REVIEW: William Hurt hunts the big one in ‘Moby Dick’

Moby Dick, Herman Melville’s classic whale of a tale, is given a worthy adaptation by Starz, the movie channel that’s increasingly moving toward original content. Starring William Hurt, Donald Sutherland and Ethan Hawke, the miniseries, now available on DVD and Blu-ray, is a three-hour dive into the beautiful landscape of the open ocean. It features all of the classic characters that readers have come to know through the generations.

Captain Ahab (Hurt) wants nothing else in life but to kill the white whale that took his leg. He’s willing to sacrifice both ship and shipmates to achieve his goal.

The early scenes feature the harbor of Nantucket and the busy nature of preparing for the long sea voyage. Ahab and his wife Elizabeth (Gillian Anderson) contemplate the journey ahead, while Father Mapple (Sutherland) offers spiritual advice to the seafaring crew. Although they’re well represented in these early scenes, both Anderson and Sutherland are distant memories once Ahab’s ship leaves port. Then, it’s just the big blue yonder and the fellowship of the boat’s crew.

Ishmael (Charlie Cox) is a newcomer to whaling, so he tries to learn as much as he can from the first mate (Hawke) and the strange Queequeg (Raoul Trujillo), an expert harpooner who’s ready to snag the big one for the old captain. Eddie Marsan, the great character actor, plays Stubb, a tough-love leader who seems as grizzled as Ahab.

Their stated mission is to kill some whales for the lucrative oil the animals provide; however, their spiritual calling is to find Moby Dick, the monster of the sea who lives in Ahab’s nightmares.

It can be difficult when adapting a classic work like Melville’s novel. Many audience members will either have read the book or at least know the characters and their trajectory. We know Starbuck will challenge Ahab for leadership. We know Ishmael will serve as the narrator. We know Queequeg will display uncommon strength and dedication.

So how does one make this fresh? Why is it worth retelling this tale in the 21st century? The answer most likely rests with Melville’s original intention. Although Moby Dick is a story about a giant whale, we all know it’s not truly about a whale. Yes, it features an ocean, boat and leviathan in the water, but the entire journey is meant to be allegorical. The whale stands for death or struggle or fear or whatever interpretation you’d like to insert. Overcoming the whale, and thus overcoming death, is an impossible feat, but one that men continually try to achieve.

Ahab, while he journeys after the inevitable, begins to crack apart. His pursuit of Moby Dick becomes a descent into madness, and we are led to believe that the trustworthy captain is not so trustworthy after all. He’s scarily willing to risk life and limb for a mid-ocean challenge that will prove nothing and everything.

Cox and Marsan are the best of the cast members, and they’re so likable because their two characters are polar opposites. Ishmael is contemplative, kind and green, while Stubb is violent, mean and experienced. Together they represent the dichotomy of the ship, and both Cox and Marsan skillfully bring them to life.

Hawke and Trujillo are also quite good, making us care for these men and their ordeal.

The weak point is surprisingly Hurt, who can never find the right rhythm with Nigel Williams’s script. When speaking the words of Ahab, he sounds like a Shakespearean actor struggling to find the poetry in a soliloquy. This results in a staccato line delivery that feels pushed and fake. He also shouts so many lines that his voice sounds strained and overworked — not like a sea captain, more like a tired actor.

Part of the problem with his central performance lies with the words that Williams has written. Several of the phrases seem pulled from the original source material, which is a nice touch. Other lines are hit-or-miss, with a few lines sounding more like 2011 than the 19th century (“He’s just messing with you,” for one).

The miniseries also has no sense of time and place. The ship leaves Nantucket and never seems to travel the open seas. When in the second half of the adaptation it’s finally mentioned that Moby Dick is headed toward the South China Sea, I couldn’t believe so much time and geography had elapsed. I honestly thought they were still off the coast of Massachusetts, close enough to wave to Donald Sutherland and Gillian Anderson on the mainland.

Still, director Mike Barker balances the drama nicely. He keeps the allegory and subtlety intact, even when a CGI whale hovers just below the surface. This could have turned into a mega-special effects display like one of those “Original Syfy Movies.” Instead, it turns out to be a thoughtful updating of arguably the greatest American novel of all time.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

• Moby Dick

• A TV miniseries from Starz

• Directed by Mike Barker

• Written by Nigel Williams; based on the novel by Herman Melville

• Starring William Hurt, Ethan Hawke, Donald Sutherland, Gillian Anderson, Charlie Cox, Eddie Marsan and Raoul Trujillo

• Running time: 184 minutes

• Not Rated

• Rating: