"One must always choose the lesser of two weevils." (Jack Aubrey)
A hidden gem. Master and Commander had always been one of those movies that I had always meant to see, but I never did. It just sorta got lost in my psyche to the pre deluge of Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King. Shame really.
Master and Commander is a fine movie that is serviced by fine acting and a very clever script. However, what sets this film apart from other naval battle films (I'm looking at you Captain Horatio Hornblower with Gregory Peck.) is that Master and Commander makes a commitment to its audience that the tactics and procedures of napoleonic naval war are genuine. I know nothing about how to fight a battle on the high seas in sailing times....but I was never confused as to the why of any battle plan. And the shot selection was superb in that it preserved the essentials of spacial relationships for the viewer. Bravo, director.
I would also like point out that an enemy that an audience can see and hear is one thing, an enemy that is absent, opaque, and generally unknown is another. (Way more challenging)
Ratings
Sailors: see it
The French: skip it
Billy Boyd: see it
Charles Darwin: skip it
Sequel cravers: skip it.
On a scale from 10-15 count shrimp to 26-30 count shrimp, I give Master and Commander- the far side of the world 3.7 out of 5 stars.
Again I agree,
ReplyDeletetwo stories to go with this movie
One I saw it during college in the theater while drinking harsh Rum straight from the bottle, it added immensely to my enjoyment
Two, I know one of the actors in it, there is a brief scene where a young cabin boy says something to the captain, what that is I don't remember. That cameo was done by a guy I met once named Sebastian Grubb, I think this was his only onscreen move part but still he nailed it.