| Ship
Surgeon Stephen Maturin (Bettany) and Navy Capt. Jack Aubrey
(Crowe) sail out to see the richness and strangeness of life
on the far side of the world, against the backdrop of Napoleonic
Wars. [TRAILER]
STEVEN
SNYDER'S REVIEW
Do
not take the star rating of this film at face value. “Master & Commander: The Far Side of
the World” is not brilliant, that much is sure, but while
occasional flaws prevent it from sailing into four-star territory,
there is
plenty of exceptional work to appreciate in this thunderous sea
epic.
Let’s start with Russell Crowe. Without question one of the
finest leading male actors today, Crowe creates and maintains the
rock solid foundation of this movie. He again proves his versatility,
clearly deserving a fourth Oscar nomination for his portrayal of
Captain Jack Aubrey.
The movie starts with a surprise attack – the more dominant
French warship Acheron surprising Aubrey and his inferior vessel.
Barely escaping with his life, Aubrey heads south for repairs,
returning later to not only exact revenge for the sneak attack,
but to take
home his overwhelming adversary as a prize for the British fleet.
Aubrey is the fearless and inspirational leader of the HMS Surprise,
and Crowe brings to this legendary character an air of instant
credibility. Through Crowe’s passionate outbursts we believe this story
of a David overcoming a Goliath, and buy into his crew of devoted
men who would go with “Lucky Jack” to the end of the
world and back. Thanks to Crowe’s careful poise and control,
we believe in his humanity, and instantly relate to all those who
surround him.
This is the true focus of “Master & Commander:” a
carefully-measured character study of the fascinating Aubrey.
Dissecting the film, each section serves to add to Aubrey’s
character. The surprise attacks expose a brilliant captain as a
defeated man. The repairs phase depicts a captain overcoming adversity
and
calming the rattled nerves of his crew. And the climactic battle,
which brings two 19th century warships within yards of each other,
shows a courageous warrior who backs up his noble proclamations
with action.
The other characters in the film exist primarily to give Aubrey
depth and balance. Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany) is the ship’s doctor,
Aubrey’s friend, and the only character to question Aubrey’s
zeal in returning to fight a more powerful enemy. There is a young
child on board (Max Pirkis) who brings out Aubrey’s sweet side
and the death of a weak officer which brings out Aubrey’s
emotional side.
As Crowe works his magic in front of the camera, a meticulous production
is at work beneath the surface. Everything in the movie is executed
with the utmost care. The set design, using real boats and intricate
sets accurate down to the silverware, are completely convincing.
The costumes are wholly authentic. The challenging sound design
draws the viewer in to this violent, but desolate existence. And
enough
cannot be said about the production’s special effects, which
easily rival those of the “Matrix” films. Using a mix
of models and computer renderings, “Master & Commander” is
authentic, realistic storytelling.
So it is that this sea-faring epic is a believable experience.
In fact, director Peter Weir (“The Truman Show”) goes
to great lengths to create distinct impressions of place and atmosphere.
One of the very first shots watches as the first crews of the day
climb up their ropes to their positions in the sails. Against a
silent
sunrise at sea, it is a soothing moment of calm before the storm.
Despite this focus on realism, the film does make a crucial mistake.
I mentioned above the effort expended in giving Aubrey breadth
and depth, but in the movie’s final third this overbearing focus
on Aubrey’s personality and friendships begins to wear down
the story.
“
Master & Commander” is unique in its thorough recreation
of what life on board a war ship must have been like, and what
would make one of these legendary commanders tick. It is unfortunate
when
the film starts to become an aimless soap opera.
About halfway through, I had completely bought into these officers
and the scope of their mission, and even I knew that with an enemy
ship in sight, a commander like Aubrey would never realistically
abandon his orders to take care of personal affairs.
 
Check out Reviews, Commentary, and More at Zertinet.com |
MOVIE
WEB PAGE
LINKS
TO REVIEWS
Slant Magazine
Film
Threat
NY Times Feature
IMDB
WEB PAGE
MOVIE
REVIEW QUERY ENGINE
Showtimes |
