Moby Dick (1956)

Posted on February 5, 2015 by emmakwall

“At sea one day, you’ll smell land where there’ll be no land, and on that day Ahab will go to his grave, but he’ll rise again within the hour. He will rise and beckon. Then all – all save one shall follow…”

Moby Dick (1956) – A Film Review

Moby Dick is an adventure movie starring Gregory Peck and Richard Basehart. The story is of course based on the famous 1851 novel ‘Moby Dick / The Whale’ by Herman Melville.

The story follows narrator Ishmael (Basehart) as he joins up with whaler ship ‘The Pequod’, led by Captain Ahab (Peck). Despite a frightening premonition about the fate of the ship and dark rumours about the stern Captain Ahab, Ishmael and the rest of the crew set sail.

This proves to be a mistake of epic proportions but alas, who was to know that Captain Ahab was such a psychopathic, mad bastard (and kind of sexy, but that might just be me!).

Captain-Ahab

We subsequently learn how Captain Ahab is consumed with the need to find MOBY DICK – a huge white whale, bigger than any other known to man. Ahab had been left crippled and scarred by a previous meeting with Moby Dick and though he (obviously) survived the attack he did lose a leg, some facial tissue and a lot of marbles.

Though permanently injured from the white whale, Ahab is undoubtedly an impressing and imposing presence. He rarely shows himself on deck in daylight, preferring to frequent the wooden boards at night whilst looking out over the water for a sign of Moby Dick. Having lost his leg to the beast, he uses a whale bone as a prosthetic and it thumps on the ship floor eerily while the crew in the cabins below listen to him, talking amongst themselves about his madness.

mdMoby Dick is such an atmospheric film, it really impressed me. Such an intense ending!

I’ve read that the book explores many themes between different characters and situations but in this film it is Ahab who sticks in my mind more than anything else. His need for finding Moby Dick has quite obviously sent him mad, but it is like a virus, a virus that he is able to pass down to his crew, lathering them up into a frenzied spirit, making their lust for Moby Dick the same as his own. All except for our narrator Ishmael – who sees things for what they are.

The last scenes in the movie where Ahab inevitably meets with Moby Dick are frightening, exciting and insane – all at the same time.

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88 Responses to Moby Dick (1956)

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  1. stolzyblog's avatar stolzyblog says:
    October 23, 2021 at 02:25

    one of the movies which most impressed me in my youth… loved the harpoonist guy.

    Liked by 1 person

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  2. cottagecaretakersyahoocom's avatar cottagecaretakersyahoocom says:
    September 13, 2019 at 06:51

    Dear Emma,

    This is a very good article. I only saw this film once many years ago. However, my father has seen it many times and he really likes it! It’s one of his favorite movies from which to quote lines!

    My name is Rebekah Brannan, and I’m one of the founders of the Pure Entertainment Preservation Society. Seeing that you are a fan of horror and drama, I think you would be the perfect person to participate in my upcoming blogathon. This year, on September 23-25, I am hosting The Phantom of the Opera Blogathon. The blogathon will be dedicated to all adaptations, spin-offs, prequels, and sequels of the immortal tale The Phantom of the Opera! As devoted Phans, my sister, Tiffany and I could not let the 110th anniversary of the beginning of the original novel’s serialization in the newspaper Le Gaulois pass without some form of commemoration. I invite you to celebrate this event by joining The Phantom of the Opera Blogathon.

    You can read the announcement here: https://pureentertainmentpreservationsociety.wordpress.com/2019/08/14/its-here-the-phantom-of-the-opera-blogathon/.

    I hope you will join us for this three-day celebration of all things phantasmic, and that you will advertise it on your blog using one of my dramatic banners!

    Thank you very much for your time!

    Joyfully,

    Rebekah Brannan

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  3. In My Cluttered Attic's avatar In My Cluttered Attic says:
    December 27, 2016 at 11:19

    A very good film, and the effects hold up well. I agree with you: the film is quite atmospheric.

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  4. Pingback: Emma’s Film 2014 | emmakwall (explains it all)

  5. Silver Screenings's avatar Silver Screenings says:
    May 9, 2015 at 17:51

    I really like Gregory Peck in this role, because it’s so different from his usual heroic characters. Loved your description of whipping his crew into a frenzy over the whale – so true!

    I tried reading the book, but it. is. a. grind. 185 pages in, and the ship hadn’t even left the harbour yet! Life is too short.

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    • emmakwall's avatar emmakwall says:
      May 11, 2015 at 08:17

      Yes, definitely! I was quite transfixed by him. Thanks so much! That bit of the film was really so intense and kind of frightening. Very impressive!!

      Oh wow, 185 pages in and STILL NOT LEFT the Harbour?! I think you did well to get that far! And I….doubt I’ll ever be reading it! Haha.

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  6. vinnieh's avatar vinnieh says:
    April 28, 2015 at 10:45

    When I saw the title for this post, I thought this was gonna be a different kind of movie Emma.

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  7. David's avatar That Moment In says:
    April 28, 2015 at 07:34

    Catching up on some of your older posts. I remember watching this with my mom on TV so long ago while I was a kid. I remember being scared. Ha. I should try to find this again. Great review.

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