IN THE HEART OF THE SEA

US, 2015, 121 minutes, Colour.
Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Ben Whishaw, Cillian Murphy, Tom Holland, Brendan Gleeson, Frank Dillane, Charlotte Riley, Jordi Molla, Donald Sumpter, Jamie Sives.
Directed by Ron Howard.

This film opens with deep underwater photography and a voice-over, that of novelist Herman Melville, who reflects on the impact of the sea and who arrives in Nantucket to get background for his novel, Moby Dick.

But the main story is that of the voyage of the Essex in 1821, a whaling ship on expedition to the southern Atlantic and then into the Pacific Ocean. This story takes place in flashbacks as Melville interviews the last living survivor from the voyage who was a young lad, his first voyage, experiencing life on board, fierce storms, the confrontation of the giant white whale, the capsising of the Essex and surviving at sea for over three months.

Ben Whishaw plays Melville and Brendan Gleeson the man, now an embittered alcoholic, keeping the secrets of the voyage, even from his loving wife, but who is persuaded to reminisce and recount what happened.

The main action takes place in the 1820s, focusing on Owen Chase (Chris Hemsworth), newly married, his wife expecting a child, rather looked down on by the shipowners and merchants of Nantucket as a land man, but who gets the appointment to be first mate on the Essex, under the command of an establishment captain, George Pollard (Benjamin Walker). Their commission is to bring back as many barrels of whale oil as possible, the oil used for lighting the lamps of the city streets.

With the difference in background and temperament, there are clashes between captain and first mate, brought to a head in a decision about confronting a vast storm. The storm sequence, coming early, helps audience appreciate the difficulties and dangers of sailing ships on the oceans.

The film also gives us a close-up on the tracking of the whales, the men in rowboats getting close, steering amid the whales, finding the right moment to throw the harpoons, letting the rope go as far as possible before the whale is exhausted, the bringing of the whale blubber on board and its being cut up as well as the barrelling of the oil – with the young sailor being lowered into the belly of the whale to facilitate collecting the oil.

This all takes place in the South Atlantic, the ship then rounding Cape Horn and putting into a Chilean port where they hear news of a giant white whale which has destroyed a Spanish ship. They go in pursuit and this leads to the confrontation with the extraordinary whale, the foundation for Moby Dick, an image of nature versus humans and not vice versa. As with the novel, the great whale is an instrument of destruction, even pursuing the sailors after the sinking of the boat.

This is a film for audiences who appreciate going back into the 19th century and sharing these dangerous experiences. This is also a film for audiences, especially those inspired by Greenpeace, who have campaigned in recent decades against the exploitation of whales, some of the barbarity in the harpooning and dissection of the whales, as well as the exploitation of the whales as a resource – with an ironic remark at the end as the old man mentions to Melville that he has heard that someone has struck oil in Pennsylvania, something which he could not believe so extraordinary did it seem!

Direction of the film is by Ron Howard who for over 30 years has directed an extraordinary range of different genre films, from space in Apollo 13, a western in The Missing, and, to mention in passing only, two of the Dan Brown film adaptations, but winning an Oscar for A Beautiful Mind.

1. A 19th-century down to the sea in ships story, Herman Melville’s story?

2. The director, the variety of his films, is strong craft in many onerous?

3. The 19th century, Nantucket, Massachusetts, the town, farms, offices, the wharves, ships, homes? The 1820s in the 1850s? The musical score?

4. The title, the opening in the depths of the sea? A story of whales, their size, schools, roaming the ocean? A story of sailors, ships, storms, capsizing, surviving?

5. Herman Melville, his opening narration, arriving in Nantucket, knocking at the door, the wife, the old man, his anger, the offering of cash, his wife persuading him to tell the story, telling the tale and the flashbacks of his life? Melville’s attentiveness? The wife listening? The old man’s memories, the confession of the cannibalism, his shame? His wife and forgiveness? His feeling free? And her pragmatic taking of the money?

6. Melville and his career, his novels, compared with Hawthorne, his research, his time at sea, the effect, writing Moby Dick, the final information and Hawthorne’s acclaim for the novel?

7. The 1820s, life in Nantucket, Owen Chase and his wife, her pregnancy, the needs, the farm, going to sea, away for a year or more? Talking with the authorities, the company merchants, their hard stances, his being first mate, meeting the men in the town, the whalers, his character and their interactions, the loading of the ship, the young boy on board, an orphan, Chase as a father-figure? The captain, his cousin, looking down on Chase? The tangle of the sales, his cutting the rope, the reliable seaman?

8. The merchants, whaling, the oil business, the street lamps, expectations? The father and his son as captain?

9. Captain Pollard, his stances, arrogant, superior, the clash of personalities with Chase? The storm as a test?

10. Chase and his men, the insult of the captain and cousin, the keeping of the log? His work with the men?

11. The detail of the storm, destruction, its effects?

12. The South Atlantic, the whales, sighting, the school, rowing between them, harpooning, the length of rope, ingenuity and judgement as to when to throw the harpooning, the whale pulling the boat, stopping, the blood in the blow?

13. The whales on board, cutting up, collecting the oil, the young lad and his sickness, into the interior of the whale?

14. Into the Pacific, the search, support, the sailors and their stories, believable or not, the challenge of the great white whale?

15. Chase, his friendship with Matthew Joy? From the past? Their work on the boat? His relationship with the others, with young Tom?

16. Venturing into the Pacific, finding the whales after the long search? The whale, its size, pursuit, attack? The reaction of the whale, hitting its tail, the waves and smashing?

17. The whale, the complete destruction of the ship, the men in the boats, hurriedly getting water and provisions, the whale oil burning? Chase and his attempts to save, going into the water, in the flames, rescued?

18. Three boats, the small group of men in each, surviving, the son, the need for water, meagre provisions? The film giving information on the number of days and the distance from the South American coast?

19. Reactions, drifting, the issue of cannibalism? The cousin, drawing lots, to shoot the captain, his willingness? He shooting himself? The other dead men?

20. The island, the waves and the landing on the shore, surviving on the island, the cave? The decision whether to go or stay? Joy and the others staying? Chase getting a boat to return to rescue them?

21. The men saved, going home, Owen and the reunion with his wife, his little girl? George, his father, the challenge from the company? The hearings, wanting the cover-up? Owen and his decision to tell the truth? George and the truth and his integrity?

22. The information about the subsequent history of George and Owen? And the irony of the old Thomas hearing about oil being discovered in Pittsburgh – and the threat to the whaling industry?