Shipwreck Story No one Survived to Tell

Jhonelyn Resco

Professor William Vaughn

English 101

January 30, 2018

                                             Shipwreck Story No One Survived to Tell

                 The Perfect Storm is a novel written by Sebastian Junger, that retells the horrific story of fishermen and sailors who were caught in the eye of the worst storm in history. The book mainly focuses on the Andrea Gail, a swordfishing boat, with a crew of six men, who disappeared without a trace deep into the northern Atlantic sea. The Perfect Storm which was based on the novel was released. There were subtle to few changes in the action line of the story, however there were many differences among the book and movie. The movie is very flawless with the storyline and is very based on the real story behind it. I believe the director of the movie wanted, to whatever extent possible, recreate the events that happened in the storm as accurate and according to the book itself. The movie, however, left out an enormous amount of rich details that were a part of the book, such as varying kinds of information and direct quotes from people who were associated with the storm. The movie instead added more events to the story that weren`t in the book, to add more understanding to the movie and to make it more enjoyable.

      While watching the movie, I could see that the main characters in the book, both their names and traits, were the same in both the movie and book. However, aside from that there were many different features between the movie and the book. Unlike the book, which spoke about other boats that were caught in the mist of the storm, the movie mainly focused on the Andrea Gail, a swordfishing boat, which was heading straight into the eye of three storms colliding. The movie didn`t portray some important features, when the Andrea Gail was replacing and upgrading its gears in the beginning, but the book did. That played a key role in why the Andrea Gail was caught in the storm in the first place. The ice machine had broken down leaving the crew with no choice but to return home, which meant heading into the storm, otherwise the fish they had worked so hard to catch would spoil, making a whole waste of the trip. There were also details within the book that offered much enlightment about the sea, the life of a fisherman, how a person dies, and storms, yet the movie failed to offer that.

         There was certain storyline that took place in the movie, but wasn’t mentioned in the book, if not then it was only briefly brought about. When the six men were out in the bar drinking and partying the night before they were off to sea once again, the book mentioned only briefly about Murphy, one of the crew men. He has an ex-wife Debra, and a three-year-old baby, also named Dale, that he adores. In the movie, it showed Murph and his son, who wasn`t three years old, but older, in the movie, bonding that last night. However, the book never mentioned this event taking place. In another scene, it showed Sullivan and Murphy get into a fight. In the book, it was totally different people. Another is the scene in the movie when the characters are waiting to drown. The book described people on another ship having a close call. Also, Murphy wasn't hooked by a fishing rod. The book told of another person having a similar experience.

                      Mr. Petersen is comfortable in the water (Das Boot) as well in the action arena (In the Line of Fire) and he keeps the storytelling swift and suspenseful. Once the Andrea Gail turns into the face of the storm, all hell breaks loose, and the film like the storm itself never lets up. The storm footage is dazzling, and Mr. Petersen's camera seems to be able to float on the wind of the hurricane itself. He also captures the agony of those who love them and must wait for their safe return. The people here are not wealthy or famous; they are ordinary, people who work hard to make ends meet.

                     The first focus on the character of Billy Tyne comes from a conversation he has with Bob Brown, the owner of the sword boat, the Andrea Gail, after she and several others dock in Gloucester at the end of the North Atlantic season. Billy Tyne and Linda Greenlaw, captain of a second sword boat also owned by Brown, report the gross amount of fish they have caught. Linda reports a score which Brown describes agreeably as, "my kind of numbers." Of Billy Tyne, on the other hand, he says, "didn't hit very hard, did you? You know, we all have our slumps, but aren't you overdue to break out of yours?" Billy is immediately affected.    

                After the swordfish from each boat are weighed, and the crews fall out before Brown to receive their pay. Brown continues to lecture Billy Tyne, promising him, "If you can't make her pay, I'll find somebody who can." He is referring, of course, to the capital of which he seems to be the remainder that provides in Gloucester: the Andrea Gail, the primary site of conflict in the movie. Capital as embodied by the Andrea Gail comprises the only means by which the crew's skills, knowledge, and determination can be employed in valuable production. And Brown is right: only above a certain break-even level of return does such production outpace the rate of continue suffered by the sword boat. Below this level, it makes more sense for Brown to sell the Andrea Gail, costing the men their income and their jobs. They need the Andrea Gail to work, to live. But their relationship with the boat is distressed with situation. The movie is anything but only special effects scattered with the cries of distressed men, for the setting is not form of the conditions of the ocean, but rather the multiple features of the Andrea Gail. That is, between the men and the weather there stands the Andrea Gail, and as such it is through her that the former interacts with the end.

                       Billy promises his boss, "I'm going to bring you more fish than you ever dreamed of." That is, after Brown threatens Billy with unemployment unless Billy brings in more fish, Billy threatens Brown with... bringing in more fish. One could argue that Brown is responsible for the death of the crew ("if you can't make her pay"). In this case, the movie is about the struggle of workers against their conditions of work the weather in disastrous combination with economic need an urge from above by Brown, the owner of capital. This seems supported by the little smile on Brown's face after Billy Tyne tells him he will take on greater risk to catch bigger fish, for as long as Billy Tyne brings the Andrea Gail back to harbor, "more fish than you ever dreamed of" means a larger profit, holding constant Brown's share and the variable costs of production, bait, equipment, food for the crew. Under this interpretation, the ensuing struggle of the crew with the storm is totally victimized, with the members of the crew reduced to only objects of control from above.