Orca (1977)

★ 6.2 1h 32m IMDb

Horror Thriller

After witnessing the killing of his mate and offspring at the hands of a reckless Irish captain, a vengeful killer whale rampages through the fisherman's Newfoundland harbor. Under pressure from the villagers, the captain, a female marine biologist, and an Indigenous tribalist venture after the great beast, who will meet them on its own turf.

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Cast

Richard Harris as Captain Nolan Died 2002 · Limerick City, Munster, Ireland Richard St John Francis Harris (October 1, 1930 – October 25, 2002) was an Irish actor and singer. He appeared on stage and in many films, notably as Corrado Zeller in Michelangelo Antonioni's Red Des...

Charlotte Rampling as Rachel Bedford Age 80 · England, UK Tessa Charlotte Rampling OBE (born 5 February 1946) is an English actress, model and singer, known for her work in European arthouse films in English, French, and Italian. An icon of the Swinging Sixt...

Will Sampson as Umilak Died 1987 · Okmulgee, Oklahoma, USA Will Sampson (September 27, 1933 – June 3, 1987) was a Native-American businessman, entrepreneur, rodeo performer, actor and painter/artist. He was born in Okmulgee, Oklahoma and was an imposing 6' 7...

Bo Derek as Annie Age 69 · Long Beach, California, USA Bo Derek (born Mary Cathleen Collins, November 20, 1956) is an American actress and model. She is best known for her breakout role in the romantic comedy film 10 (1979). Her other film credits include...

Keenan Wynn as Novak Died 1986 · New York City, New York, USA Francis Xavier Aloysius James Jeremiah Keenan Wynn (July 27, 1916 – October 14, 1986) was an American character actor. His expressive face was his stock-in-trade; and though he rarely carried the lead...

Director Michael Anderson

Cast Richard Harris, Charlotte Rampling, Will Sampson, Bo Derek, Keenan Wynn, Robert Carradine, Scott Walker, Peter Hooten, Wayne Heffley, Vincent Gentile

Wuchak 7/10 Jul 11, 2018

Not great like “Jaws,” but a moving maritime tragedy and, in ways, magnificent

RELEASED IN 1977 and directed by Michael Anderson, "Orca" stars Richard Harris as a Newfoundland fisherman trying to make some big money by capturing a killer whale for a marine park. Unfortunately he ends up horribly botching the job, which incurs the vengeful wrath of the father killer whale.

Coming out two years after the blockbuster “Jaws,” this is sort of a knockoff, but it’s too different in story/tone to be cheap imitation, although there are obvious similarities: The last third of the film involves a boat crew sailing out to sea to take on the oceanic antagonist; and another scene where an individual slides down a leaning platform toward the marine creature. In any case, “Orca” may not be technically as good as "Jaws" but it certainly has its unique attractions.

The story is a maritime tragedy and utterly serious in tone with no lightness to be seen, like in “Piranha” (1978). The melodramatic plot basically inverts Melville’s “Moby Dick” wherein in the whale takes the place of bitter Ahab. The score by Ennio Morricone (e.g. "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly") is equal-parts beautiful, touching and haunting. Also, the casting is great: Harris is perfect as the aging sea salt, Charlotte Rampling is super sharp & intellectual as the cetacean biologist, Will Sampson ("One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest") is great (and clichéd) as the Indian sage with his wise, foreboding words and Bo Derek is, well, you know.

In addition, the Newfoundland locations are fabulous and, at about an hour and a half, the film is short and sweet; so there's not much filler. That said, people suffering ADHD might complain that the pace is a little slow at times.

A couple of notable scenes come to mind: The unsettling sequence where Orca's mate aborts her calf while strung up on the vessel; and the one where Orca causes mass destruction in the village at night whereupon Nolan (Harris) gazes at the havoc while the whale jumps in and out of the water in elation.

Let me close by emphasizing that “Orca” is NOT a Grade B creature-on-the-loose flick (e.g. 2000’s "Crocodile"); it's a serious and moving tragedy.

THE FILM RUNS 92 minutes. WRITERS: Luciano Vincenzoni, Sergio Donati and Robert Towne, based on Arthur Herzog’s novel.

GRADE: B+