Into the Deep: America, Whaling & the World

This PBS-aired American Experience documentary, narrated by Willem Dafoe, tells the epic story of three centuries of American whaling, including its allegorical role in the national psyche, as epitomized in Herman Melville's masterpiece, Moby Dick. In early America, few occupations were as dangerous or important as whaling, which was headquartered on the island of Nantucket. At first the islanders were content to simply harvest sperm whales stranded near shore, extracting their oil to burn in lamps; but as the readily available prey became scarce, American whalers sailed to far corners of the world, eventually dominating the seas on voyages that lasted for months or years. Writer-director Ric Burns combines diary readings, dramatic re-creations, and accounts from historians to explain whaling's critical role in commerce and culture, while also covering every aspect of the seafaring life—which consisted of long periods of boredom followed by frantic activity, including the kill itself and the stinking, lengthy onboard process of dismembering the mammoth beasts. Interwoven with this larger narrative is the tragic story of the Essex, which was rammed and sunk by a rogue whale (inspiring Melville's dark vision). The discovery of oil in Pennsylvania in 1859 signaled the decline of the whaling industry, although it continued on a far smaller scale into the 20th century, with the species depleted to near extinction. DVD extras include deleted scenes and bonus footage featuring sea shanties. Incorporating cautionary economic and environmental tales within a riveting depiction of a bygone era, Into the Deep is highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)