"MASTER AND Commander: The Far Side of the World" isn't just a fabulous seagoing spectacle. It's one for the ages. Not only does Peter Weir's film give you an atmospheric feel for the agony and ecstasy of early 19th-century sea warfare, it's a rollicking good story.
That's primarily thanks to the source material, as aficionados of Patrick O'Brian's "Master and Commander" novels will attest. These brilliantly written books, 20 in all, chronicle the adventures of one Jack Aubrey, legendary sea commander during the Napoleonic era, and his trusted friend, ship surgeon and intelligence agent Stephen Maturin. And even though Weir has selected elements from several books to form an independently conceived composite, he has re-created the excitement and spirit of the historical novels. I'll wager the O'Brianistas will be satisfied. I'm even more confident about everyone else.
Russell Crowe breathes life into the role of Capt. Jack Aubrey, one of the heroes of Patrick O'Brian's historical novels, in Peter Weir's smashing
(Stephen Vaughan -- 20th Century Fox)
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The movie puts us at sea immediately. The year is 1805. Napoleon Bonaparte threatens to rule the Western world on the high seas -- the theater of war for world hegemony. The only civilization standing between old Boney and global domination is England. And Capt. Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe), an Englishman who once shared the deck with Lord Nelson, is one of the empire's brightest lights.
As the commander of the HMS Surprise, which is somewhere off the coast of Brazil, he is charged with finding and destroying the Acheron, a French super frigate with superior size and firepower, a state-of-the-art hull that's seemingly impervious to cannonballs and has a spooky habit of appearing out of nowhere.
Jack and his crew (197 souls all told) swiftly learn what damage the Acheron can do. Wood-pulverizing cannonballs render the Surprise into floating semi-pulp. The figurehead is battered. Stephen (Paul Bettany) is elbow deep in blood, trussing bleeding shipmates. This mission would seem to be dead in the water as quickly as it has begun.
Let the French be warned. This is what Jack lives for. Nicknamed Lucky Jack for his ability to spring back from any adversity, the English commander makes it a point of personal honor to win the day. Vowing to chase the Acheron as far as he needs to, he follows the elusive ship through Cape Horn's formidable storms all the way down to the Galapagos Islands. Is this a resolute sense of duty or is it empty pride? Does he care about the human cost of such an undertaking? Stephen, Jack's best friend, is there to press the captain with such moral questions, and is the counterweight of the movie. He's an avid naturalist whose heart quickens -- not at the thought of watching the Acheron go up in smoke, but in finding a cornucopia of delights on the Galapagos Islands. While Jack yearns for English victory, Stephen dreams of discovering nature's many glories. His private conversations with Jack, as they share after-dinner port or amuse themselves with airs on the cello and violin, are some of the movie's finest moments.
That's the brilliance of "Master and Commander." It treats the small things with as much care and evocation as the big ones. But it's also about finding the right way to live through all this, with your heart tough but pliant. It's about getting it all right, finding the balance between what's good for crown and country and what's essential for yourself.
Weir and his impressive crew have created something truly special. The cinematography, montage, sounds of the ocean, sets and costumes are all part of a constantly exhilarating whole. Composers Iva Davies, Christopher Gordon and Richard Tognetti have provided an unforgettable score. And the performances are perfect. Bettany gives us a stirring character, the delicate man of science. But not enough can be said about Crowe's contribution. Swaggery and sensitive, bullish and subtle, he's a star from the old days, a man with the sweaty, animalistic grace of Brando. Like his fictional counterpart Capt. Aubrey, he understands the necessity of commanding a ship with authority. And he makes this crew -- and us -- follow him to the ends of the earth.
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD (PG-13, 138 minutes) -- Contains intense battle sequences, disturbing violence, primitive surgery and some obscenity. Area theaters.
