ThiefHott Too much of everything

FeistyUpper If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Listonixio Fresh and Exciting

Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Mark Turner MOBY DICK is famed as one of the greatest and most difficult to read novels of all time. The tale of a man obsessed with the destruction of a legendary white whale that took his leg and left him scarred has long been considered an allegorical tale of good and evil, looks at the differences in class structure and discusses the existence of God. At 822 pages that's a lot to transfer to a movie that last only an hour and 56 minutes but somehow it was done.The story itself tells the tale of a young seaman named Ishmael (Richard Basehart) who signs aboard the ship Pequod, a whaling vessel run by one Captain Ahab (Gregory Peck). Ishmael is bunkmates his first night before they sail with a tattooed harpooner named Queequeg who has a set of shrunken heads on hand in the room. The two start off tentative but become fast friends as Queequeg teaches Ishmael the ways of the ship.Eventually Ishmael meets the famed Captain Ahab who promises his crew to return with their ship filled with whale oil and success for all on board. But Ahab is a strange sort who also has an ulterior motive. He doesn't just seek whales but one in particular, a white albino whale feared by all and known as Moby Dick. The desire to find the whale is one filled with revenge as it was Moby Dick who took the leg from Ahab on another voyage.The majority of the movie takes the time to set up the final confrontation between man and beast. Segments on dry land before the ship sets sail include a scene set in a church where the pastor preaches from the bow of a ship installed in the church. That pastor is played by Orson Welles who is nearly unrecognizable. The journey of the men, the harsh penalties for wrong doing and the long wait to find the whales they seek all take up a portion of the time.When the great white whale is finally found Ahab promises those who follow him untold fortunes if they will but help him destroy the whale. His obsession with the whale becomes their own and all seem to set aside not just the fortune in whale oil they've already filled the ship with but their own safety as well. Larger than the ship they sail on the white whale seems as determined to insure none of them leave alive and the battle between man and beast is on display.The movie is a mixed bag, entertaining for some and tedious for others. That it is a well-made film that tackled the chore of bringing the novel to life is worth noting and for that matter makes it one worth seeing as well. While the cast does a great job it is Peck who stands out as the near mad Ahab, determined to have his revenge at all costs.The effects for the time are amazing to witness and the sequences involving the whale are fantastic. Done before the days of CGI as it would be accomplished now, the movie here offers practical effects. The whale is a terrifying sight to behold and imagining what it would be like to confront it on its own ground would be something I for one would choose to avoid.Twilight Time is releasing the film in blu-ray format and as with all of their titles limiting it to just 3,000 copies. If interested make sure you pick yours up right away.

elvircorhodzic MOBY DICK is a solid combination between human drama and sea adventure. This movie is probably the most faithful adaptation of the popular novel by Herman Melville. A sailor comes in a small fishing town in New England. He becomes one of the sailors on the whaling ship. Despite sailor stories that the captain is a freak whaling is successful. However, one day the captain starts to mention the mysterious white whale ...The story focuses on a man and his obsession. Motivation, which establishes very good and dramatic plots, is highly questionable. Despite the captain's consuming hatred and passion for revenge, I think that the motivation of the crew by the captain is the biggest flaw in this film. This is kind of a symbolic representation of the "profound" dialogue that only deepens human agony. Mr. Huston has filled dark atmosphere with a certain amount of mysticism that enhances the feeling of agony and emptiness during the sea wanderingHuman drama is the harmonious combination between effort, error, hope and despair. Sea adventure ends with an expected incident that in the final climax is not impressive. A lot of time and effort was spent on visual effects and it should be respected.Gregory Peck as Captain Ahab is tall, thin and a pretty unconvincing character as a notorious captain, who is torn between his own obsession and revenge. He poisoned the whole crew with his craziness. Characterization is average, due to the complex story. Richard Basehart as Ishmael is a young whale man, observer and storyteller. Leo Genn as Starbuck is the voice of reason. Friedrich von Ledebur as Queequeg is a grotesque phenomenon who is skilled with a harpoon and predicting the future. Orson Welles as Father Mapple got his 5 minutes in the movie. The friendship between the two great directors resulting in an unnecessary appearance.This is an ambitious project which resulted in a solid film about revenge, self-destructiveness and fight against one's own destiny.

Armand it is one of rare adaptations who can win the competition with its source. and it is not a surprise - the collaboration between John Huston and Ray Bradberry, the convincing Ahab by Gregory Peck, the inspired technical solutions to novel challenges makes the film not exactly a successful work but an admirable lesson of cinema, courage and admirable adaptation. a movie who impress at whole - the atmosphere, the acting, the white monster, the splendid scene , mixture of tension and wise manner to use the book opportunities. basic rule - to not ignore than it is a movie from 1956. sure, for many it is only a detail. but significant to understand the difficulties to make it and for admire the solutions. because its virtue is the science to preserve the spirit of one of greatest literary masterpieces and to be not only a good adaptation but a profound tribute to the heroism and to a great writer.

CaptainAhab12345 Last Time I watched this movie I was a young boy,so I viewed it with a child's mind. Having just watched it again,I enjoyed it very much and rate the 1956 version highly.Though there where certain things left out of the 1956 version in comparison to the book, it did not take away from my enjoyment of the film,though Nantucket being referred to as New Bedford did annoy me a little, but I soon got over that.Still trying to decide who said this line best "I'll follow him around the Horn, and around the Norway maelstrom, and around perdition's flames before I give him up". Ricardo Montalban (Wrath of Khan) or Peck !Overall this is an absolute classic movie and for me one of Pecks best performances. For the younger people out there, don't be put off by this being an old film, it is well worth watching, but try to read the book first to fill in the gaps.