Product: Moby Dick [VHS] (1998)
Rating: 4.0
Great for High School English Students
Note: This review is by a high school English Teacher.When the time came for my students to see a film version of "Moby Dick," I bought both the 1950's film and this one on DVD. After watching both of them carefully, I decided that this newer offering would have much more appeal to my students than the older film.I seem to have been right, and I think it is safe to say that the 1950's film can now be retired, except for film buffs and the curious.I especially liked the fact that the American Indian and South Sea Island characters in this film were actually played by people who appear to be part of those societies. In the 1950's film, they are played by what looks to be white factory workers from upstate New York wearing lots of makeup. This would have been very annoying and distracting to my diverse group of students.As for other reviewers' comments about Patrick Stewart's performance, my feeling is that he nailed it. As Starbuck says, "to seek revenge against a dumb brute that only bit thee out of blindest instinct is blasphemy..." Ahab is someone who sees the idea of resigning oneself to a negative twist of fate as repellant. He is someone who would rather burn to a crisp than ask a higher power for rain. The thing that drives him isn't just obsession; it is rebellion against the infinite.In psychological terms, Ahab gave all of his power to the whale, and enslaved his life and destiny to it when it was not rationally necessary for him to do so. He is like a small child who has had his lollipop taken away, and who has thrown himself on the floor, absolutely determined to be inconsolable by anything or anyone. Stewart captures that aspect of Ahab perfectly, and it led to some very constructive paper writing and classroom discussion.I only withhold the fifth star because I wish this film was a longer "Director's Cut" version, covering more of the book than it currently does.