Movie Reviews

Peter Weir's Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is a great "snapshot-in-time" film that captures the essence of what it must've been like to be on board an English war-ship during the Napoleonic War.

Russell Crowe plays Jack Aubrey, captain of the HMS Surprise. His orders are to intercept and disable any French ships he encounters off the coast of South America, and the film begins as the Surprise crosses course with a larger, faster, more powerful French vessel. After a brief firefight, the French ship carries on its way, and, with some concern from the crew of the Surprise, Captain Aubrey decides to follow after it and do whatever he can to destroy it.

The pursuit of the French ship basically provides a simple backdrop over which the real depth of the film is displayed. The Far Side of the World is really about the trials and tribulations of daily life on board a cramped and uncomfortable English war ship. What impressed me most was how authentic it all appeared. This isn't a typical 'Hollywood Blockbuster': the action is not stylized, there's no love story, the explosions aren't overdone, and every cannonball hit causes a realistic amount of damage. What is in the film include: incredibly detailed attention to the workings of the Surprise and daily life aboard it, awesome scenary, and great acting from everyone involved (especially Crowe and Paul Bettany as the ship's doctor, science-and-nature nut, and long-time friend of the captain). The two major battle scenes are also incredible to watch -- they're the sort of thing I've never seen so well-done on film before. I only wish that the director could've pulled the camera back a bit more sometimes to better show the full scale of the battles, rather than filming much of it so up-close and cramped (but easier to photograph without excessive special effects, I suppose).

If you happen to like your blockbusters to be of the fast-paced, slightly-over-the-top variety, then The Far Side of the World might not float your boat (pun intended... and apologized for). But if you have a fair amount of appreciation for the history of naval warfare -- or simply for authentically-crafted historical epics -- then you'll enjoy this film.