Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World

You say you suffered through the dismal Matrix: Revolutions and are looking for a real adventure film that has two brain cells to rub together? Well, your ship has come in, mate, in the form of Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World, which is an intelligent, intense adventure epic that hooks the viewer right from the beginning and doesn't let go for a second during its 139-minute running time.

Based on author Patrick O'Brian's popular book series, Master And Commander is set during the Napoleonic Wars. The two main characters are Captain "Lucky" Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe), renowned as a fighting captain in the British Navy and Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany), the ship's doctor and close friend of Aubrey (think 18th Century Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy).

As the film opens, their ship, the H.M.S. Surprise, is suddenly attacked by the French, who are in possession of a vastly superior ship that was built in America. With the Surprise badly damaged and much of its crew injured, Aubrey is torn between duty and friendship as he pursues a high-stakes chase across two oceans, to intercept and capture his foe.

From the coast of Brazil to the storm-tossed waters of Cape Horn, south through ice and snow, to - you got it - the far side of the world, to the remote shores of The Galapagos Islands, it's a mission that can make Aubrey's reputation - or destroy him and his crew.

Peter Weir, for whom this film is his first directorial effort in five years (his last being the brilliant Truman Show), goes to great lengths to bring realism and authenticity to the film's battle scenes and create a rich, encapsulating atmosphere, breathtakingly photographed by Russell Boyd. By capturing all the horror, tedium and tension of life on the open seas during wartime, Weir makes you feel as if you are right there alongside Lucky Jack and crew as they sail the Southern Seas in pursuit of its enemy.

The screenplay's main plotline, compiled from two of O'Brian's novels by Weir and John Collee, is fairly straightforward: good guys pursue bad guys on the high seas. But this doesn't mean that the characters, main and supporting, and the various sub-plots are simple as well. The characters are interesting and three-dimensional (credit should also be given to the fine ensemble of actors playing them), while their dialogue is neither pretentious nor silly.

Crowe, who is superb as the Captain, combines elements from several of his previous roles for Aubrey: the confidence of Maximus from Gladiator, the determination and occasional, unexpected compassion of Bud White from L.A. Confidential, the stubbornness and sense of responsibility of Dr. Wigand from The Insider and the calculating intelligence of John Nash in A Beautiful Mind, making for a smart portrayal of an old-fashioned cinema hero worth following and cheering for.

Bettany, Crowe's co-star in A Beautiful Mind, is equally as impressive as the ship's doctor. Maturin proves to be equally as vital to the ship's success as the captain, arguing Aubrey's actions on many an occasion.

Comparing Aubrey and Maturin to Kirk and McCoy is hardly an insult to the performances of Crowe and Bettany. The interplay between Kirk and McCoy was always my favorite aspect of the Star Trek TV and film series, and the interplay between Crowe and Bettany is definitely a highlight of this film. Bettany gives a performance that stands proudly alongside the film's star, and is worthy of an Oscar nomination.

It's been a while since an action / adventure film that wasn't set in Middle Earth has had me sitting on the edge of my seat right from the start. Master And Commander did. When it wasn't knocking me out with its spectacular battle scenes, it kept me rivetted with its eye to detail, well-defined characters, smart dialogue and excellent cast.

Don't wait for the film to come out on DVD. Seek the film out on the largest screen possible then sit back and enjoy.

share Tweet