Hollywood has been making Moby Dick movies for almost 100 years. Why, after all this time, has nobody gotten it right? John Huston tried, and did the best of anyone. Peck was the right man for the job and the script was pretty solid. Enough cannot be said about Orson Welles' turn as Father Mapple. But it had its flaws. Richard Basehart was completely miscast as Ishmael.
In this version, there was a misfired attempt to to give Ahab a back story, complete with a wife and child and a kind disposition. It completely destroyed the core of the character. Ahab was reclusive, mean and bitter. We only should hear murmurings about him initially, not see him giving advice to his son at the dinner table or kissing his lovely wife as they relax in the parlor.
And what was that ridiculous nonsense about Ishmael saving Pip from his abusive owner at the beginning? Was it simply a device to get him to say the opening "Call me Ishmael" line? When the makers of these films try to give progressive qualities to the heroes... well, it simply comes off as forced. Melville does a wonderful job of it already. His interactions with Queequeg, especially in the beginning, are tremendously touching. This was almost completely ignored in this version, replaced by Ishmael acting as another clichéd White Savior.
Also, quite inexplicably, the location of the docked Pequod was changed from New Bedford to Nantucket. What was the point of that?, I kept asking myself.
The cast all seems happy to be there. Gillian Anderson does her best to continue to act like she's British. Hurt, as Ahab, is fairly impotent. Ethan Hawke's hastily grown mustache did the bulk of the heavy lifting as Starbuck. The rest came straight from Central Casting.
What does this have going for it? Weeeell. . . Charlie Cox was OK, if a little stiff. Slightly better at it than Henry Thomas, I should say.
Watch this if you love Moby Dick, but don't expect too much. Certainly don't watch this one if you're trying to write an essay for your high school English class. Your teacher will know right away you were too lazy to read the book.
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