Directed by:
Peter WeirCinematography:
Russell BoydCast:
Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, Billy Boyd, James D'Arcy, Edward Woodall, Chris Larkin, Max Pirkis, Jack Randall, Max Benitz, Lee Ingleby, David Threlfall (more)VOD (5)
Plots(1)
When a sudden attack by a French warship inflicts casualties and severe damage upon his vessel, Captain "Lucky" Jack Aubrey (Crowe) of the British Royal Navy is torn between duty and friendship as he embarks on a thrilling, high-stakes chase across two oceans to intercept and capture the enemy at any cost. (20th Century Fox UK)
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Reviews (11)
This is no idyll on a yacht, there's no love line, no picturesque sunsets, no heroic ending, just the open ocean and two wooden boats. Weir's Master & Commander is a cinematic phenomenon that was as close to reality as we've ever seen in historical films, but this doesn’t mean that it is a live-action documentary. In addition to a great cast, the film also features a lavish production design, which also proves the enormous costliness of nautical films. It is therefore difficult to ever see the real highlights of the Napoleonic Wars, such as Trafalgar, the Nile and the whole life of the famous British Admiral Horatio Nelson.
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I can't remember the last time I found out before the movie climaxed that I had barely been breathing. It had to be a long time ago, and it had to be for a movie similar to Master and Commander. This is a wonderful callback to old times, robust filmmaking with a clear vision, precise leadership and superbly put together dramatic layers. Peter Weir has commanding skills and the steadfastness of captain Jack, but he also remains an analytical observer like Dr. Stephen. The way individual characters are built, and the way chemistry is maintained by the crew, should be in a cinematic tactics textbook. In a few minutes, a person is on board and participates in a cruise that is both informative, exciting and emotional. Moreover, Weir's typical dualities of small and large universes are reflected here, when war, politics, and science are all reflected in the relationships and conversations of the characters, without the film sliding into any exaggerated philosophizing. Everything's just right, and the dust won't get wet despite the thunderous runtime. This blew off my main mast. Huzzah! (and the second part, from what Peter Weir told us, is not utopia).
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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.
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I can't even believe how sensitively such a one-sided issue can be portrayed. For two hours, I wanted to serve on the HMS Surprise under the perfect captain Russell Crowe and fight for England. It's a shame that the script can't match Peter Weir's fantastic directing and sometimes slips into completely unnecessary twists, like in the case of the superstition about Jonah.
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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.
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Gallery (40)
Photo © 2003 20th Century Fox
![Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World - Making of](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/160/163/160163205_0d413b.jpg)
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