"Master and Commander"
It's 1805 and England is at war with Napoleonic
France. Lucky Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe), commander
of the HMS Surprise, is ordered to chase the powerful
French privateer ship, Acheron, all the way to Brazil,
if necessary, and sink her. But, the Frenchman in
command of the opposing vessel is smart and has more
guns and armament than the Surprise. This phantom gets
the drop on Aubrey and near disaster ensues, with Jack
and crew barely escaping destruction. Once they lick
their wounds and repair the damage Jack prepares to
journey 12,000 miles to best his enemy in Peter Weir's
"Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World."
This is a big budget, well-crafted swashbuckling
adventure that reps a bow to the great sea faring
films like "Captain Blood," The Sea Hawk" and "Against
All Flags." Emperor Napoleon is challenging the long
time domination of the seas by the British Empire. The
French leader commissioned privately owned ships of
the line to raid, under the authority of the his flag,
Britain's water-bound lifeline. The Acheron is just
such a vessel, well built in New England and heavily
gunned with her long reaching cannon. When Jack is
ambushed out of the fog by the enemy captain, he
barely escapes and has to come up with a different
strategy if he is to defeat his enemy.
The story, based on the sea-faring adventures, by
Patrick O'Brian, of Lucky Jack and his close friend
and ship's surgeon, Dr. Stephen Maturin (Paul Betany),
is a straightforward cat and mouse chase that ventures
to Brazil, the dangerous Cape of Good Hope at the very
end of South America and into the waters of the
Galapagos Islands - much to Dr. Maturin's delight and
chagrin. The naturalist sees the unique opportunity to
study the flora and fauna of the remote islands but is
thwarted when the war intrudes on his studies.
This is a manly man's adventure with Crowe being the
first among equals in the film's large cast. Captain
Jack leads his loyal crew into the jaws of death with
such skill and courage as to keep his men in awe. It
doesn't hurt that he keeps substantial amounts of rum
to dole out to them in liberal rations for their
devotion. The story is about life aboard ship in a
time where wood and sail ruled the seas and the first
globe-spanning war took place between the then-super
powers of Britain and France. It gives us the
microscopic viewpoint of one British ship's captain in
pursuit of his sworn enemy is superior in nearly every
way. The tale follows Lucky Jack and his men as he
overextends his authority and chases his heavily-armed
prey far beyond the dictates of his orders. While it
is a rocky road they travel, the crew believes in
their captain and will follow him to death's door if
necessary.
Crowe and Betany come across as real friends with a
shared penchant for chamber music as Jack plays the
violin and his friend the cello as they entertain
themselves and annoy the less discerning members of
the crew. Helmer Weir, working with a script by John
Collee, takes this friendship, the chase after their
foe half way around the world and the naturalist's
wonder at the diversity of unique life on the
Galapagos Islands and combines it into a rousing
nautical adventure. The story is a bit flat - from the
beginning, there is no doubt as to the final outcome -
but it is done in a well-crafted way that reminds of
the big Hollywood swashbucklers of the 40's and 50's.
Russell Crowe gives a serviceable performance as Lucky
Jack but the supporting cast has some gems. Paul
Bettany does fine as Jack's friend and occasional muse
and young Max Pirkis as midshipman Lord Blakeney, a
boy who wants so desperately to be a man. The rest of
the cast help to bring out the camaraderie of a
well-trained and well-treated crew facing death in
battle.
Director Peter Weir benefits from his talented
behind-the-lens team. Cinematographer Russell Boyd
does a terrific job in capturing the battle sequences
and, as he photographs the two ships joining in
battle, gets a look that is reminiscent of the old
paintings of the USS Constitution making naval history
against the British. The production design, by William
Sandell, puts you on board the Surprise in a sometimes
too pristine fashion.
There is an episodic feel to "Master & Commander" that
tells of its source material, by Patrick O'Brian, of
the escapades of Jack and his crew. There are the set
battle pieces as Aubrey must outwit his enemy to win.
Dr. Maturin gets his due as he beats Charles Darwin to
the punch with his visit to the natural wonders of the
Galapagos Islands. There is intrigue when the good
doctor is accidentally shot and he must perform the
operation - physician, heal thyself. But, the story is
well-paced and exciting.
"Master & Commander" is a man's movie and lacks the
femme appeal (except, maybe, Crowe) to draw in the
ladies. It is a well-made sea-faring adventure with
lots of action and philosophizing about God and
country. The ship battles are expertly handled and
visually stunning. I give it a B+.
For more Reeling reviews visit www.reelingreviews.com
robin@reelingreviews.com
laura@reelingreviews.com
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X-RT-RatingText: B+
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