In the Heart of the Sea [M]

Sometimes, the best fictional stories are those inspired by true events. For writer Herman Melville, this is the case as he tracks down a survivor of the Essex; a ship that set out to collect whale oil for the market only to be destroyed by a monstrous whale, stranding the crew for many days out at sea. Over the course of one night Melville listens to a long-repressed tale of horror, drama, travel, desperation, loss, and inspiring courage; themes that he aspires to explore in his upcoming novel.

The remarkable story that did inspire the tale of Moby Dick, In the Heart of the Sea depicts an incredible story, some of it quite confronting, in a very tasteful, pretty, and sophisticated way. Director Ron Howard shows off a great level of taste and style in the shot composition and the mise-en-scene, bringing a balance to the film that makes it both beautiful and horrifying. 

So yes, embellishing on that point of balance and mise-en-scene, the most striking thing about this movie is the way in which it is filmed. Howard displays an acute understanding of the relationship between colour, light, filters, and camera positioning and direction that all work together to culminate in this surprisingly beautiful film; surprising because a fair portion of the content contrasts quite strongly against the tasteful way in which it’s depicted. 

Howard doesn’t entirely romanticise the idea of nautical travel, indeed a fair portion of this story depicts the desperate lengths that captains, first mates, and crewman must go to in order to survive when all things go wrong, but he does depict it in a way that impresses upon the audience the drama and horror of what is happening without being overly graphic. A level of sophistication akin to that of Hitchcock’s most iconic murders is what Howard shows in this movie through the use of off-camera sounds and intimations, changing filters of the camera –namely water and oil- to create many of the changing atmospheres, slow-motion tracking, extreme close-ups and extreme long-shots depicting drama, desperation, and hopelessness, and an extraordinary use of colour and lighting that is both mystical and cruel. 

Add to this the startling achievement in makeup and the horror of the story really hits home, particularly within the most desperate scenes where all hope really does seem lost. It struck me most in the transformation that Hemsworth’s character went through; beginning the movie with that full and gorgeous boyish face of his to then be replaced by sun-browned sandy skin, perfectly protruding cheekbones, chapped and cracked lips that are full and tender, it’s shocking and painful to see but it does add to the drama and is a key enabler in creating the hopeless atmosphere of the characters and their plight during the film’s most crucial scenes. 

In comparison to the achievements in makeup and Howard’s stylish mise-en-scene, the CGI proves to be a little bit lacking in awe-inspiring power with the whales not really having that majestic wonder that they should and it being fairly easy to spot when something had been created by a computer. However, set against the style of the movie and the performances, this is a small, floundering fault. 

Starring Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Ben Winshaw, Benjamin Walker, Michelle Fairley, Tom Holland, Frank Dillane, Paul Anderson, Joseph Mawle, Edward Ashley, Sam Keeley, Osy Ikhile, Gary Beadle, Jamie Sives, and Brendan Gleeson, In the Heart of the Sea is a beautifully executed film, but one that you must be in the right mood to watch. Some of the content is quite confronting and should not be entered into lightly, but aside from that this movie is an exhibition of sophisticated direction, engaging performances, and an intriguing story.