Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World (A or 4/4 stars)
'Master & Commander' (directed by Peter Weir) is a brilliant sea adventure; simple as that. The story starts on a ship & ends on a ship (with a brief stop at the Galapagos Islands). It is 1805 and the sea vessel, Surprise, is somewhere off the coast of Brazil. Capt. Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) is on assignment from Britain to hunt the French vessel, Acheron. Aubrey goes beyond his call of duty & is determined to oust the enemy ship, even though almost every facet of the Acheron is superior to that of the Surprise. His close friend, & ship doctor, Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany) is the other dominant character in the film. Also aboard are a plethora of deckhands, lieutenants, & officers ... most of whom are barely teenagers. Aubrey was once a young boy on ships like the Surprise.
He served under the Lord Nelson & knows how to command a ship, treat a crew with dignity, respect, & the right amount of discipline. The film showcases 2 major battle sequences along with a scene where the Surprise struggles to survive a terrific storm. Something that makes this film so realistic & pure is the fact that special effects are nil. I love these kind of movies because I don't have to waste any time thinking about how a certain effect is accomplished by computers. Instead, I get to marvel at the natural effects in the moment. It is so much more pleasing to watch a movie this way than to ponder how much it costs to 'create' a wave.
Because there are 2 huge battle sequences, it's natural to witness some gory visions. We get to watch a junior officer get his arm amputated. But it is shot in a way that makes you feel his excruciating pain without seeing a shred of flesh, muscle, or blood; the scene still makes my skin crawl. In another scene, Dr. Stephen has to take a bullet out of his own stomach. Here, we do see the 'hand in stomach' action with a little blood on the side, but it is shot so superbly that you are grateful to witness it. As good as the television show Nip Tuck is ... this film shows that there is a way to show such scenes without having to get nauseous.
The scenes on the Galapagos Islands are incredible. The crew and, specifically, Dr. Stephen, investigate the strange & unusual beings on the island. It's fascinating to watch him and the junior officer make notes & draw pictures of such things as 'lizards that swim', turtles, & 'birds that can't fly'. Things that we in the 21st century have grown accustomed to are unbeknownst to men like Stephen who has such a love of science & technology. Russell Crowe's character even speaks a line earlier in the film about technological advances in shipping. This line got a little chuckle out of me & several other members in the audience.
This film is excellent. I commend the sweeping cinematography, sets (those ships!), period costumes, crisp sound design, music score, & intense make-up work. I somehow thought that the movie would be 'bigger'; more expansive; something that goes beyond the decks of the ship. But the fact that the film rarely ventures from the ship gives the characters & the story a more intimate feeling than I had previously thought it could have. The relationships btwn. the characters, specifically Aubrey & Maturin, are beautiful. They're different men in terms of rank, lifestyle & duty; but they have a connection.
Evidence of that connection is shown in the scenes where they play music together to lighten their spirits in times when uncertainty prevailed. Should they chase the Acheron? Will a stop in the Galapagos Islands halt their mission? Should they return to Britain? Will Britain be at war with France when they return? These are the questions that Capt. Aubrey faces. Crowe doesn't disappoint in his leadership role. An Oscar nomination is destined. And Bettany's performance as the doctor is even stronger in a supporting role. I highly recommend this film to anyone who enjoys great acting, stunning visuals, & exciting sea adventures.
He served under the Lord Nelson & knows how to command a ship, treat a crew with dignity, respect, & the right amount of discipline. The film showcases 2 major battle sequences along with a scene where the Surprise struggles to survive a terrific storm. Something that makes this film so realistic & pure is the fact that special effects are nil. I love these kind of movies because I don't have to waste any time thinking about how a certain effect is accomplished by computers. Instead, I get to marvel at the natural effects in the moment. It is so much more pleasing to watch a movie this way than to ponder how much it costs to 'create' a wave.
Because there are 2 huge battle sequences, it's natural to witness some gory visions. We get to watch a junior officer get his arm amputated. But it is shot in a way that makes you feel his excruciating pain without seeing a shred of flesh, muscle, or blood; the scene still makes my skin crawl. In another scene, Dr. Stephen has to take a bullet out of his own stomach. Here, we do see the 'hand in stomach' action with a little blood on the side, but it is shot so superbly that you are grateful to witness it. As good as the television show Nip Tuck is ... this film shows that there is a way to show such scenes without having to get nauseous.
The scenes on the Galapagos Islands are incredible. The crew and, specifically, Dr. Stephen, investigate the strange & unusual beings on the island. It's fascinating to watch him and the junior officer make notes & draw pictures of such things as 'lizards that swim', turtles, & 'birds that can't fly'. Things that we in the 21st century have grown accustomed to are unbeknownst to men like Stephen who has such a love of science & technology. Russell Crowe's character even speaks a line earlier in the film about technological advances in shipping. This line got a little chuckle out of me & several other members in the audience.
This film is excellent. I commend the sweeping cinematography, sets (those ships!), period costumes, crisp sound design, music score, & intense make-up work. I somehow thought that the movie would be 'bigger'; more expansive; something that goes beyond the decks of the ship. But the fact that the film rarely ventures from the ship gives the characters & the story a more intimate feeling than I had previously thought it could have. The relationships btwn. the characters, specifically Aubrey & Maturin, are beautiful. They're different men in terms of rank, lifestyle & duty; but they have a connection.
Evidence of that connection is shown in the scenes where they play music together to lighten their spirits in times when uncertainty prevailed. Should they chase the Acheron? Will a stop in the Galapagos Islands halt their mission? Should they return to Britain? Will Britain be at war with France when they return? These are the questions that Capt. Aubrey faces. Crowe doesn't disappoint in his leadership role. An Oscar nomination is destined. And Bettany's performance as the doctor is even stronger in a supporting role. I highly recommend this film to anyone who enjoys great acting, stunning visuals, & exciting sea adventures.