In the Heart of the Sea, based off the book of the same name, tells the harrowing tale of the sinking of the Essex, a story that inspired Herman Menville’s 1851 novel, Moby Dick (the movie isn’t based off of Moby Dick itself, even though the author is a character. Yes, it’s confusing). Starring Chris Hemsworth, Brendan Gleeson and Benjamin Walker, there is one word that can capture the essence of the film: enjoyable.
The film is told through a conversation between Thomas Nickerson (Brendan Gleeson plays the old man; Tom Holland is the younger version) and Menville (Ben Winshaw). The acting is riveting, and gives the viewer some sense of the horror his crew went through.
That terror is fully realized when we meet Owen Chase (Hemsworth), first mate of the Essex under Captain Pollard (Walker). It’s hard to imagine the God of Thunder playing a whaler, but Hemsworth brings a confidence to the role that I don’t think could’ve been replicated by another (even if his attempt at an American accent falters along the way). Even after the Essex sinks and the crew is confined to row boats, Hemsworth brings the gravitas required to lift this movie out from its computer-generated imagery (CGI) dependence and add the sense of practical thrill.
But this same dependence dampens the movie from becoming the best it can be. Different shots throughout the film look cheap, with one sequence in a storm that makes you wonder if director Ron Howard (Apollo 13, Rush) had a TV budget to work with. It gets even worse when a rather dramatic scene involving the massive whale becomes hard to see, with lens flare almost as blinding as the sunrise. It made the movie feel as though it had bad budget management, especially when you compare it to some fantastic visual sequences later on.
Where the film excels is its ability to deliver strong messages through its action sequences. One in particular involves Chase killing a whale. While whaling is currently a controversial topic, the practice was rampant throughout the 1800s as industries relied on whale oil. Yet during this intense sequence, the film is able to effectively present the moral dilemmas these characters deal with. Through the blood-stained faces of the rowers, we see that this isn’t something they want to do – it’s their job, a job they have to do to make money and go home.
Adapting this tale was always going to be hard due to the intense nature of the story, For instance, this movie doesn’t shy away from cannibalism. But, with enough great performances from the cast and outstanding imagery to counteract its drawbacks, In The Heart of the Sea is a great movie on the horizon. There she blows!
In the Heart of the Sea comes out today. Check out a trailer below: