"Heart of the Sea" movie shows mandolin

[JeffD]

In the first part of the movie, there is a quick shot of a mandolin aboard the ship. It looks like a Portuguese style, with the tuners coming out of the top of the headstock.

Has anyone seen it?

What kind of mandolin is it?

Is it period correct? (Early 1800.)

Would it have been all that common or a total anomaly in Nantucket at the time?

[Ted Eschliman]

The book is an incredible read. Can't wait to see the movie.

[Timbofood]

I'm with you Ted, it was a great read! What an ordeal, I hope the movie doesn't botch it up. Ron Howard is usually pretty respectful about his subject matter, I will see this one soon!

[JeffD]

The book was great. And the movie was good - not as great as the book, but it did not botch anything up. The whale was really awesome.

But, nobody saw the mandolin but me????

[Timbofood]

Cool, thanks for the short review Jeff! I was just wondering how "Thor" would be as the captain, he's a little "pretty" for a period but, my wife will like looking at him anyway.
I will keep an eye out for the mandolin when we go see the flick! Thanks for the heads up!

[JeffD]

Hemsworth is fine, very heroic. Its a shame the movie did not cover Owen Chase later in life. If you read the book or know the story you know what I mean.

Ben Wishaw (Q from Spectre) plays Herman Melville. He does a good job, though way too young looking. Am I getting old, or do all these young'uns look like kids in adult costumes?

The mandolin is in the first part of the movie - I think something like 20% of the way in, and its real brief. "Portuguese" style tuners and headstock extension swooping up and over.

[Timbofood]

Chase's story is pretty interesting I agree. It's been several years since I read the book, I might need to re read it! I did "enjoy" it, as much as the gruesome aspects will allow.
And yes, yes they do look like kids playing dress up. We are getting old!

[JeffD]

Well it might have been a guitar. I can't be sure. It looked something like this - and not enough time to count the tuners.

[Glassweb]

i saw the movie (terrible) and also saw the instrument which was indeed a Portuguese "fado" instrument. lots of workers from that part of the world during whaling's heyday. so if you REALLY want to see filmmaking on this subject see these:

1. the original "Moby Dick" directed by John Huston in 1956.
2. Ric Burns' amazing PBS doc "Into the Deep - American Whaling & the World" - This one covers everything... whaling & its history, the TRUE story of The Essex, Herman Melville and yes, Moby Dick.

with all its fake-looking CGI special effects and wooden acting and script you really should NOT see the Ron Howard film. as usual, Hollywood has sucked all the life and humanity out of a most memorable true-life story.

[Timbofood]

Well, that's one "up" and one "down" I'm going to want a tie breaker here someone!
The book was enthralling, you mentioned the CGI effects glassweb, were you expecting a trained whale?
I think I might see if I can locate the Rick Burns film, I am comfortable with his style.

[Glassweb]

Timbo... I agree that the book was/is enthralling... as is hearing/seeing author Nathaniel Philbrick in the Burns film. But CGI aside, (which is so fake looking) this is a lifeless Hollywood treatment of an amazing tale. They twist and falsify much of the story for "effect" and that makes it even worse. I'm not gonna elaborate for those who may actually want to see the movie, but save your money and rent the PBS documentary...

[allenhopkins]

Lots of Portuguese settlement in New England, and specifically around New Bedford MA, center of the whaling industry. From the Wikipedia article on New Bedford:

Later in that (19th) century, immigrants from Portugal, and its dependent territories of the Azores, Cape Verde, and Madeira began arriving in New Bedford and the surrounding area, largely because of the whaling industry; many had family members who had worked on whaling ships

So a Portuguese instrument on a New Bedford whaler would be "period correct" for the 19th century, and "ethnically correct" as well. Only problem would be that there was little enough room for sailors to bring instruments on board, and the ones brought along would be in for a rough voyage, probably wouldn't last. A fiddle or a concertina (before the salt air got to its reeds and bellows) might be a more likely on-board source of instrumental music -- smaller, more portable. Cf. "Doctor," the black cook and fiddler of Captains Courageous.

[billhay4]

There were Spanish and Portuguese Basques fishing the waters off of New England as early as 1500, perhaps earlier. The Indian lingua franca when the British got there was a combination of Basque and Indian languages. See "The First Frontier: The Forgotten History of Struggle, Savagery, and Endurance in Early America" by Scott Weidensaul for a fascinating account of the early frontier. I don't know of any Indians who played the mandolin that early, though, and the Portuguese settlements Allen is talking about came later and are responsible for what you are talking about here.
Bill

[Timbofood]

Glassweb, I get what you're saying, I thought the CGI in "Titanic" was eerily fake too. Sadly the PBS doc isn't available on Amazon or Netflix, drat it! I will keep seeking that. The story of the "Essex" is really amazing, human endurance under the most miserable conditions imaginable. I may still see it, Ron Howard is allowed a "bust" now and then. This may be it for now. "Splash" wasn't terribly deep either, sorry for the pun.
I will watch "Moby Dick" from almost any point, any time!
As to the instrument accuracy, fiddles filled the bill much more conveniently by all accounts, guitars and mandolins, not space friendly as stated above.
Anyone read "Cod" or "Salt"? Excellent though the latter was a touch dry and former...a little.... "Fishy". I know, off to my corner!
Have a lovely evening!

[Glassweb]

Glassweb, I get what you're saying, I thought the CGI in "Titanic" was eerily fake too. Sadly the PBS doc isn't available on Amazon or Netflix, drat it! I will keep seeking that. The story of the "Essex" is really amazing, human endurance under the most miserable conditions imaginable. I may still see it, Ron Howard is allowed a "bust" now and then. This may be it for now. "Splash" wasn't terribly deep either, sorry for the pun.
I will watch "Moby Dick" from almost any point, any time!
As to the instrument accuracy, fiddles filled the bill much more conveniently by all accounts, guitars and mandolins, not space friendly as stated above.
Anyone read "Cod" or "Salt"? Excellent though the latter was a touch dry and former...a little.... "Fishy". I know, off to my corner!
Have a lovely evening!

Timbo - If you have a blue-ray player you can borrow my copy. Send me a PM if you have access to such a machine and we can work out the details.

[JeffD]

I read both Cod and Salt. Great stuff.

[Glassweb]

Timbo - you can purchase a used copy of the Ric Burns whaling doc for about the same price of a movie ticket... it comes in normal format and/or blue ray...

[Timbofood]

Thanks for the offer glassweb, no blue ray, I will snoop for a copy of the film!
Jeff, glad to hear someone else enjoyed the books, Kurlansky is an interesting writer, I think of the two, I liked cod better. Salt was quite interesting though. The guy likes research!

[JeffD]

I generally don't care much for history books - specifically military and political history. In school the only advantage of history class was the books were huge, so I could hide what I would rather read inside during class. (Which was usually books about electronics and radio.)

If history had been taught the Kurlansky writes, seeing everything in light of the history of one thing, I might have really gotten into it, and who knows what all would be different.

I think the history of the mandolin is fascinating, and I would love to see someone give it the Kurlansky treatment.

[Timbofood]

Write a request to Mark, who knows, he might take the bait?
I like his style too but, I am always fascinated in things historical especially, when there is purpose to subject. Like the development and decline of the cod fishery. His take on the mandolin craze might be very enlightening.

[T.D.Nydn]

The PBS doc on the Essex was really good,,just a brutal event all the way around....