Crowe’s violin training stems from Lucky Jack’s penchant for the instrument and his occasional musical pairings with Stephen Maturin, himself a cellist. Over a period of several months Crowe worked with longtime friend and Australian violin virtuoso Richard Tognetti (who later would help compose the film’s score), and with violinist Robert E. Greene, who previously worked with Crowe during A Beautiful Mind.
Preparing to portray Stephen Maturin led Paul Bettany along his own eclectic course of study. "I went with Peter Weir to the Royal College of Surgeons in London to meet with a surgeon there, Mick Crumplin, who was also an historian," recalls Bettany. "Mick was helpful in terms of learning some of the medical procedures of the time, so that I had a grasp of how to perform them in the film."
Bettany also dabbled in dissection during time spent at the Scripps Institute of Oceanographic Study in La Jolla, for background in pre-Darwin knowledge about insects, animals and fish.
To aid in their efforts to bring this era to life, the filmmakers utilized, in addition to their team of consultants, a wealth of historic resources at their disposal, including the cooperation of several museums, access to historical artifacts, paintings, diaries, illustrations, ships logs, original blueprints – as well as the richly detailed world described by Patrick O’Brian. An extensive resource library was housed on the studio lot, and cast and crew were encouraged to take advantage of this resource.
Movie Database
In Theaters
