If you relish Ron Howard’s directorial work then you’ll know he’s a fan of telling a real, genuine story and also one that gets deep beneath the surface. With In the Heart of the Sea he takes it to an almost literal level and explores the astonishing stories behind the legend of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. His film is based Nathaniel Phibrick’s nonfiction book ‘In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex’ and it looks candidly, and almost unbelievably, inside the unique story of ordinary men who ultimately created a legend.
Starring Chris Hemsworth as experienced first mate Owen Chase, and Benjamin Walker as the untested Captain Pollard, the film begins by taking us back to 1820 and to Nantucket, New England where the whaling ship Essex has set off to find whale oil to bring back to fuel the city. Historically this is accurate, as it’s before they discovered oil under the Earth, but in modern times where we rightly frown on any animal cruelty in Western culture and so animal lovers might find early hunt scenes hard to watch. However, if you can cover your eyes for certain uncomfortable, unpleasant scenes then you’ll eventually find a tale of survival in the most extreme circumstances. Very importantly though this isn’t about the glory of killing as after one hunt climax, Howard sets the camera lens straight on Hemsworth’s Chase and Tom Holland’s young seaman Tom Nickerson and we visibly witness the regret as blood entwines with the sea drizzle and dusts their faces.
Thankfully these early moments are brief and while the memory of what they’ve done haunts them, they all know they have to carry on and eventually take something back to the city. They cannot return with nothing, nor can they go back with half the oil they need. As they continue to hunt down other whales, the birth of maritime folklore begins as a pod of Whales has a protector and rest assured my friends, the mighty Whale will have his day. An undeniable behemoth. This deity of the ocean fights back and on their very first collision, the great whale takes down their ship the Essex.
From this point, it’s a tale of our sailors trying to survive and also being shadowed by their mysterious, dangerous mammal. There is beautiful storytelling involved as well, that of the relationships that develop and change between those who are left, steadily dwindling and it’s all moulded together by a more subtle Hans Zimmer-like score by Roque Baños who creates a motif that sails beautifully right through the centre of the story. Ron Howard and cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle also create a visual adventure where, in my case, you don’t even question what you’re seeing, which is both a feat of technology and using the right shots at the opportune moment.
In the Heart of the Sea is a big whale vengeance tail [sic] that doesn’t remotely hide away from the brutality of what they used to have to do, or the dark nature of human survival in the gaping jaws of death. It may not be quite as tight overall as I’d hoped but undoubtedly leaves a significant impression.
In the Heart of the Sea is out now on Digital HD and available on 3D™, Blu-ray™ and DVD 2nd May.
Blu-ray Extras: Whale Tales: Melville’s Untold Story / The Hard Life of a Whaler / Chase & Pollard: A Man of Means (The only feature on the DVD) / Lightning Strikes Twice / Commanding the Heart of the Sea / Island Montage / Deleted Scenes / Ron Howard’s Captain’s Log (10 different videos!)
Pingback: In the Heart of the Sea Blu-ray Review | Dentoron Movies