leton , ▁Wisconsin ▁heavily ▁pra ised ▁the ▁cast ▁and ▁cinemat ography , ▁referring ▁to ▁it ▁as ▁" a ▁picture ▁of ▁rich , ▁color ful ▁beauty ▁of ▁heart - se aring ▁path os , ▁of ▁poetry ▁that ▁s ings ▁in ▁action ▁of ▁courage ous ▁de eds ▁of ▁emot ions ▁as ▁violent ▁and ▁et ernal ▁as ▁the ▁ter r ific ▁storm s ▁that ▁swe ep ▁through ▁the ▁picture ". ▁ ▁M ord a unt ▁Hall ▁of ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁noted ▁the ▁" energy , ▁earnest ness ▁and ▁vir ility " ▁John ▁Barry more ▁displayed ▁in ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁A hab ▁C ee ley , ▁and ▁stated ▁that ▁his ▁" real ▁triumph ▁in ▁this ▁phot op lay ▁comes ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁picture , ▁for ▁he ▁has ▁a ▁great ▁opportunity ▁as ▁the ▁gr im ▁master ▁of ▁a ▁wh aler ▁with ▁a ▁mixed ▁crew ▁of ▁half - mad ▁yellow , ▁white ▁and ▁black ▁sc um ". ▁Hall ▁did ▁believe , ▁however , ▁that ▁the ▁explo its ▁with ▁the ▁wh ale ▁were ▁not ▁as ▁effective ▁as ▁they ▁could ▁have ▁been , ▁con cluding ▁that ▁" this ▁is ▁a ▁good ▁production ▁and ▁one ▁which ▁contains ▁much ▁interest , ▁but ▁it ▁is ▁not ▁a ▁great ▁phot op lay ". ▁Phot op lay ▁magazine ▁wrote : ▁" John ▁Barry more ▁gives ▁his ▁usual ▁finished ▁performance . ▁His ▁ag ony ▁is ▁almost ▁too ▁real istic ▁in ▁the ▁scene ▁where in ▁the ▁sail ors ▁c aut er ize ▁the ▁blo ody ▁st ump ▁of ▁the ▁leg ▁torn ▁off ▁by ▁the