[5]

Gregory Peck is Captain Ahab in John Huston’s adaptation of Melville’s classic novel. Peck is reliably charismatic in the role, and the movie is at its best when it stays with him. Huston’s style is not an overly romantic one — which I think would have suited the movie better. I enjoyed the first thirty minutes the most, up through Ahab’s introduction and his first galvanizing speech to his crew. After that, though, great moments aren’t built to, they just spring up and happen without much pomp or circumstance.

Oswald Morris’ cinematography is intentionally desaturated, almost to the point of being black and white or sepia-toned. I found the choice off-putting. The miniature photography depicting the whale is a remarkable fete for the time, but the film relies on the same two or three angles of the whale ad nauseum. After a while, I didn’t want to see the whale anymore. And for as long as we’re stuck on the Pequod, we don’t get to know Ishmael, Starbuck, Queequeg, or anyone as well as we should. The strongest relationship is one of newfound loyalty between Ishmael and Queequeg, but they’re given short shrift with screen time. Stronger characters in addition to Ahab might have made me care more about the adventure as a whole. With Orson Welles and Richard Basehart. Script co-written by Ray Bradbury.