StevePulaski

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Member Back to Top Post by StevePulaski on Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)

Directed by: Peter Weir



Rating: ★★★

In present day, we can look at Peter Weir's Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World as one of the most ambitious kickoffs to a film franchise that wasn't a Marvel/DC Comics sponsored brand. It was a film adaptation of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey–Maturin series, a collection of books that weaved a nautical setting with rousing spectacle and historical relevance, with a hefty $200 million budget to back it up. As it stands, following ten Oscar nominations that resulted in two wins in pretty major minor categories, Master and Commander exists now as the film that circulates in the people's minds who paid to see it in the theater, those who were curious to see what all the hype was about following its accolades, or those who curiously rent or stream the film on a night with not much else going on.



This is the rare, spectacle film that holds up years after its initial release just as well as it did when it was one of many weekly new releases. Master and Commander brims with detail and lavish set and costume design all the way through, and wisely focuses on the characters that are involved in the action as much or more than the action itself. In true swashbuckling fashion, Weir makes this a film of both wry humor and adventure, delightfully alive and painstakingly crafted with its prime intention to dazzle on various levels.



Set in 1805 in the midst of the Napoleonic Wars, the central figure is Captain Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe), who is tasked with pursuing the French privateer ship known as "Acheron." Their ship, known as "Surprise," pails in comparison to Acheron, inadequate in both speed and defense, but Captain Aubrey insists on pushing forward to take down the ship, or at least "take her as a prize." Alongside Aubrey is Dr. Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany), the ship's spy and doctor, who treats the crew, largely made up of young, some youthful, males when they become ill. Dr. Maturin winds up also being the voice of reason and trust amongst the crew whenever they pay him a visit, and sooner or later, they do.



A lot of Master and Commander is comprised of wide-angle, extreme long shots focused on both the ship and the relentless currents that batter Surprise during a bad storm or just average, everyday waters, in addition to intimate gathers in tight-bunkers that have the men playing jokes on one another or simply conversing to pass time. Consider the scene when Captain Aubrey sees two weevils crawling on one of his crewmates' plates. They are headed for the man's baked potato, when Captain Aubrey decides to place a bet of which one will reach the potato first. He proudly proclaims to pick the one trailing because it is the "lesser of two weevils."



Moments like that are what makes Master and Commander a more human-centered film than many of its contemporaries, even The Perfect Storm which, while not a period piece, takes place entirely on the rough shores and is predominately a spectacle film in every sense of the word. It's also what makes this film's two hour runtime race past at lightening speed, while being an entertaining and amusing film very frequently. To be expected with the tropes of the narrative, there is an inevitable flabbiness that does exist with the film's story, as you're essentially watching the prolonged, almost real-time in some parts, expedition to defeat another ship. Conversations can occasionally become droll, especially when they feel as if they are repeated or regurgitated for the sake of serving as a reminder to the audience, but it's also as if screenwriters Weir and John Collee recognize this, and, in turn, find a delicate balance of conversation and action.



The end result is a very even-handed picture that combines a great deal of depth and character involvement as well as beautifully directed entertainment enhanced by glorious special effects. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World finds itself lovingly adhering to many of the principles of the swashbuckling films before its time while keeping with the tradition of the novels by which many of the films were inspired, and the result is a largely beautiful, immaculate genre-ode.



Starring: Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, Billy Boyd, and James D'Arcy. Directed by: Peter Weir. In present day, we can look at Peter Weir'sas one of the most ambitious kickoffs to a film franchise that wasn't a Marvel/DC Comics sponsored brand. It was a film adaptation of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey–Maturin series, a collection of books that weaved a nautical setting with rousing spectacle and historical relevance, with a hefty $200 million budget to back it up. As it stands, following ten Oscar nominations that resulted in two wins in pretty major minor categories,exists now as the film that circulates in the people's minds who paid to see it in the theater, those who were curious to see what all the hype was about following its accolades, or those who curiously rent or stream the film on a night with not much else going on.This is the rare, spectacle film that holds up years after its initial release just as well as it did when it was one of many weekly new releases.brims with detail and lavish set and costume design all the way through, and wisely focuses on the characters that are involved in the action as much or more than the action itself. In true swashbuckling fashion, Weir makes this a film of both wry humor and adventure, delightfully alive and painstakingly crafted with its prime intention to dazzle on various levels.Set in 1805 in the midst of the Napoleonic Wars, the central figure is Captain Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe), who is tasked with pursuing the French privateer ship known as "Acheron." Their ship, known as "Surprise," pails in comparison to Acheron, inadequate in both speed and defense, but Captain Aubrey insists on pushing forward to take down the ship, or at least "take her as a prize." Alongside Aubrey is Dr. Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany), the ship's spy and doctor, who treats the crew, largely made up of young, some youthful, males when they become ill. Dr. Maturin winds up also being the voice of reason and trust amongst the crew whenever they pay him a visit, and sooner or later, they do.A lot ofis comprised of wide-angle, extreme long shots focused on both the ship and the relentless currents that batter Surprise during a bad storm or just average, everyday waters, in addition to intimate gathers in tight-bunkers that have the men playing jokes on one another or simply conversing to pass time. Consider the scene when Captain Aubrey sees two weevils crawling on one of his crewmates' plates. They are headed for the man's baked potato, when Captain Aubrey decides to place a bet of which one will reach the potato first. He proudly proclaims to pick the one trailing because it is the "lesser of two weevils."Moments like that are what makesa more human-centered film than many of its contemporaries, evenwhich, while not a period piece, takes place entirely on the rough shores and is predominately a spectacle film in every sense of the word. It's also what makes this film's two hour runtime race past at lightening speed, while being an entertaining and amusing film very frequently. To be expected with the tropes of the narrative, there is an inevitable flabbiness that does exist with the film's story, as you're essentially watching the prolonged, almost real-time in some parts, expedition to defeat another ship. Conversations can occasionally become droll, especially when they feel as if they are repeated or regurgitated for the sake of serving as a reminder to the audience, but it's also as if screenwriters Weir and John Collee recognize this, and, in turn, find a delicate balance of conversation and action.The end result is a very even-handed picture that combines a great deal of depth and character involvement as well as beautifully directed entertainment enhanced by glorious special effects.finds itself lovingly adhering to many of the principles of the swashbuckling films before its time while keeping with the tradition of the novels by which many of the films were inspired, and the result is a largely beautiful, immaculate genre-ode.Starring: Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, Billy Boyd, and James D'Arcy. Directed by: Peter Weir.