Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Movie Review

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)

Rent Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World on Amazon Video // Buy the Novel Master and Commander // Buy the Novel The Far Side of the World
Written by: Patrick O'Brian (novels), Peter Weir & John Collee (screenplay)
Directed by: Peter Weir
Starring:  Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, Billy Boyd, James D'Arcy
Rated: PG-13

Plot
During the Napoleonic Wars, a brash British captain pushes his ship and crew to their limits in pursuit of a formidable French war vessel around South America.

Verdict
A stunning production lends credibility to an engrossing tale of a brash captain chasing a superior ship during the 1800s. The realism is impressive, from naval battles to life under the main deck. This weaves action, life at the time, and character moments perfectly. Russell Crowe inspires admiration as the captain.
Watch it.

Review
The movie combines two novels, "Master and Commander" and "The Far Side of the World". Both deal with chasing down a privateer and the movie combines the long chase of the latter with the furious climactic battle of the former.

This is a period movie on a ship. Authenticity was paramount, two historians were on set during filming, and even small details were painstakingly recreated. The rope on the ship was hand made because the lay of modern rope is right hand, but the rope that would have been used on the ship is left hand. That's a lot of trouble for a small detail.

From the first scene this is intense. It starts with a man trying to determine if he saw another ship in the fog. I'm straining my eyes to see along with them. Then we see a burst of orange in the fog.
The cannon ball destruction is immense. The ship takes a beating. I was hooked in less than ten minutes.

The injuries and devastation from the fight is brutal and it seems realistic. With the detail that's gone into the design, I'm sure it's accurate. It's just two ships facing each other and letting cannons fire. The production is stunning. What is captured, and the accuracy is just impressive. Captain Aubrey gives chase to the attacking ship, but it's faster and stronger. He seems bent on revenge, but incapable of actually enacting it.

We get a look at what life is like on this ship. The Captain doesn't even stop for repairs, them men working on repairing the ship while at sea. Everyone trusts the Captain, but this chase pushes them to the limits.
We see a doctor's role on the ship, and it isn't pretty. We see a young man lose his arm due to injury. The movie isn't gory, but the implication is enough.
In a storm, the mast snaps flying into the ocean along with a member of the crew. The mast is acting like an anchor, threatening to pull the ship under. Aubrey doesn't want to lose his man, but he knows trying to save him risks the entire crew. We get that information without words. Aubrey gets the news that the mast is an anchor and he says nothing, grabbing a hatchet and condemning the crewman to death while saving everyone else. The movie is filled with many amazing moments, and the production design only facilitates them. It captures the time period expertly.

Throughout the movie, the doctor and Aubrey discuss this mission. The doctor freely speaks his mind, but is also reminded by Aubrey that though they may be friends he must be careful with his words. It's a strange relationship of superior and friend.
Crowe plays Aubrey well. He's a man you want to follow that makes hard choices, but he's brash as well making you wonder if his chase is folly.

The initial naval battle was a big production that got my attention. The movie then becomes more character focused which is still intriguing. There are a lot of nameless crew, and the few to which we are introduced have a nice impact in the short screen time. This closes with a climactic battle with cannons, swords, and guns. Everything about this movie is impressive.