At the movies – In the heart of the sea

2016 At the movies January 2016 Suzanne A. Marshall

By Suzanne A. Marshall from the January 2016 Edition

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson,

Director: Ron Howard

“A recounting of a whaling ships sinking by a giant whale in 1820 that would inspire the great novel, Moby Dick.”

Be prepared to spend a lot of time on the swollen seas with the crew of a whaling ship that embarks on its regular quest to load the ships hold with barrels of whale oil. The demand for whale oil during this era has developed a new industry for ship builders and seamen. The whale oil was most commonly used for oil lamps, soaps and margarines.

The movie begins with Herman Melville interviewing the last aged survivor of a whaling ship that encounters the infamous killer whale renowned to have escaped attempts at being caught by other whalers and has plundered their ships. Whales have become scarcer from over-fishing as the ship heads out to far seas where these whales are said to be abundant.

Now the movie becomes about the men and their ship against the giant whale that not only evades their harpoons but has an apparent grudge and turns the hunters into the hunted. The movie is very well done and realistic. I felt that I’d had a very long, wet and frightening journey at sea. It’s a really good watch.
IMDB has rated this movie at 7.2/10 stars based on 12,752 viewers

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