Rating: 
Summary: Ahab as another Hamlet
Review: I agree largely with the reviews, and add only a small modicum of thought on Gregory Peck's portrayl of Captain Ahab. Melville's morbid, traigically-doomed & intelligent Ahab is nothing less-& perhaps more-than a recasting of Shakespeare's Hamlet . In that light, consider the many controvsersial portrayals & subsequent debate about the character of Hamlet. "We" seem to have a hard time wrapping ourselves around real, complex beings that incorporate rational intelligence & emotional blindness/stupidity, irrational anger & sublime goodness, etc. If we have trouble imagining such a character in our own minds, then consider the challenge to an accomplished actor & how well Peck has done! I found Peck's sudden burst of radiant smile in the "aft" scene surprising & wrong, but felt subsequently that he settled into the role quite successfully. Still, there's always a feeling floating about that he, the actor, didn't like the character he was playing. I'm not quite sure myself why I think that....
Rating: 
Summary: The Classic High Seas Adventure!!!
Review: There's only one Ahab, and that's Gregory Peck, and with the ensemble cast from Richard Basehart, Leo Genn, Harry Andrews, Orson Welles, and the others, it's a far better version, in this reviewer's opinion than the one released in 1998.This is Herman Melville's finest depiction for the screen, and if you want to see the White Whale, this is it, and if you want to see the brooding and obsessive Captain, this is it. What more can I say. It was directed brilliantly by John Huston, from his script co-written by Ray Bradbury, and it's a classic. View it and get chilled!!
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Summary: THE POLY SCI MAJOR WAS FORCED TO READ THIS
Review: The last thing i wanted to do was invest time reading this massive Tomb. To my pleasure though, I was taken away to a world I will never be able to visit in person. The story captured the spirit of the sea as I will always envision it.
Rating:
Summary: Hands down: The BEST version
Review: Hands down: This is the BEST version of M/B! From the first scene and "Call me Ishmael" I was hooked! But I'm totally mystified by some reviewers who call Peck's portrayal of Ahab as "wooden". To me, Peck captured the character and made it his.He chewed the background up and spat it out!(Unlike Patrick Stewart who came across as a silly, senile duffer) The clothing and mannerisms of 1840's New England (Especially the Quakers) was well done. An unforgetable scene is where the women of the town are standing on the docks, watching their men leave aboard the Pequod. The looks of anguish on their faces speaks a thousand words. Another effective scene is where Ahab "smothers" St. Elmo's fire. Pure Bradbury, but brilliant!
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Summary: "It's a white whale, I say...a white whale!"
Review: "Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth...whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off -- then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball." So it begins... Ray Bradbury's first Hollywood job, as screenwriter, and what a job he did! This is, far and away, the finest translation of this unique and wonderful story, by Herman Melville, taken from the true account of the whaleship "Essex." The only time in Maritime records of a whale deliberately ramming a ship! Richard Basehart is a low-key and very convincing Ishmael, Orson Welles, brilliant as the Preacher in his curious pulpit fashioned after a whaling ship, and ascended via a rope ladder... and Queequeg is magnificent, an exotic creaure, replete with unusual tattooed designs all over his face, and seldom without his unique pipe. Quite a memorable character...Gregory Peck is great as Ahab, and does a wholly convincing job of potraying the tortured Captain of the Pequod, pacing ominously up and down the deck, on his stump, fashioned from the jawbone of a whale, planning his revenge on the "damn-ed whale." His stentorian tones, and the portent with which he delivers his lines, is something to watch... Pip the cabin boy, is great with his tambourine and his joy at being at sea with the whaling men; what an adventure! When the Pequod sets out to sea, the women of the town look on, grief, sorrow and resignation etched in their faces, and then the mood lightens when the men sing as they work on the ship. And my favorite lines from Elijah...(paraphrasing)"There'll come a day at sea, when you'll smell land and there'll be no land, and all, all save one, shall perish." The adventures at sea, and the byplay between the crew, and the obvious affection and respect and awe they all feel for Ahab; wonderful stuff, and this affection eventually dooms them to follow him to their ultimate fate and encounter with Moby Dick. The effects are superb, even by today's standards, and the acting unparalleled. You will smell the salt water and feel the wind on your face when you watch this, the ultimate movie interpretation of Moby Dick. Ahab's stirring words to the crew, revealing his true intent on this voyage... "Whosoever of ye raises me a white-headed whale with a wrinkled brow and a crooked jaw; whosoever of ye raises me that white-headed whale, with three holes punctured in his starboard fluke- look ye, whosoever of ye raises me that same white whale, he shall have this gold ounce, my boys!" "Huzza! huzza!" cried the seamen, as with swinging tarpaulins they hailed the act of nailing the gold to the mast. "It's a white whale, I say," resumed Ahab, as he threw down the topmaul: "a white whale. Skin your eyes for him, men; look sharp for white water; if ye see but a bubble, sing out." "Captain Ahab," said Starbuck, who, with Stubb and Flask, had thus far been eyeing his superior with increasing surprise, but at last seemed struck with a thought which somewhat explained all the wonder. "Captain Ahab, I have heard of Moby Dick- but it was not Moby Dick that took off thy leg?" "Who told thee that?" cried Ahab; then pausing, "Aye, Starbuck; aye, my hearties all round; it was Moby Dick that dismasted me; Moby Dick that brought me to this dead stump I stand on now. Aye, aye," he shouted with a terrific, loud, animal sob, like that of a heart-stricken moose; "Aye, aye! it was that accursed white whale that razeed me; made a poor pegging lubber of me for ever and a day!" Then tossing both arms, with measureless imprecations he shouted out: "Aye, aye! and I'll chase him round Good Hope, and round the Horn, and round the Norway Maelstrom, and round perdition's flames before I give him up. And this is what ye have shipped for, men! to chase that white whale on both sides of land, and over all sides of earth, till he spouts black blood and rolls fin out. What say ye, men, will ye splice hands on it, now? I think ye do look brave." "Aye, aye!" shouted the harpooneers and seamen, running closer to the excited old man: "A sharp eye for the white whale; a sharp lance for Moby Dick!"
