Great Film: Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Masterfully Done
"Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" is half swashbuckling
action movie, half detailed examination of life in the 19th-century
British navy, and all entertaining. Director Peter Weir has created an
intriguing film that nicely balances fierce battle sequences with
quiet, intimate scenes.
Nearly all of the film takes place aboard the HMS Surprise, under the
command of Captain "Lucky" Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe). The captain's
orders: to intercept and disable the French privateer Acheron, which is
troubling British vessels off the coast of South America. The two ships
clash early on, and the Surprise is thoroughly routed--the Acheron is
larger, faster, and more modern. But Aubrey, with a determination that
might not entirely be due to his sense of duty, is not one to give up,
and the Surprise chases the Acheron--and/or vice versa--down the
Brazilian coast, around Cape Horn, and to the Gallapagos Islands.
That's the action part. The intimate part involves Aubrey's
relationship with the ship's surgeon, Stephan Marutin (Paul Bettany).
Stephan is a quiet intellectual and devout naturallist, whose train of
thought is foraying into the territory that would make Darwin a
household name later in the century. He's also the only one among the
crew who's either willing or able to call Aubrey's decisions into
question. He provides a grounding force for the captain, and the
friendship between these two dissimilar men is the emotional heart of
the story.
I've yet to read any of the Patrick O'Brian series upon which "Master
and Commander" is based, but the movie shows every evidence of being
derived from a painstakingly and meticulously detailed work, one which
has gone to great lengths to re-create the world and environment of
these men. The details on screen are wonderful, depicting the sort of
harsh conditions that make the contestants on those "reality" series
look like the overglorified wimps they are. The crew of the Surprise
(many of them not older than twenty) lives in claustrophobic and
none-too-clean quarters--at times it seems as if every inch of the
screen is crammed full--and sleep in hammocks that may very well end up
serving as their shrouds. Battles are chaotic, with cannon fire ripping
huge holes in the ship and sending shrapnel in every direction. The
weather seems to exist only in extremes: still heat, raging tempests,
even snow as they drift down near the Antarctic circle. Good service is
rewarded with extra rations of grog and brandy, insubordination is
punished by the whip. It's a place where both close friendships and
deep resentments can grow, and the tension in the air at times feels
like a living presence.
Crowe dominates the production, once again proving himself one of the
best leading men working in movies. In his hands, Jack Aubrey is a
natural leader of men: clever, courageous, determined, and capable of
what nowadays is called "thinking outside the box." He is frequently
confronted with difficult choices, but takes his responsibilities and
the consequences of his actions unflinchingly. Bettany turns in an
equally good performance as Aubrey's emotional and ideological
opposite; the two men play wonderfully off of each other. Most of the
rest of the crew tends to blur together (the exceptions include a young
officer who's right arm gets amputated early on, and later takes
command of the ship), but "Lord of the Rings" fans will be amused to
notice Billy Boyd among the ranks.
The combination of action and introspection in "Master and Commander"
at times seems like an odd mix, but the film succeeds on both levels.
Definitely a voyage worth taking.
Cast
- Capt. Jack Aubrey played by Russell Crowe
- Dr. Stephen Maturin, Surgeon played by Paul Bettany
- Hollom, Midshipman played by Lee Ingleby
- 1st Lt. Tom Pullings played by James D'arcy
- 2nd Lt. William Mowett played by Edward Woodall
- Capt. Howard, Royal Marines played by Chris Larkin
- Blakeney, Midshipman played by Max Pirkis
