Moby Dick

In Brief: If we must have a film of Moby Dick (and it seems we must), then John Huston's 1956 film is probably the best we're going to get. It offers a reasonable approximation of the story in terms that can best be described as operatic. No, it has little subtext, but it's strong stuff in its melodramatic Classics Illustrated way. It's manly in typical Huston manner and superbly photographed. The unusual look of the film, created by Huston and cinematographer Orswald Morris, has the usual Huston effect of being striking while also having the sense of a style that is more grafted onto the film than inherent in it. (The ideal director for the book would probably have been John Ford, but that never happened.) The film's biggest problem lies in the casting of its two leads. Gregory Peck gives it a game try — and he's certainly enjoyably theatrical — but he's just too young for Ahab, while Richard Basehart is too old for Ishmael. Still, it's the go-to version for anyone wanting a film of the novel.