Rating:
Summary: Some Good Actors and a Great Director
Review: I saw this movie after having read the novel. It helped because I didn't have to concentrate so much on the story and could instead focus on the interesting characters. The main figures in the story are Captain Ahab of the Pequod and Ishmael, the book's narrator. The first mate Starbuck and Queequeg, harpooner of the Pequod, are also important. The second mate Stubb seems to assume a larger role in the movie. Much has been said about the miscasting of Gregory Peck as Captain Ahab. I would have to agree and throughout the movie I could never get used to Peck in that role. In contrast Richard Basehart as Ishmael gave a strong performance. It is difficult to do justice to Melville's beautiful prose in a movie and the slight deviations from the novel's plot are noticeable in the script.
Rating:
Summary: The Movie Drags In Spots
Review: MOBY DICK was obviously a very good movie which presented a difficult challenge for director John Huston. I definitely would have cast some other actor in the role of the crazed Captain Ahab. Even Edward G. Robinson would have been a better choice. The action scenes were better than average and the whale was probably superior by the standards for special effects in 1956.Ray Bradbury helped Huston with the script. My main complaint is that the movie drags in spots.
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Summary: Re: Full-Frame vs. Letterbox Debate
Review: Several of the reviews here condemn this DVD for not showing this film in its widescreen format. I recently watched a private theatrical screening of an original print, and, while it would seem a likely candidate in 1956 - the height of widescreen cinema - this film was not produced in widescreen. I'm all for the letterboxing of widescreen films - I personally wouldn't want it any other way - but in this case, someone has gotten some bad information. The print used for this DVD has indeed lost some of the depth of color from the original, but, until a remastered version comes along, it's still a great, classic film for anyone's collection, presented in its intended screen ratio. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Reviewer tries to pull own foot from mouth.
Review: It's really embarassing to have to apologize to a gigantic, soul-sucking corporation, but here goes; in an earlier review, I practically eviscerated MGM for not releasing John Huston's brilliant, wayward MOBY DICK in widescreen on DVD.The movie was released in 1956, at the heighth of widescreen mania, and the DVD case states "Standard: Modified to fit your screen".I was certain that I had seen it on TCM in widescreen, and I was certain that I had seen it released on laserdisc in widescreen.Further research forces me to admit that I didn't, and it wasn't. In other words, in spite of the "modified" notation on the case and my own bad memory, the DVD is in the correct 1.37:1 screen ratio format, and I recommend it unreservedly. Incidentally, the "faded" color mentioned elsewhere may not be in need of restoration; it's quite deliberate. Huston and cameraman Oswald Morris devised a color desaturation process by superimposing three color negatives on a low-contrast black & white fourth, resulting in a muted, stylized color scheme similar to old Currier & Ives prints. The result is one of the most poetically atmospheric literary adaptations ever put on film, in spite of its flaws. It's true that Richard Basehart is too old for Ishmael, and nearly everyone thinks Gregory Peck's cranky-instead-of-demonic Ahab isn't what it should be (I always thought John Huston himself would've made a great Ahab), but Ray Bradbury's script, the production design, the music, editing and direction more than compensate. From the lyrical opening to the apocalyptically-staged finale, with the "Pequod" being almost literally sucked down into Hell for its sins, the movie is a tremendous mood piece, and the last great film Huston would make until he really got back into his stride with 1975's THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING. The DVD has nothing extra on it except for the trailer, but it costs less than a pizza, and I should've checked my facts before I assaulted it. Once again, highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Redoubtable Moby
Review: I've seen this film at least once a year since it used to appear on NY's "Million Dollar Movie" in the 1960's. It doesn't hold many secrets from me: for instance, Gregory Peck is shown walking with the ivory leg contrapment only twice in the film(when he paces the quarter deck and near the end when he swings off a rope). The shot of Ahab walking in a storm outside the Spouter Inn is a stand-in. In other master shots, he's usually standing still; or when walking, he's shown in medium shots or close-ups, affecting a limp without wearing the appliance. The success of the film remains its mood and texture. Those are real Madeira whalers' arms chucking harpoons into the backs of sperm whales early in the picture (shot by the great cinematographer Freddie Francis) Close-ups of the actors would be added later and edited into the scene accordingly. And please don't underestimate Philip Stainton's brassy score. But can anyone tell me what time of day that first hunt for Moby Dick is ... night? Day? Dawn? And to this day, the myth exists that the film was shot exclusively on location (Portugal, the Irish Seas, etc.). But check out the blank white background flat in Ahab's opening oration to the crew. And in the final battle with the White Whale, there's a lot of miniature work going on, and Peck stabs Moby Dick in Elstree Studios not the Canary Islands. Also, I'm always amused by how the rubber whale breaches forcefully forward then comes to a dead stop in the water. Still, I love the film and I'd strike the sun or anyone else who insulted it.
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