Moby Dick

1956

Action / Adventure / Drama

30
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 73% · 26 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 73% · 5K ratings
IMDb Rating 7.3/10 10 23803 23.8K

captain stroke of fate based on novel or book whale obsession boat

Plot summary

In 1841, young Ishmael signs up for service aboard the Pequod, a whaler sailing out of New Bedford. The ship is under the command of Captain Ahab, a strict disciplinarian who exhorts his men to find Moby Dick, the great white whale. Ahab lost his leg to that creature and is desperate for revenge. As the crew soon learns, he will stop at nothing to gain satisfaction.

Director

John Huston Photo
John Huston

Top cast

Richard Basehart Photo
Richard Basehart as Ishmael
James Robertson Justice Photo
James Robertson Justice as Captain Boomer
Frazer Hines Photo
Frazer Hines as Boy
John Huston Photo
John Huston as Barman / Ship's Lookout
720p.BluRay 1080p.BluRay
1.03 GB
1280*720
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 55 min
Seeds 2
1.92 GB
1920*1080
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 55 min
Seeds 18

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by ragosaal 7 / 10

Easier to Watch than the Book to Read

I red Herman Melville's book "Moby Dick" some years ago and though the story was really captivating and I enjoyed it very much but somehow it seemed too long to me. This film version by John Houston lasts a couple of hours and I think it works very good as a resume of Captain Ahab's revengeful chase of the white whale. Don't get me wrong: the book is a classic and a very good one too but it is movies we're talking about here."Moby Dick" is a real good adventure film and Houston's direction is pretty accurate. He delivers the plot slowly but constantly up to the moment we are all waiting for: the appearance of the whale ("huge as mountain of snow"). In the meantime he shows the different characters on board the "Pequod" such as the professional Mr. Starbuck, the second in command; the tough and at he same time friendly Mr. Stubb; the mysterious Queequegg with his body covered by tattoos; and Ishmael the newcomer in search for adventure.But the center of the whole thing is Captain Ahab with his leg ripped of by the white whale and living with the only purpose of taking revenge of the beast. Nothing else matters for him. And so obsessed Ahab is that he finally passes his madness into his men too.Gregory Peck brings a fine performance as the tortured and insane Captain and he shows perfectly he has been a dead man long before his meeting at sea with Moby Dick. Leo Genn is good too as well as Harry Andrews as Stubb (I can't recall a bad performance from Andrews in all his many appearances as a supporting actor). Richard Basehart is correct in the role of Ishmael, though perhaps his acting is a little too light here.The final battle between the men and the white whale is outstanding or even more if you consider it was made with the special effects of the 50's. Huston shows his skill here too.Watch this film if you missed it (don't go for that recent too long all computer TV version starring Patrick Stewart as Ahab); you'll sure enjoy it if you like high classic adventure with psychology in the characters too.
Reviewed by rudi-samborski 7 / 10

flavour of the period

I do understand the criticism of Gregory Peck. His character seems too young and not nearly tortured enough to do Ahab full justice.The book obsesses about the religious significance of everything. You get a flavour of that with this film too, with superstition seamlessly blended in as well. Orson Wells awesome cameo as the preacher sets up and supports this important plot element. Important because, this is how men thought and dealt with the ongoing risk associated with seafaring. They were literally at the mercy of nature & the elements for months & years at a time. An enduring image of the film for me is the scene where a member of the crew is seen carving patterns on Queequeg's (already heavily decorated) body using a knife. Queequeg himself is stoic and resigned to die at this point. Ishmael though, is outraged on discovering this abuse of his friend. This is unique to the screenplay, and is a brilliant dramatic instrument. Ahab: 'From hell's heart I stab at thee; for hate's sake I spit my last breath at thee.' This line was also borrowed by Ricardo Monteban's Khan in 'The Wrath of Khan'. Melville was inspired to write his tale by the personal account of Owen Chase, the son of a survivor of the Ship Essex, sunk by a whale in the Pacific. The whale charged twice; knocking itself out the first time. Houston's film seems to capture a flavour of the period. It's probably substantially inaccurate, but it's nevertheless convincing. No other version of Moby Dick I've seen has been able to pull that off.
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