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Moby Dick

Moby Dick

Adventure · Drama · 1956

In 1841, young Ishmael signs up for service aboard the Pequod, a whaler sailing out of New Bedford. The ship is under the command of Captain Ahab, a strict disciplinarian who exhorts his men to find Moby Dick, the great white whale. Ahab lost his leg to that creature and is desperate for revenge. As the crew soon learns, he will stop at nothing to gain satisfaction.

Movie details

Moby Dick

“The man – The whale – The vengeance – The mightiest adventure ever seen!”

1956 Adventure · Drama 1h 55m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.1 / 10

Community rating

In 1841, young Ishmael signs up for service aboard the Pequod, a whaler sailing out of New Bedford. The ship is under the command of Captain Ahab, a strict disciplinarian who exhorts his men to find Moby Dick, the great white whale. Ahab lost his leg to that creature and is desperate for revenge. As the crew soon learns, he will stop at nothing to gain satisfaction.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Moby Dick?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

John Huston

Written by

Ray Bradbury · John Huston

Gregory Peck

Gregory Peck

Captain Ahab

Richard Basehart

Richard Basehart

Ishmael

Leo Genn

Leo Genn

Starbuck

James Robertson Justice

James Robertson Justice

Capt. Boomer

Harry Andrews

Harry Andrews

Stubb

Bernard Miles

Bernard Miles

The Manxman

Noel Purcell

Noel Purcell

Ship's Carpenter

Court is in session

Put Moby Dick on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.