In the Heart of the Sea
Warning: this article discusses death and cannibalism.
This serves to connect the Essex and its whale directly as the inspiration for Melville’s classic novelMoby-Dick.
Moby-Dick was published in 1851, andNickerson’s account was not found until 1960 and published in 1984.
Leaving out the significance of this detail helps simplify the movie’s narrative slightly.
Leaving out the significance of this detail helps simplify the movie’s narrative slightly.
This meant that both Pollard and Chase actually had a way to see where they were going.
Custom image by Yeider Chacon
However, the whaleboat captained by Matthew Joy did not have any navigation equipment of its own.
Out of the 20 crewmen,17 left Henderson Island and only five of them survived.
Later that month, four of the men were able to sail back to Nantucket on another whaleship.
Based on the real-life event that inspired Moby Dick, In the Heart of the Sea is directed by Ron Howard and stars Chris Hemsworth as Owen Chase, first mate of the whaling ship Essex who must fight for his life in the middle of the ocean when a whale destroys his ship, killing most of his crew and stranding him and a few survivors on a lifeboat. Cillian Murphy, Tom Holland, Ben Whishaw, and Brendan Gleeson also star.
However, the performances do highlight the emotional turmoil that the men felt due to their actions.
Fortunately, the crew survived and were found the following day.
After retiring, Pollard returned to Nantucket and lived to be 78 years old.
Though Pollard was considered cursed after his second doomed voyage, Nickerson and Ramsdell sailed with him again.
Each of the men who survived continued sailing, proving their bravery.
Cillian Murphy, Tom Holland, Ben Whishaw, and Brendan Gleeson also star.
