In the Heart of the Seachroniclesthe true events of the 1820 sinking of the whaling shipEssex,with some details left out, including one that might have saved more of the crew in real life. The 2015 historical adventure drama movie directed by Ron Howard is based on Nathaniel Philbrick’s 2000 non-fiction bookIn the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex. The novel recounts the story oftheEssexsinking and all the men who survived it. However, the film passes over one crucial piece of information from the true story.
In August 1819, theEssexset sail from Nantucket on a two-and-a-half-year journey to hunt whales. A little over a year into their voyage, a whale attacked the ship, killing many of the crew and forcing the survivors to retreat to smaller boats. Unfortunately,they were thousands of miles from the nearest land, stranded in the Southern Pacific Ocean.TheEssexcrew did what they needed to do to survive while searching for the nearest land. It would be months before they were rescued, as depicted inIn the Heart of the Sea’s ending.
In A Tragic Irony, The Essex Survivors Avoided The Marquesas & Society Islands Due To Fears Of Cannibalism
When the survivors of theEssexsinking gathered in small boats, they had to decide on a plan of action. Of course, they wanted to find the nearest land. While that decision was a bit easier inIn the Heart of the Sea, the sailors in real life were a bit more torn. According toThe New York Times,the men weren’t very far from the Marquesas Islands or the Society Islands.However, George Pollard Jr., Owen Chase, and Matthew Joy were reportedly reluctant to travel to either location as they feared cannibals would attack them.
In the Heart of the SeaCast
Michelle Fairley
Mrs. Nickerson
Because of their fear, theEssexsurvivors chose to travel 1,500 miles south and eventually came across Henderson Island, which was uninhabited. Eventually,the men had to resort to cannibalism themselves to survive.While this is depicted inChris Hemsworth and Tom Holland’s Netflix-trending adventure movie, the tragic irony of the crew’s actions is lost.
John Huston’s 69-Year-Old Adventure Movie Starring Gregory Peck & Orson Welles Is Perfect To Watch After In The Heart Of The Sea
In the Heart of the Sea tells the true story that inspired Herman Melville to write Moby Dick, so the perfect follow-up is John Huston’s adaptation.
Herman Melville Believed The Essex Crew Would Have Survived If They Went To The Society Islands
Melville Wrote Moby Dick
Herman Melville, who was partly inspired by theEssexsinking to write his classic renowned novel,Moby Dick, speculated that the crew would have survived if they had just ignored their fear of cannibals. PerThe New York Times,Melville wrote that the survivors of the initial sinking might have all lived if they traveled to the Society Islands.Seeing as that’s not what happened inthe true story that inspiredIn the Heart of the Sea, no one can know for sure what would’ve happened to the men if they sailed to the Society Islands.
In the Heart of the Sea
Cast
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.
