Consider that very cool shot around the 35-second mark in which Moby Dick charges the ship just under the water line without breaching. Director Ron Howard may or may not admit to this later on, but I see a visual tribute to the early shot of James Mason’s Nautilus attacking a ship in Richard Fleischer‘s 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea — similar angle, same attack, just under the water line.


James Mason’s Nautilus about to attack a merchant ship in an early scene from 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.