In the Heart of the Sea

Story

In the Heart of the Sea is based on the true story that inspired the classic novel Moby Dick. In 1850 Herman Melville (Ben Whishaw) travels to Nantucket Island to interview Thomas Nickerson (Brendan Gleeson) about the sinking of a ship, the Essex, 30 years earlier. A teenager at the time of the sinking, Thomas is now an older man and is very reluctant to talk about the events surrounding the tragedy. His wife (Michelle Fairley) persuades him to do so as a way to end his torment.

The Essex was a whaling ship, which set sail with an inexperienced captain, George Pollard (Benjamin Walker), and first mate Owen Chase (Chris Hemsworth). Pollard steers the ship into a frightening storm to ‘toughen up’ the men, but this causes only havoc and destruction to the ship. Because he doesn’t want to go home empty handed, Pollard decides to sail 2000 nautical miles out from the coast to chase a huge pod of whales and a mythical giant white whale.

The giant whale attacks their ship, causing it to sink with the loss of many men. The survivors are adrift in lifeboats for 90 days. They reach a rocky island but realise that help isn’t coming, so they set out again on their small boats. The men have to survive storms, starvation and fear. The things they must do to survive make them question their own morality.

Themes

Whaling: survival; cannibalism

Violence

In the Heart of the Sea has some violence. For example:

Chase is angry at not being given the post of captain and kicks and punches at a framework.
Pollard blames Chase for the damage to the ship when it was Pollard’s decision to sail into the storm. When Chase refuses to accept the blame Pollard explodes, smashing a table with his fists.
Men spear the whales, and blood spurts everywhere.
The giant whale hits the ship hard and makes a hole in its side. The sailors are knocked off their feet and have blood on their faces. The ship is tossed about and the anchor races across the deck, causing more destruction. One man falls overboard and another is killed by falling beams. The ship catches on fire and explodes.
One of the crew points a gun at Chase.
The giant whale barrels into the lifeboats, destroying all three of them. The men are all washed overboard, and one man floats dead on the water.
Pollard makes a decision on his lifeboat that one of them must die. They draw straws and Pollard gets the short straw. He orders one of the crew, Henry Coffin (Frank Dillane), to shoot him. Coffin points the gun at Pollard but then shoots himself.

Sexual references

In the Heart of the Sea has some sexual references, including when a sailor carves a naked woman out of whalebone. He says that the ‘knobs’ look like his wife’s.

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

In the Heart of the Sea shows some use of substances, including characters drinking at home, on the ship and in the Captain’s cabin.

Nudity and sexual activity

None of concern

Product placement

None

Coarse language

In the Heart of the Sea has some coarse language.

Ideas to discuss with your children

In the Heart of the Sea is an adventure drama about surviving a shipwreck, and the lifelong effects of the experience. It’s most suited to older teenagers and adults but because it’s showing in the school holidays, it’s likely to appeal to younger teenagers and tweens too.

You should be aware that the movie is very realistic and intense, particularly in the scene where the men draw lots to see who’ll die. The story about having to eat a dead man to stay alive is very disturbing and makes the movie unsuitable for tweens and younger teenagers. The movie also includes frightening and gruesome scenes of whaling.

The main messages from this movie are that moral values are called into question under extreme circumstances and that you shouldn’t judge people who’ve had to survive under those conditions.

Values in this movie that you could reinforce with your children include courage, determination and fearlessness.

This movie could also give you the chance to talk with your children about real-life issues like the following:

Is it wrong to do what Chase and his crew did to stay alive?
The 19th century values about whaling are quite different from today’s values in most countries, but some countries still hunt and kill whales. Is this acceptable?