Moby Dick [DVD] [2007]

I enjoyed this film very much indeed. The film follows Herman Melville's novel reasonably well, but any deviation doesn't really matter. The film obviously isn't intended to follow the book exactly, but it stands by itself as a very enjoyable film about life aboard a 19th century whaler.'Moby Dick' goes a long way towards accurately depicting conditions in whaling ports and aboard whaling ships of the day. Whalers were generally crewed by a strange assortment of thugs, wastrels and cutthroats who wouldn't have been allowed to tread the decks of any self-respecting warship or merchantman. Other sailors despised whale crews as unskilled low-life who either spent much of their time doing nothing, or literally up to their knees in whale intestines, blood, excrement, blubber and oil. Whalers were also considered unapproachable due to the perpetual stink of their ships and themselves. The film goes a long way towards conveying this part of whaling and it's a shame the viewer can't actually smell the carnage aboard the Pequod while whales are being reduced and rendered to oil. Nevertheless, those scenes go quite some way towards accurately depicting the conditions.I especially liked the brooding atmosphere of this film, as well as the wide range of characters magnificently played by the actors. Characters that especially stand out are the Nantuckett soothsayer, the two owners of the Pequod, Gregory Peck's sermon as Father Mapple, Starbuck, and the rookie sailor Ishmail who narrates the film. Quinqueg is another of the main characters in 'Moby Dick' and he is magnificently portrayed as a heavily tattooed and menacing Polynesian islander. The only thing I didn't like about Quinqueg was the fact I couldn't really understand what he was saying. I think the character would have been improved by having plainer speech.Patrick Stewart's portrayal of the mad and obsessed Captain Ahab is quite superb. There's something sinister and awesome about Ahab. After assembling the crew shortly after sailing, Ahab starts off in a friendly and reasonable manner, but he soon cows the entire crew as he stomps before them once his madness and obsessive hatred of Moby Dick has appeared.The whaleboat scenes are exciting and accurately convey the dangers of a 'Nantuckett Sleighride'. Many small whaleboats and crews were lost when they were towed miles over the horizon by whales they had harpooned, or simply destroyed when the whale sounded or breeched below or above them. Those dangers are well demonstrated here. I felt the scenes involving Moby Dick himself weren't too convincing. The whale was obviously an animation and he appeared much smaller than a real adult sperm whale would, but perhaps this was for technical reasons relating to the film originally being made for TV. However, it doesn't matter as the few scenes with Moby Dick don't detract from the main focus of the film which are the characters and life aboard a 19th century whaler.This film is very enjoyable - so much so that I watched it three times in a week! I was a little disconcerted when the first half stopped abruptly at the first sighting of Moby Dick! The credits started rolling and I thought that either it was a very bad ending to the film, or I was missing a second DVD! I then discovered that the DVD is in fact double-sided and it has to be turned over to play the second half. That was a relief! I've never come across that before.I would recommend this DVD to anyone who wants to settle down and enjoy a good film and some wonderful character acting.

To my mind this is the best version of Moby Dick committed to cinema or TV. Consisting of 2 feature-length episodes on one disc it effectively captures the overall essence of Melville’s seminal work in a format that is easy to digest.With an excellent soundtrack and sensitive filming this is a high quality production that is a joy to watch (although it is a pity that there are no sub-title options - about the only real criticism I have). It is however the quality of acting from all concerned that truly elevates this to the incredibly enjoyable viewing experience that it is. Stewart in particular has to deserve special mention for his portrayal of the tortured and tragic Ahab. Powerful, moving, spellbinding and mesmerising from his first appearance to his last, his masterful performance is without doubt what makes this DVD a must-buy.If you are fed up with modern films which rely upon tedious eye-candy to wallpaper over shallow story lines, pointlessly noisy sound-tracks, ridiculously dark ‘lighting’ or inconceivably unrealistic ‘action sequences’ then cheer yourself up and get this DVD. If quality and talent are the things that are important to you when it comes to your viewing pleasures then I assure you that you will not be disappointed.

Can Patric Stewart act? Can Ted Levine? I think so-This d.v.d is value for money for these two alone...Personally,I found the whale quite convincing enough especially given that the story is about the state and effects of fanaticism and not about the cause of same that makes the albino whale merely a more freakish symbol than a normal one would have been...This nonhuman enemy is after all,almost faceless...There are no bad actors in this but some have meatier roles and Queequeg is played excellently also amongst many other fine players...The length helps unfold a complex story better than a theatrical film as King suggests is true for his televisual books that also span three hours odd... I think this is a classic version which also employs the elderly Greg Peck to early advantage in an honorary role as the priest and which evolves chronologically through many superb scenes toward its inevitable tragic and cathartic end with only the one witness to the costly wages of heroic obsession...There are other versions with extras but at these prices,it's a steal,truly.

This is not a film that would in any case be improved by special effects. A large whale, open-mouthed and angry is about the extent of necessary special effects. This film 'lifts' freely from the brilliance of the Peck/Huston version, even so far as including Peck in a minor role. However, Stewart's interpretation of the bedevill'd and obsessed Ahab is commanding and beguiling at the same time. The relationship between Starbuck and Ahab is portrayed well. With so many specifics making up Melville's novel, this is not an easy film to make. The result in this case is good.

You are warned at the start - "based on the novel"; very loosely based - episodes invented, episodes missing, critical details wrong. Worse, the spirit of the book is absent; the Bradbury/Huston/Peck version is far superior here. One of the great American novels, full of scholarship and humour, exploring our place in the universe, our relationship to god and each other, what evil and redemption mean, the interplay of loyalty, ethics and friendship, what it means to be civilised, here becomes merely a boys-own adventure story.Patrick Stewart has a good effort at making something out of this mess, and the supporting lead actors are all clearly very capable professionals, but they have an impossible task; Queequeg in particular is a parody of Melville's character.

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Excellent production even if a little dated and we enjoyed watching it.The story is exciting even if you have to give license for interpretation but it is after all a story and a good one at that.