Technical assessment: 3
Moral assessment: 2.5
CINEMA rating: V14
MTRCB rating: PG13
In the heart of the sea is an adaptation of the non-fiction bestseller about the
destruction of the whaling ship, Essex, by a humungous white sperm whale. The adventure is told by Thomas
Nickerson (Gleeson), the lone survivor of the ship’s last voyage, to novelist
Herman Melville (Whishaw) 30 years later.
In 1820, 14 year old Nickerson is drafted as cabin boy for the refitted
Essex to participate in the lucrative whale oil industry. The owners hire
George Pollard (Walker) an inexperienced mariner from an established whaling
family as captain, and veteran whaler Owen Chase (Hemsworth) as first mate. The
disgust and envy of both men for each other affect their relationship onboard
and the decisions they make, almost costing the lives of their crew. However, to save face and ensure that
they do not return to port empty handed, the men agree to set their differences
aside in order to catch some whale. Months pass with little progress and they
decide to sail on undisturbed grounds where they are attacked by a huge sperm
whale that destroys their ship.
The surviving crew escape on three smaller boats where their courage and
will is tested as they face constant attacks from the vengeful whale, hunger
and thirst and one another’s dissent. In the end the surviving crew realize
respect for nature and integrity are far more worthy than success.
The film starts slowly and continues on a painstaking effort to
match the momentum of the drama and action of its literary counterpart. But in
no way does it diminish its cinematic value. Undoubtedly, Howard put as much
heart and soul in the computer-generated whale sequences and Hemsworth holds
his ground with enigmatic presence and solid performance. While the
storytelling is strong and comforting, the dialogue is a little weak and
lacking in humor and punch. Scoring and production design is intelligently
conceived as they enhance the period and mood of the scenes.
Two main points can be derived from the film. One, reputation and
connection should never take precedence over experience and skill. Pollard’s
family name should not have been the basis for naming him captain over the more
qualified Chase; the former’s inexperience led to the voyage’s failure. Sadly,
present society still favors patrons, reputation and popularity over real
skills in appointing people for certain positions. Second, man likes to abuse
and fight nature for his own benefit, but in the end, nature always wins. The
scared bull whale attacked the men brutally, not because it is violent or
aggressive but because it had to defend itself. Once Chase stopped trying to
kill it, the whale left them alone. We are currently experiencing countless
lashes from nature—thunderstorm, storm surge, earthquake, and drought. Maybe if
we left nature alone it would start to heal and become less vengeful. Maybe if
we respected nature more, it would start to care and provide for us again.
While, there are good messages in the film, acts of cannibalism (although
understandable under the circumstances) and animal torture might not be
appropriate for young audiences without parental guidance.
