Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

In terms of its production quality, Master & Commander is a spellbindingly impressive project that’s beautifully anachronistic in relation to the trends of the time when it was released. Because of that, however, it inevitably fell short of box-office expectations and failed to become the start of a film franchise, but that doesn’t change the fact that its qualities have stood the test of time. Especially today, when digital effects have long since lost their wow effect, the stubborn authenticity on display here is breathtaking in its immediacy and physicality. In line with the book series whose name the film bears, the narrative focuses on depicting the battleship as an organism and all aspects of life throughout the hierarchy of its crew. To heighten the drama, the individual peripeteias represent the best of the events of the naval battles. The ingeniously constructed screenplay flawlessly connects the two storylines. To the same effect, the individual cut sequences and dolly shots help to map the topography of the ship while constantly illustrating the real dimension of both ordinary tasks and the chaos of battle. (07/22/2023)

A perfect combination of artsy chamber piece focused on characters and “how things worked on those beautiful vessels with sails" with a simple adventure for boys about friendship and duties like out of a dime novel you read secretly during lessons. Despite having nothing whatsoever to do with the equally marvelous book the movie is based on (this is more a mixture of the first and third book with a bit from the tenth book in the Aubrey and Maturin series), this is a simply wonderful movie in its sense for historical precision, characterization of characters or nods for readers (Jack’s missing earlobe, letters to Sophia, Maturin’s “floral" waistcoat etc.) And technical aspects keep step with the content - they are the highest possible standard. The only thing that disappoints me is the non-existence of a director’s cut. As a whole twenty-four minutes of cut scenes demonstrates, not just ballast, but much high quality material was left out of the final cut. (01/28/2007)

Whatever you might expect, you will get something else. Master & Commander is like a James Ivory film on the water. There’s no epic story, no action, no grand heroes. The film is rather a psychological excursion into the lives of the crew of an old warship, their interpersonal conflicts and the rules that they have to follow. The brightest scene in a war movie would be a successful final battle. In this film, it’s an insect collection belonging to a wounded doctor on a tropical island. The cinematography is beautiful, portraying the individual characters in dozens of detailed nuances. Russell Crowe appears on the screen and you immediately idolize him. And you form a relationship with the other main characters as if you have known them for years. Peter Weir is an extraordinary director. (11/13/2003)

Thanks to the engaging filmmaking and realistic setting, I can safely say: I was there with them. On the ship during the storm, during the battles and during the moments of relaxation, and I was not bored at all. In the opening battle I was thrown into the whirlwind of the action, with blood, sweat and tears at my fingertips, during the scene with the crashing my ship was being tossed from side to side, and on the Galapagos I relaxed with the Doctor to the strains of the double bass and it was enjoyable. If Weir wanted to show a detailed portrait of life on an English battleship, he succeeded. If he wanted to make an adventure story, he certainly didn't miss. And certainly not with this select ensemble of actors. I believed Crowe and Bettany and their captain and doctor, respectively, every second. And by the way, do you want to know how a scarecrow can help win a naval battle? Then don't hesitate with this film. (06/30/2004)

Master and Commander is a picture not so much about great sea battles, but more a study on Captain “happy Jack" Aubrey. Peter Weir’s ingenious direction is aided by the great Russell Crowe and the no less excellent Paul Bettany. Wonderful shots of the sea alternate with the amazing wildlife of the Galapagos. I found the music very powerful. (09/02/2007)