Moby Dick
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Movie Reviews of Moby Dick
Movie Review: Ahab as another Hamlet
Summary: 4 Stars
I agree largely with the reviews, and add only a small modicum of thought on Gregory Peck's portrayl of Captain Ahab. Melville's morbid, traigically-doomed & intelligent Ahab is nothing less-& perhaps more-than a recasting of Shakespeare's Hamlet . In that light, consider the many controvsersial portrayals & subsequent debate about the character of Hamlet. "We" seem to have a hard time wrapping ourselves around real, complex beings that incorporate rational intelligence & emotional blindness/stupidity, irrational anger & sublime goodness, etc. If we have trouble imagining such a character in our own minds, then consider the challenge to an accomplished actor & how well Peck has done! I found Peck's sudden burst of radiant smile in the "aft" scene surprising & wrong, but felt subsequently that he settled into the role quite successfully. Still, there's always a feeling floating about that he, the actor, didn't like the character he was playing. I'm not quite sure myself why I think that....Movie Review: Deforestation
Summary: 4 Stars
For those folks that want great literature without having to read a 500-page tome, then this Readers Digest like condensation might be the ticket. All the high points of Moby Dick are touched on starting with 'Call me Ishmael," and so on.
As many have already pointed out, Gregory Peck has nailed the Ahab character. You got me how he managed the whalebone peg leg. The obsessive rush to take vengeance on the great whale boils in crazed Ahab's head and certainly his crew one by one catch the fever for either greed or blind allegiance. Therefore, our allegorical story full of biblical references mete out large portions of philosophical sophisms, enough for the entire Humanities Departments at fifty Universities to burn the midnight whale oil; oh, the reams of paper written about poor Moby, we're talking deforestation here.
If ever there was a story to get young men to read Lit, Moby Dick is the one.
Movie Review: Great performances, with one quibble...
Summary: 4 Stars
This movie starts great, with Ishmael hiking through New England to the sea. From here it keeps getting better. Every scene is intensely acted and crafted, and the performances are riveting. Alright, it takes several viewings to get Gregory Peck's Ahab, but in the end you realize how good it is. Yes, he looks like lincoln. No, he's not so much insane as very annoyed. Anyone mauled by a ten ton whale, and who lived, would be slightly nuts. But the treat here are the bit roles and cameos. The quaker shipowners are a delight,and the actor who appears on the dock, and delivers the prophecy of doom, is superb for all 5 lines. But for me, the whole point is the church scene. The eery hymn gives way to the entrance of Orson Welles' preacher. He hauls himself up into the ship-prow pulpit, and roars forth a sermon straight from God, in Gods own voice.Incrediable!!Movie Review: Re: Full-Frame vs. Letterbox Debate
Summary: 4 Stars
Several of the reviews here condemn this DVD for not showing this film in its widescreen format. I recently watched a private theatrical screening of an original print, and, while it would seem a likely candidate in 1956 - the height of widescreen cinema - this film was not produced in widescreen. I'm all for the letterboxing of widescreen films - I personally wouldn't want it any other way - but in this case, someone has gotten some bad information. The print used for this DVD has indeed lost some of the depth of color from the original, but, until a remastered version comes along, it's still a great, classic film for anyone's collection, presented in its intended screen ratio. Enjoy!Movie Review: Moby Dick my review
Summary: 4 Stars
Moby Dick is a great book, The movie version is good. Gregory Peck may not have been right for Captain Ahab,but was good enough to show the revenge maddend whaler as the villan of the film. The cast does a good job, Ishmael and Quequeg were well played. The special effecects were good its easy topull for Moby Dick over Ahab. Moby Dick is great look at not only whaling but obsession, hate, and the grim stuggle whalers faced at sea.