1958 Dir: John Sturges, 86 mins
Hemingway’s last great novel of 1952 is required reading for anyone who goes boating; even lake sailors love this great tale of the sea and its unreliable bounty. The literary masterpiece follows a fisherman on such a run of bad luck he typifies the wooden leg rewards of the trade far more than the fabled gold watch, until he is spurred offshore in search of a great catch.
There are several versions of the story on film and Anthony Quinn’s portrayal in 1990 is popular but the 1958 version with Spencer Tracy in the leading role of the old fisherman Santiago is still the best at conveying the essence of the story. His sidekick, the boy, is also well-played by Felipe Pazos Jr.
Many of the boat scenes were shot by Sturges on a real boat, though some scenes require a little suspension of disbelief as they were obviously shot in a tank.
It’s a tale of heroism and man pitting himself against nature as Santiago hooks a huge marlin and gets towed offshore for three days before he can kill his fish. Then in his wonder at this mighty catch bad luck turns and runs at him once more in the form of sharks who clean the marlin down to a skeleton.
Tracy brings a spiritual gleam to this quintessential tale of a man’s spirit under assault and narrates the tale in the rhythm and cadence of the Hemingway style. Do read the book as well though. DH
Online we found it on You Tube Movies: HERE
Reviewed as part of our Great Sailing Films Collection