Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World 2003
Directed by Peter Weir
- Adventure, Drama, War
- 138 min
- PG-13
The courage to do the impossible lies in the hearts of men.
After an abrupt and violent encounter with a French warship inflicts severe damage upon his ship, a captain of the British Royal Navy begins a chase over two oceans to capture or destroy the enemy, though he must weigh his commitment to duty and ferocious pursuit of glory against the safety of his devoted crew, including the ship's thoughtful surgeon, his best friend.
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Character
Earnest, meticulous, classical in form and grave.
- earnestironic
- rawmeticulous
- classical in formformally daring
- gravecomic
- intimateepic
Who loves it, who doesn't
36 profiled raters. Loved most by The Prestige Hunters; disliked most by The Sinceres.
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“Is Russell Crowe the best thing in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World?”
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“Is the book better?”
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“Is this Peter Weir's best work?”
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A yes-or-no question, answered from what people wrote here, on TMDB and on Wikipedia. Never made up.
Reviews
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Reviews on TMDB
Written by TMDB members; each links to the original. Not part of Tastebuds's numbers.
- badelfon TMDB · Mar 20268/10
This is superbly crafted entertainment, the kind of filmmaking that reminds you what cinema can do when every element is working in concert. Peter Weir has gone to extreme lengths to create a cinematic world that absorbs the viewer completely, achieving that rare suspension of disbelief where you forget you're watching a movie and simply inhabit the HMS Surprise alongside its crew. And he was quite successful here. It's more than impressive; it's immersive. The authenticity of the costumes and sets, the daily issues and rhythms of sailors' lives, all felt perfect. I can't personally vouch for the period accuracy, but from what little I know, it seemed quite accomplished. What matters is that Weir made you believe it, made the creaking wood and salt spray and hierarchies of shipboard life feel absolutely real. The sound design deserves particular praise. Thanks to Christopher Gordon, Iva Davies, and Richard Tognetti, the soundtrack is perfect for this film, neither overwhelming nor absent, just present in the way good music should be. Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany were amazing. Their friendship felt very real and supportive, the kind of bond between two intelligent men who respect
Read the whole review on TMDB - CinemaSerfon TMDB · Sep 20237/10
This has shades of "Horatio Hornblower" to it, but is much grittier. Russell Crowe delivers a strong, convincing, portrayal of the doughty captain "Aubrey", in command of HMS "Surprise" and charged with tracking down a French privateer that is raiding the vital British whaling fleet during the Napoleonic wars. Coming up against an equally courageous and skilful French captain and engaging in a lethal game of cat and mouse, he must outmanoeuvre this cunning foe before he and his crew end up in Davy Jones' Locker. The film nods to the social issues and superstitions of living on a 19th Century frigate and to bravery (and cowardice) in a subtle yet plausible way. Above all, it's an adventure film and there is plenty of action as we go. A strong ensemble cast in support (though Paul Bettany as the doctor and "Aubrey's" best friend on this voyage didn't quite wash with me) complement some great maritime cinematography; a good score and Peter Weir's able and exciting direction.
Read the whole review on TMDB - GenerationofSwineon TMDB · Jan 20231/10
What you have here is Crowe still thinking that he's the greatest actor that ever lived. That all takes away the fun of a movie that had the potential to be a high seas epic like, say, Captain Blood. Peter Weir lets Crowe go crazy and you can almost taste the ego dripping out of the pours of every seen, so much so that he doesn't allow Paul Bettany to shine and he's a good actor in his own right, as is James D'Arcy and again, Crowe seems to want to hog all the acting glory there too. Honestly, its hard to sit down and watch a man try to upstage everyone in every scene, especially when they are actors that could hold their own against Crowe...if Crowe allowed that to happen. So, you get to sit back and watch ego and that gets boring. It's a shame, the script and directing were there, it could have been a great film if we didn't just see ego shine.
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Cast
- Russell CroweCaptain Jack Aubrey
- Paul BettanyDr. Stephen Maturin
- James D'Arcy1st Lt. Thomas Pullings
- Robert PughMr. Allen, Master
- David ThrelfallPreserved Killick, Captain's Steward
- Lee InglebyMidshipman Hollom
- Max PirkisMidshipman Blakeney
- Max BenitzMidshipman Calamy
- Billy BoydBarrent Bonden, Coxswain
- Edward Woodall2nd Lt. William Mowett
Crew
- Peter WeirDirector
- Peter WeirScreenplay
- John ColleeScreenplay
- Patrick O'BrianNovel
- Russell BoydDirector of Photography
- Iva DaviesOriginal Music Composer
- Richard TognettiOriginal Music Composer
- Christopher GordonOriginal Music Composer
- Lee SmithEditor
- Samuel Goldwyn Jr.Producer
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Pairings
Companions we picked from the closest works, and how to take them.
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The Prince of Egypt 199877% alikeBoth earnest, classical in form, epic.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 195477% alikeBoth earnest, classical in form, epic.
Both earnest, classical in form.
Circe 201881% alikeBook · Both earnest, classical in form, grave.
Lonesome Dove 198975% alikeTelevision · Both earnest, classical in form, epic.
Often watched with
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