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The Sea Beast

"AN EPIC OF THE GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICAN SEA-FARING ADVENTURE"

Based on Herman Melville's novel "Moby Dick."

Top Cast

  • John Barrymore

    John Barrymore

    Captain Ahab Ceeley

  • Dolores Costello

    Dolores Costello

    Esther Harper

  • George O'Hara

    George O'Hara

    Derek Ceeley

  • Mike Donlin

    Mike Donlin

    Flask

  • Sam Baker

    Sam Baker

    Queequeeq

  • George Berrell

    George Berrell

    Perth (as George Burrell)

  • Sam Allen

    Sam Allen

    Captain

  • Frank Nelson

    Frank Nelson

    Stubbs

  • Mathilde Comont

    Mathilde Comont

    Mula

Overview

Based on Herman Melville's novel "Moby Dick."

Rating

6.7 / 10
7 Reviews
0 Popular

1 Reviews

  • CinemaSerf
    CinemaSerf
    6 Jun 6, 2022

    Hmmm. This is what we would call a "re-imagining" nowadays. Herman Melville's classic "Moby Dick" underpins this far more romantic story as John Barrymore "Ahab" has to battle his brother "Derek" (George O'Hara) for the affections of "Esther" (Delores Costello) on land whilst joining in the battle against the great white whale from the novel at sea. I found the romance just a bit too drawn out and tedious, but when the film takes us to sea it comes alive with some cracking cinematography that depicts the dangers the sailors faced doing their jobs (including plenty of rats milling aboard amongst the injured and/or sleeping men). I can't say the print I saw was great, and the accompanying score was so soporific as to remind me of the music played at the dentist to calm me when I'm having root canal treatment! Barrymore is good, though. His maniacally obsessive expressions when tracking the whale (which, by now, has relieved him of his lower leg) are genuinely menacing - though clearly not so much for the whale. The ending is far removed from the book, too - and that removes much of the potency from the the whole thing, leaving us with a rather slushy maritime drama that just doesn't have enough of action and adventure for me.

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