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Master and Commander:
The Far Side of the World 2003 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Peter Weir
PG-13, 140 min. (intense battle sequences, language) |
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Starring: Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, Billy Boyd, James D'Arcy, Lee Ingleby, David Threlfall, Max Pirkis, Mark Lewis Jones, Chris Larkin, Richard McCabe, Robert Pugh
Producers: Samuel Goldwyn Jr., Duncan Henderson, John Bard Manulis, Peter Weir
Screenplay: Peter Weir, John Collee
Cinematography: Russell Boyd
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Released: 11.14.03 (Wide) |
Rating:
  (out of ) |
Director Peter Weir's seafaring adventure Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is a throwback to
the way epic films used to made, with intelligence, wit, a character-centered storyline, and masterfully constructed action
sequences that buoy a film's purpose. Weir has always emphasized central characters' relationships with others -
as evidenced in his other impressive films such as Witness, Dead Poets Society, The Truman Show -
amidst various troubles that befall them. This is a swashbuckling tale without the over-the-top histrionics that characterize
most action films; instead Weir places the audience in the shoes of a seaman's life circa 1805 in the service of the British
Navy's struggle against the conquering hero of France, Napoleon. His steady, assured direction balances the film's more
testosterone-centered battle scenes with the quiet, introspective relationship between a captain sworn to duty and a ship's
doctor who is driven by a desire to explore rather than to destroy. Master and Commander combines breathtaking photography
and man's struggle to define meaning and purpose in an environment that tests even the most steadfast sailor.
The film comes along at an opportune time considering this year's wildly popular Pirates of the Caribbean,
a film that was clearly made for its high energy and entertainment factor including infectious humor that won over moviegoers'
affections. Master and Commander couldn't be more disparate; it's a film that seeks to study its inhabitants rather than
showcase them as fodder for disposable consumption. Weir's vision of the sea is like a tonic for those who yearn for
more meaningful inspection of an era that was defined by naval superiority in a man's world. While there are certainly
moments of high tension here, Master and Commander wisely avoids the clichés that sink lesser action films that bludgeon
the viewer into submission rather than pique their interest into the reasons behind such violence. In short, this is one
fine motion picture.
The film is based on the novels by Patrick O'Brien, which focused on the relationship between Captain Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe)
and Doctor Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany) amidst the dangers of high seas combat. His writing centers on the specific
details of everyday life that juxtaposes the tedious work with the fighting spirit of the men that defended a nation. Weir
wisely chose to do likewise with his film, portraying characters with an earnestness that only emboldened the importance
of their struggle against the enemy (in this case France). While Aubrey is responsible for his men and relishes his position
to lead victorious campaigns against the enemy, Maturin uses the resouces of the Navy to pursue his real passion -
understanding nature's complex design in the pre-Darwinian age. But the mutal respect and friendship between the two
help to balance their ship's need for leadership and compassion.
To counter Napoleon's threat to England, the Royal Navy has sent the HMS Surprise (under Aubrey) to patrol the waters
off Brazil's coast, which the French warship Acheron is determined to control. Their first encounter ends badly for
the Surprise as the Acheron ambushes it amidst dense fog and the cover of darkness. The Acheron is well-made, faster,
and more powerful than Aubrey's Surprise. Wounded, both in spirit and in battle, the Surprise regroups and refits
at sea to counterattack a superior ship. Despite the concerns of his officers, Aubrey pushes forward in an attempt to eliminate
one of England's adversaries. He chases the Acheron around Cape Horn and into the Pacific Ocean to the Galapagos Islands,
where only one ship will prove victorious.
Because Master and Commander is basically a character study set at sea, the lead actors' performances are critical.
To no one's surprise, Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany are more than up to the task. For Crowe, whose career has been in
the stratosphere for several years now after career-making performances in The Insider, Gladiator, and A Beautiful Mind,
gives yet another superior effort as a captain who must balance his own ego with the safety of his men. His sauvity and
natural leadership go hand in hand to both inspire and strike fear in the hearts of the ship's crew. As strong as Crowe is,
Bettany proves a worthy counterpart as the ship's surgeon and naturalist at work. Bettany's Maturin is Aubrey's conscience,
at times derisive but necessary - he tells Aubrey what must be said. The two men's influence and personality is clearly
communicated through their distinctive relationship with Lord Blakeney (Max Pirkis), a 13-year old officer that is torn between
duty to his captain and a growing love for nature. The film plays out like a small chess match between two men within a larger
chess match between the Surprise and the Acheron.
The reason Weir's film is a superior effort in skill and craftsmanship can be found in his approach to both its bold action sequences
and its quieter, more reflective nature. A lesser film would use few meaningful scenes between each overblown battle
sequence - undoubtedly with a high body count and carnage to spare - in order to inflict sensory overload in the viewer's mind,
thereby enabling it to gloss over the superficiality of its existence. Master and Commander takes the opposite approach,
stimulating the senses with a thoughtful, almost surreal introspective investigation of humanity's need for purpose. The experience
is well worth the volatile journey.
© 2003 Jonathan Cornwell
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 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
| Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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