Looking at the trailer for The North Water is kind of a brutal look back into history during the mid-19th century when whaling expeditions were still pretty brutal since the old ways were still in full effect and technology hadn’t stepped in yet. But the story of a disgraced army surgeon and a tough-as-nails harpooner looks like something that could be entertaining but also disturbing from a certain vantage point. One might think that the mistreatment of whales is going to be awful and terrible, but whether people like it or not, this practice is still upheld by Japan, Norway, and Iceland. The main gist of the story isn’t the whaling, however, but the trip north that is to be experienced while whaling, and the story that will emerge between the two main characters played by Jack O’Connell and Colin Farrell, who will be playing the surgeon and the harpooner respectively. As with many stories, this one is bound to tell the tale of what it’s like to venture so far north, where there is still life, but precious little of it. What it does appear is that there is plenty of time to reflect while looking out at the bleak landscape that offers nothing and will gladly take everything.
Some folks might think it silly to bring up such sentiment or to speak of nature in such a way, but there many areas in this world where it becomes apparent that nature does not care about those that venture boldly into its grasp without knowing what to expect. The story that will focus on O’Connell’s character will be both treacherous and insightful as it would appear that he’s taking on the role of someone that might be a bit naive before coming to the whaling expedition, and will learn a great deal about his fellow crewmen, and himself. If there’s anything that can be gleaned from this, it’s that the five-part limited series, which is coming soon no less, will be kind of a brutal look at life in the far north.
Many will no doubt question the realism of this show and will possibly research what it was really like back in those days. What many might find is that there are bound to be a few different points of view that will be offered since history is nothing if not a hodgepodge of different accounts that are difficult to sort through at times. While the story is a work of fiction the truth is that whaling expeditions could be quite hard and even long depending on the size of the ship and the crew. Some expeditions went on for years at a time, while others only months. Whaling was a very big tradition for a while, but as the numbers of whales dwindled the expeditions had to push further and further, thereby increasing the length of time they were out to sea. But those that took on these expeditions were in many cases hardened sailors that were away from society for months to years at a time, and as a result could be expected to be a little out of touch with their fellow human beings, who were following the changing course of society as things continued to evolve and move forward.
Those that made their living from the sea were and still are just as diverse as anyone, but quite often they’re thought to be rather tough and hardened by their experiences, and in some ways a bit crazy since too long on the water can cause a person to become a little unbalanced, or so the stories go. The truth is that some people fare well when it comes to being out to sea for so long, while others are quite as capable and might eventually crack up after seeing miles and miles of water all around them so often. Living off of what the sea provides isn’t an easy task for anyone, but adding in the freezing, biting cold that the far north can offer is bound to increase the challenge of keeping one’s senses intact. It’s fair to say that this show will depict the slow but steady unwinding of those that aren’t fit for this life and the psychotic manner in which others keep their wits about them.
All in all, this show looks like one that will bear watching and might be highly interesting since it takes a very intriguing look at something that is part of world history and was likely to have happened back in the day. As to the overall story it already feels likely that it’s going to be a bit crazy and possibly slow in parts, but it also feels that it will be worth paying attention to. Come July 15th we’ll see what there is to see.
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