mate, Queequeg a harpooner, Ishmael and so on.  It's one heck of a story and in the telling, demonstrates the absolute power of a captain over his ship and crew in the nineteenth century.

            There is a scene portraying St. Elmo's fire, which is an actual corona discharge that occurs usually on pointed objects like a ship's mast.  It's interesting that it's used in this film story to solidify commitment from the crew in Ahab's evil quest, when historically it has been assumed to be a sign of good luck by sailors indicating the end of a storm. 

            Reviewed April 20, 2005

            Not rated, but probably PG for the killing of whales.