“In the Heart of the Sea,” a movie about the whaling industry in the 1820s follows the voyage of the ship the Essex.

The beginning of the movie takes place in Nantucket  Massachusetts. A man named Owen Chase (Chris Hemsworth) is about to board the Essex to earn money for his expecting wife. Chase is the hero of  this movie and largely the focus.

Chase expected to be captain of the ship. But when he goes to greet the owners, as it was accustom, he is informed that George Pollard (Benjamin Walker) is to be captain. Pollard has a great family history of successful captains. However, this is Pollard’s first expedition he was chosen for publicity. Chase is angered but agrees to the title of first-mate and captain of the next voyage even though he was clearly more qualified.

Soon Thomas Nickerson (Tom Holland) is introduced. He is a young, timid boy of around 14. Immediately he looks up to Chase and becomes almost his apprentice as Chase is protective over the young boy. The whole movie is Nickerwson now elderly (Brendon Gleeson) reluctantly reliving his experience to Hermand Melville (Ben Whishaw) to inspire his epic Moby Dick. 

As the Essex sails for a short while the crew was successful off the coast of North America, collecting 47 barrels of whale blubber heading towards their goal of 2,000. Pollard and Chase clash multiple times at the start of the voyage. Pollard is very hard and strict towards the men to make up for his lack of experience and to show that his is in charge, no matter what Chase might suggest might be done. Yet, the farther they go out the less whales they see . The crew goes threw a three month dry spell. Running low on supplies Pollard stops at Ecuador. The crew meets a Spanish captain who claims that 2,000 miles off shore there is a multitude of whales. He leaves them with a warning stating that a giant white whale killed many of his men and took his arm.

The men disregard the Captain’s warning and head out fully replenished in supplies and spirits. They arrive in the foretold area and there are more whales than the eye can see. The men are successful in killing a few. Then the whale of previous warning appears. The men try to kill it but fail. In retaliation the whale knocks them out of their small whaling boat. As the whaling boat returns to the Essex the whale follows, and is successful in sinking the whole ship. There are some fatalities but the majority are still alive including: Chase, Nickerson, and Pollard. The men are stranded for several days and live off of very small food and drink portions. Chase’s priority becomes protecting Nickerson, and getting home to his family. The crew soon lands on an Island. The crew finds something that leads most of them to leave but a few stay behind. Chase promises to rescue them when they return home.

The crew is attacked several times by the giant white whale while lost at sea. Eventually Nickerson gets to a point in his story and refuses to go on. After much persuasion Melville gets Nickerson to share his worst memory, the reason no one else has ever heard the story.  The crew was stranded for 95 days and on the verge of death with only a few still living, when they run in to a ship that agreed to rescue and send them home. The crew once again in Nantucket go threw other difficulties related to their voyage.

This movie in available on Red Box or for purchase. It has a running time of 2 hours and 1 minute. The movie is a little slow at times, but over all gives a way to actually watch an American classic. It clearly fits the time period and teaches the viewer a lot about 19th century whaling.