The Nantucket whaling ship, the Pequod, spirals the globe in search of Moby Dick, the mythical white whale of the Southern Oceans. Driven on by the obsessive revenge of Captain Ahab, the crew and the outcast Ishmael find themselves caught up in a demonic pursuit which leads inexorably to an apocalyptic climax.
Music: Respighi, Brahms, Balakirev, Dvorák
November 1, 2009
Gr 9 Up-Call him Ishmael, Ahab, Starbuck, and more. Jack Aranson plays all the characters in this one-man theatrical adaptation of Herman Melville's classic tale. Ishmael tells the story of Captain Ahab's obsession to kill the giant white whale that ate one of his legs. Aranson's deep voice and New England accent are perfect for the 19th-century dialogue. This rendition relies on Aranson's acting to bring the story to life and only has minimal props and scenery. The performance was taped live in 1978 and the picture quality is not the best. The format is DVD-R and there is not a menu. The film is divided into chapters, but there is not a scene selection menu or scene titles to describe content, making it difficult to locate and show a specific section of the film. However, Aranson's first-rate acting performance is a great example for drama classes, and this theatrical adaptation of a literary masterpiece will appeal to English classes."Samantha Larsen Hastings, West Jordan Library, UT"
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