On a recent business trip to Montreal, with temperatures plunging and icy cold rain pouring down non-stop and with a couple of glasses of Cabernet in my belly, I was feeling good - good enough to venture out (brrrrr…) and see a movie.
“Master and Commander: The far side of the world” – with a title like that I had no idea what to expect. The only familiar face was Russell Crowe and with a conviction that he does no wrong – I was treated to 2 hours and 20 minutes of high sea drama.
The movie was released on November 14 (and it was running to packed houses during its first week run) and directed by Peter Weir.
The Plot:
The story is circa April 1805 at the height of the Napoleonic wars and is based on Patrick O’Brien’s series of Aubrey / Maturin novels of sea adventures.
Captain Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) has direct orders from the Admiralty, to prevent any of Napoleon’s War Ships from carrying these wars to the Pacific Ocean – which was the far side of the world. Jack’s ship – the H.M.S. “Surprise” is currently stationed near the north coast of Brazil and the adventure begins. The H.M.S Surprise has 28 guns and 127 souls.
On a foggy night with midshipman Hollam on watch – there is something lurking in the darkness – Jack is woken up and his ship comes under attack from a French warship – “Acheron”. The ships surgeon – Dr.Stephen Maturin helps in tending to the wounded, but H.M.S Surprise gets badly hit and damaged.
The butcher’s bill according to Steve is 9 dead and 27 wounded. There is general expectation from the crew that Jack will order the ship to go to a shore so that major repairs can be done.
It is here that we get a first glimpse into Jack’s character - the ’’Master’’ of the Surprise and ’’Commander’’ of his men. He is a seasoned sailor and is a master strategist at naval warfare – he wants to chase the Acheron and destroy it. He convinces Steve and his men that this is the best option and the repairs begin at sea and the Surprise gets ready for the chase across two oceans.
During the chase – one gets to know about the life at sea – the hardships, the triumphs and the frustrations. There are some explanations of nautical terminology and reference to Lord Nelson which were educational.
The ship goes around the Cape Horn – I believe this is the ultimate test for sailing. The ship gets stuck due to lack of winds which has a demoralizing effect on the crew.
Finally the ship reaches the Galapagos Islands. The scenes were truly beautiful including the depiction of the various forms of life. The Acheron is sighted near the islands and the chase begins much to the disappointment of Steve who is also a naturalist and was keen on studying the various beetles and the flightless birds of the island.
Suffice to say, since this is an adventure story, the end is predictable but what is absorbing is the drama associated with the chase.
The Performances:
# Russell Crowe as Captain Jack Aubrey. Russ was a perfect fit for this role and gave an Oscar winning performance – I won’t be surprised if he gets nominated this year. His actions, dialogue delivery and body language are a pure delight to watch and experience. His get up with a pony tail and his costumes gave authenticity to the history period. His thoughts on leadership are appropriate even in modern times. Jack playing the violin in accompaniment with Steve on the Cello – this was their way of relaxing and getting through some tough times – both physically and emotionally.
# Paul Bettany as Dr.Stephen Maturin. He is the perfect foil for Russ – having played a similar role as his imaginary roommate in “A Dangerous Mind”. He is the conscience of Jack and constantly reminds him of his duties and responsibilities. His love for nature is rewarded by a visit to the Galapagos islands where he gets to collect some beetles. His only disappointment – he could not get hold of the flightless bird. But as Jack consoles him – the bird has no wings – he is not going anywhere – it will still be here when we come back.
# James D’Arcy as First Lt. Tom Pullings. He played a good supporting role to Jack and he gets rewarded with the captaincy of the “Aheron” after its capture
# Lee Ingleby as midshipman Hollam As a troubled officer – he tries his best to control his men – fails to do so and becomes the target of their ire and he quietly jumps into the open sea.
There were several others who played the roles of various seamen.
There are no ladies in the movie.
Guys – it is still worth it. I would give this a 4 out of 5 and would highly recommend it. More so for the way the drama was unfolded on the high seas. The visit to the Galapagos Islands is a visual treat - it is something out of this world.
Happy viewing.