Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)

During the Napoleonic Wars, a brash British captain pushes his ship and crew to their limits in pursuit of a formidable French war vessel around South America.

Director:

Peter Weir

Writers:

Patrick O'Brian (novels), Peter Weir (screenplay)

Stars:

Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, Billy Boyd

Won 2 Oscars. Another 21 wins & 90 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Russell Crowe	...	Capt. Jack Aubrey
Paul Bettany	...	Dr. Stephen Maturin, Surgeon
James D'Arcy	...	1st Lt. Tom Pullings
Edward Woodall	...	2nd Lt. William Mowett
Chris Larkin	...	Capt. Howard, Royal Marines
Max Pirkis	...	Blakeney, Midshipman
Jack Randall	...	Boyle, Midshipman
Max Benitz	...	Calamy, Midshipman
Lee Ingleby	...	Hollom, Midshipman
Richard Pates	...	Williamson, Midshipman
Robert Pugh	...	Mr. Allen, Master
Richard McCabe	...	Mr. Higgins, Surgeon's Mate
Ian Mercer	...	Mr. Hollar, Boatswain
Tony Dolan	...	Mr. Lamb, Carpenter
David Threlfall	...	Preserved Killick, Captain's Steward

Storyline

In April 1805 during the Napoleonic Wars, H.M.S. Surprise, a British frigate, is under the command of Captain Jack Aubrey. Aubrey and the Surprise's current orders are to track and capture or destroy a French privateer named Acheron. The Acheron is currently in the Atlantic off South America headed toward the Pacific in order to extend Napoleon's reach of the wars. This task will be a difficult one as Aubrey quickly learns in an initial battle with the Acheron that it is a bigger and faster ship than the Surprise, which puts the Surprise at a disadvantage. Aubrey's single-mindedness in this seemingly impossible pursuit puts him at odds with the Surprise's doctor and naturalist, Stephen Maturin, who is also Aubrey's most trusted advisor on board and closest friend. Facing other internal obstacles which have resulted in what they consider a string of bad luck, Aubrey ultimately uses Maturin's scientific exploits to figure out a way to achieve his and the ship's seemingly impossible goal.

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Plot Keywords:

ship | royal navy | naturalist | naval battle | 1800s | 

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Taglines:

The Courage To Do The Impossible Lies In The Hearts of Men.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | History | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense battle sequences, related images, and brief language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Portuguese

Release Date:

14 November 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Far Side of the World

Filming Locations:

HMS Surprise, Maritime Museum of San Diego, San Diego, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$150,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$25,105,990, 14 November 2003, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$93,927,920

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$212,011,111

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox, Miramax, Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

138 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During the first encounter with the Acheron, Killick and his mate are seen running into the Captain's cabin and Killick is heard to say 'Get the captain's silver!' This is a slight nod to a running theme in the novels, wherein Killick has a mania for polishing metal surfaces, and religiously watches over Captain Aubrey's prodigious set of silver plate.

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Goofs

Captain Aubrey rejects sailing into the "rain forest" of Brazil for a new mast (at around 23 mins). The word "rain forest" was brought into English by a literal translation of the German word "regenwald" from a book written in 1898 and translated into English in 1903.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Preserved Killick, Captain's Steward: [taking egg from chicken coop] Come on, come on. It's all right.

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Crazy Credits

There are no opening credits.

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Connections

Referenced in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: From Paris with Love/Dear John/Frozen (2010)

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Soundtracks

Endless Ocean
Composed by Christopher Gordon and Iva Davies

User Reviews

"When at sea, one must choose the lesser of two weevils."

My summary quote is from a scene where the captain (Crowe) makes a joke at the expense of his good friend and physician (Bettany). It is indicative of the fine humor sprinkled into an otherwise serious movie.

Many commentors said this movie is dull or boring. They must have wanted an event-driven, action-oriented movie, which this is not. There really are only two, rather brief, battle scenes. Instead, this is very much a character-driven movie. The approach the captain takes to his mission, extending it beyond his orders, to try and do his part to thwart the French power play in the waters near Brazil in 1805. His good friend, the doctor, wanting to study insects, birds, reptiles and other creatures on the shore of strange lands, including the Galapagos, but being disappointed by demands of the mission. Young boys literally growing up on the ship to become effective military leaders. The claustrophobic conditions on the ship, enduring rough seas that almost destroy their temporary home, or lack of rain that makes them wonder if they will die of thirst.

Overall a fine movie. The critic Ebert has a good and complete review. The DVD is good, with a very nice picture and both DTS and Dolby sound, but no extras relating to the movie.