Moviegoers plunking down their hard-earned shekels for Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World expect billowing sails, creaking lumber, and blazing cannons. Director Peter Weir delivers on all counts right out of the gate. No gratuitous prologue or tedious establishment of the characters here-- we come aboard just in time for a splintering volley of cannonfire. The naval life grittily depicted here is crowded, filthy, dramatically striated by rank and privilege, and filled with vast stretches of boredom punctuated by brief eruptions from all the gates of Hell. That anyone could have considered such a life desirable is perhaps the surest damnation of the state of Britain in the early 1800s. Then again, much of the crew was typically made up of convicts and the poor, who signed on for the promised daily vittles (served on square trays, hence the term "square meal").
Crowe's Captain "Lucky Jack" Aubrey is not only a loyal British officer and leader of men, but a father figure to the many boys aboard-- kind of a Mr. French of the high seas. And ladies, it gets better-- did I mention he plays the violin?
The film is refreshingly devoid of philosophy, barely-concealed messages, and heart-warming self-realization. Even the obligatory Jiminy Cricket manages to be a compelling character in his own right. Master and Commander is just a ripping naval yarn, with grand visuals and the ring of truth.
Posted by Peter at November 25, 2003 07:54 PM