7.5 | / 10 |
Users | ![]() | 3.5 |
Reviewer | ![]() | 3.5 |
Overall | ![]() | 3.5 |
The sole survivor of a lost whaling ship relates the tale of his captain's self-destructive obsession to hunt the white whale, Moby Dick.
Starring: Gregory Peck, Richard Basehart, Leo Genn, James Robertson Justice, Harry AndrewsDrama | Uncertain |
Adventure | Uncertain |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.66:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | ![]() | 4.5 |
Video | ![]() | 3.0 |
Audio | ![]() | 4.0 |
Extras | ![]() | 0.5 |
Overall | ![]() | 3.5 |
Whatever the cause, "madness" is something that has gripped our collective imaginations for centuries and served as the basis of many a dramatic tale. That sole, driving force to accomplish a feat that, on its surface, seems impossible to anyone else; to find the lost treasure, exact revenge at all costs, kill the threat no matter the sacrifice, climb into the unknown regardless of the danger, plunge into hell laughing at the flames, to face death head on and care nothing for life... madness. And there's no greater figure of literary madness in the modern world than Captain Ahab, a man hellbent on a task that goes against every survival instinct that once screamed in his brain. Author Herman Melville probably had no idea that his character would be so studied and analyzed in the decades that followed, nor that Ahab would become synonymous with actions taken against one's own best interests. He also couldn't possibly have realized that one day an actor would rise from the depths to inhabit Ahab in such a powerful and profound way as to make an otherwise dated film resonate into the 21st century, but that's precisely what Gregory Peck manages to do in his frightening 1956 portrayal of the mad captain. Atticus Finch this is not. Ahab is the complete antithesis, revealing just how talented and malleable Peck was as a leading man and just how impressive his body of work truly remains.
Moby Dick's remastered video presentation first saw the light of day in 2016 (domestically via a now out-of-print Twilight Time Limited
Edition Blu-ray). Reviews were scarce but warnings were everywhere: ignore the picture quality... this is as good as the film can possibly look. Even
then, there was skepticism. Why? It doesn't look great. Or even very good. It's rough. Possibly one of the more problematic presentations I've
reviewed in recent memory. The German release offers an opening disclaimer -- "the complex color palette of the film was painstakingly
reconstructed using reference material. The original material shows signs of wear consistent with age" -- while all press for the BD mentioned its
painstaking eight-month restoration, overseen by expert colorist Greg Kimble. Originally, director John Huston and cinematographer Oswald Morris
experimented with the photography, aiming to create visuals that evoked 19th century whaling prints (some of which are featured in the opening
credit sequence). Further, Moby Dick was processed in Technicolor and Technicolor alone, meaning no other film negative exists. Kimble's
efforts are certainly noteworthy, but I fear they'll be completely forgotten or dismissed, as the presentation... hm. Struggles? Suffers? Falters? Fails
to impress in subjective, uninformed watches? And without much history documented or previous releases to compare it to, it's that much more
difficult to determine how accurate Kimble's color timing and the overall restoration are in the first place.
So where does that leave us? With a very tricky transfer to evaluate, that's where. Colors are already muted to the point of featuring one, two or
three colors at a time. The image often borders on monochromatic, and even frequently appears as if it's been filmed in black and white. There's a
bonus "Original Muted Color" version of Moby Dick included on the disc that helps set a baseline for picture quality, but it doesn't speak to
how much might have been achieved with more advanced, cutting-edge restorative techniques. Even then, with such specific filmmaker intentions,
where is the line between what can be achieved and what was meant to be achieved? Black levels are dark, sometimes to the point of making it
impossible to track everything that's occurring in the shadows. Contrast is stronger and better balanced than it's ever been, but it doesn't make for a
striking picture. Likewise, detail isn't very exacting, with softness, edge halos, pulpy textures, decent but not entirely immaculate grain, and other
so-so happenings that undermine the beauty of such unique and ambitious filmmaking. (Huston would have been the Robert Eggers of his day.) It
doesn't help that compression is a tad wonky at times, grain is inconsistent, and crush is out in force. But again, other than compression anomalies,
how much of the presentation truly is the best we can ever hope for? Throw my score -- any score really -- right out the window. If you yearn for
faithfulness above all else, this will be far more pleasing to you than it is for others. If you love an incredible, miraculous restoration that breathes
new life into old films, this one may be more disappointing than others would have you believe.
There are times Moby Dick's sound design is almost too much for a two-channel track to handle, but it holds closely to its source. The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mix on hand delivers clean, intelligible dialogue, an engaging soundscape on the open sea, exacting prioritization and quite a few dynamic moments that make you sit up and pay attention. LFE support would have been a boon, as would a surround option, but as faithful mono mixes go, this one swims and rarely sinks.
The Sandpiper Pictures release of Moby Dick only features two extras: an Original Muted Color version of the film and a theatrical trailer. The Twilight Time Limited Edition Blu-ray included an audio commentary, isolated score track, color timing featurette and more, none of which are offered in this release.
"The coffin was my life buoy. For one whole day and night, it sustained me on that soft and dirge-like main. Then, a sail appeared; It was the Rachel.
The Rachel who in her long melancholy search for her missing children found... another orphan. The drama's done. All are departed away. The great
shroud of the sea rolls over the Pequod, her crew and Moby Dick. I only am escaped... alone, to tell thee."
Moby Dick is a timeless tale and it's hard to find a more riveting portrayal of Captain Ahab than Gregory Peck's performance. The rest of the
crew get sidelined and shortchanged, sure, but when you have someone like Peck, you change course and sail into the storm. Sandpiper's Blu-ray is
unfortunately a mixed bag, lacking the supplements of the Twilight Time Limited Edition release and struggling with a difficult video presentation. But its
audio is good -- very good -- and the film is well worth watching and owning. Despite all suggestions to the contrary, this one comes highly
recommended.
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Warner Archive Collection
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Special Edition
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Fox Studio Classics
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Limited Edition / Import
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2016
Warner Archive Collection
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Warner Archive Collection
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Fox Studio Classics
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Warner Archive Collection
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