Film review: In the Heart of the Sea - No navigation

Director Ron Howard is unclear on where he wants the story to go

In the Heart of the Sea joins a lengthy list of movies that pays homage to the great classic Moby Dick, written by Herman Melville in 1851. The film, however, is based on an incredible true story — Nathaniel Philbrick’s eponymous novel — that inspired Melville’s Moby Dick. But despite its interesting excursion and fine visuals, the movie fails to captivate audiences at large.

Set in 1820, the story follows a disastrous expedition to reach a quota of 3,000 barrels of whale oil to meet the demands of the booming whale oil industry of Nantucket, an island off Cape Cod, Massachusetts. A whaling ship, The Essex, is assailed by an enormous, enraged bull sperm whale and the few remaining survivors struggle and commit abominations in their battle for survival. Owen Chase (Chris Hemsworth) is a bold, veteran whaler who longed to be the captain of the ship. Instead, he is offered to be second-in-command to George Pollard Jr (Benjamin Walker), the inexperienced captain of the ship from an established family who envies Chase’s skill and charisma. The youngest member of the crew, Thomas Nickerson (Tom Holland), accompanies them on their voyage and years later, reluctantly narrates the story to Melville, inspiring his timeless masterpiece. Director Ron Howard uses flashbacks to show this throughout the film.

It was essentially Hollywood heartthrob Hemsworth who lured many to watch yet another movie about the timeworn Moby Dick. While he may well justify the choice to watch the film, his character is somewhat a disappointment. Owen Chase may have been brave and true, but the character had no spark, making many wonder if Hemsworth was the right pick for the role. With audiences used to his gallant charm in movies such as Thor and Huntsman, it was hard to place Hemsworth as a sailor and his feeble attempt at mimicking a 19^th Century American accent only made matters worse.



On the upside, the film managed to create a believable 19^th Century atmosphere, as far as the costumes and the design of the ship were concerned. It also featured beautiful cinematography accompanied by a fitting orchestral soundtrack that provided appropriate music for the adventure film. The scenes and music made the film a pleasant watch, but not for the faint hearted. Filled with graphic images of whale carcasses and bloody attacks, including detailed descriptions of unspeakable acts committed by survivors, it was disturbing to watch.

Overall, In the Heart of the Sea did not quite capture the epic feel it clearly aspired to achieve. While the original movie, Moby Dick (1956), was short, simple and memorable, this latest offering was saturated with meaningless action and lacked substance. As a result, the film will easily be forgotten unlike its timeless tale.



Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, January 3^rd, 2016.