I’m not keenly interested in movies, but when I read about The Whale in my news feed, I felt compelled to watch it. I was expecting an uncomfortable depiction of obesity, something like My 600 Pound Life or The Biggest Loser but with an artistic bent. However, screenplay author Samuel D. Hunter takes things in a very different direction.
This movie does focus on the life of a morbidly obese man named Charlie, but it touches on so many topics and expresses the protagonist’s feelings on so many levels. I believe that everyone can find a worthwhile message to take away from this film. I believe that the experience of watching The Whale can create a change in us for the better.
There are many mysteries here to solve – not just the obvious one: why did Charlie get this large? I’d like to know why he misplaces and misuses his devotion. I’d like to understand why he feels that he’s only worthy of disdain. His lack of self-esteem becomes particularly clear when he asks his daughter, “Who would want me to be a part of their life?” (1).
Charlie, played with such feeling and grace by Brendan Fraser, is decidedly not alone in feeling this way. Every character in The Whale is damaged through the significant challenges they faced in their lives. Every character suffers from some form low self-worth, manifested in different ways. Instead of feeling that Charlie is isolated due to his weight, I felt a oneness – that we all carry a burden we must bear.
Some may feel that people in Charlie’s condition provoke feelings of sympathy. Something like, “That poor obese man!” Instead, Charlie has my empathy. Being massively flawed is something we all share – it’s part of the human condition.
And the characters have also reacted in different ways to live with their failings and their pain. While Charlie uses food as his coping mechanism, we can see that each has their own compulsions. No spoilers here, but if you watch the film, you’ll see what I mean!
There are several spiritual messages to be addressed as well. From the mysterious and highly coincidental appearance of a young missionary at the start of the film to the closing scene, I felt a need to re-examine my own spirituality or lack thereof.
The use of the classic novel Moby Dick is seen by some viewers to elicit thoughts of inhumanity, as if Charlie is an animal rather than a man. I believe that this is a very surface criticism. There is one particular scene that evokes this imagery, but there are many others that show the opposite in a more subtle way. Charlie is the most human and humane character in the film.
Instead, I believe that Moby Dick is employed to illustrate the unrelenting obsession that we can have – and must avoid – when chasing the idea of punishment or vengeance. (Every major character in this Darren Aronofsky film seems to face old regrets with a destructive attitude.) The compulsion of Captain Ahab is reflected in the actions of several characters in The Whale, not just Charlie’s compulsive eating. I wonder if some of these critics actually watched the movie to its conclusion, or watched or read Moby Dick.
Although the film is visually and psychologically disturbing at times, it is really the reviews that bothered me most. Some believe that it encourages fat-phobia, while I believe it does just the opposite. If you take in the messages of this movie, you can’t help but feel the nobility of Charlie. Yes, he’s misguided in some ways, but his heart and love is huge – overwhelmingly so. He is as we all are: imperfect. The Whale can help us to look deeper into the value of a person, regardless of outward appearance. But only if we let it…
If you’ve seen The Whale, I’d love to read your views. Are they similar to the negative critiques, or does this film somehow make you feel optimistic as it did for me? Does it change your feelings about the struggle of obesity?
(1). https://www.moviequotesandmore.com/the-whale-movie-quotes/
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