Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander
 

I loved the movie. Still do. It's obvious that the producers and screenwriters actually read the O'Brien books. I think Crowe and Bettany did a fabulous job of portraying these two characters. There was somthing for everyone in the film; action, music, humor and tragedy. I just wish they'd make another one with the same cast.

Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander
 

Actually the film was adapted from three novels in the Aubrey–Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian.

All the books are by far better than the movie, but saying that, I must admit I enjoyed the film as well.

I wish they would make another. It's to bad they had to ruin the chronology of the books as they would have made for an outstanding series of films.

Agree also that the Hornblower series is first rate. Love em.

Steve

Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander
 

Being a re-enactor of the Rev war period and an amatuer (?) naval historian, I found the best depiction of uniforms, dialogue and sloop of war construction details I have seen in a movie. Having never read more than one Aubrey novel, ( but have read all the Hornblower and Bolitho novels,) I cannot comment on the accuracy or adherence to the books. However, being a very critical viewer of historical movies, I found the effort towards realism refreshing on the part of the makers. One small detail that was impressive was the well made uniforms and clothing of the characters. Having made a number of uniforms by hand myself, I note even little deviations from the period. One other thing I found interesting. When Aubrey slides down the stays, if you note the back of his thighs as he walks away from the camera, you'll notice the tar stain... Did Russel Crowe actually do his own stunt there? Even if he did not, they thought to make it look like it. My favorite historical movie.

Larry Davis

Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander
 

I loved it. I thought it was thoroughly entertaining. It had just the right balance of action, character inter-action without boredom, humor, and good old swashbuckling arrrgh for me. The acting was good, the script and story line were believable and the cinematography was luscious. Special effects were OK. I say OK because many of the scenes were filmed in a huge water tank in Mexico and they were a little closed in with a lot of close ups. The film was criticized for lacking the expanse of the sea, which no doubt is hard to achieve in a water tank with sets. The camera always seemed to be out over the water looking in rather than the other way around, like it was in Mutiny on the Bounty with Brando. Of course they filmed much of that movie on the Bounty replica in the S. Pacific.

I thought the movie definitely had the best depiction of an 18th century sea battle between wooden ships that I’d ever seen with cannon balls smashing through the sides, splinters flying through the air, men wounded and dying without silly Hollywood heroics, just the dirty business of war. It was a tense scene that made me glad I wasn’t there, and yet morbidly fascinating.

I like the scene at dinner where Capt. Aubrey was asked for an anecdote about Nelson and he said that he remembered the first words the great admiral said to him, “Aubrey, please pass the salt.”

The only criticism I have is a minor technical one. The maximum speed of a sailboat through the water is a direct function of the length of the water line, which is 1.34x the sq. root of the water line. The Surprise, having 1/3 less waterline would not been able to out sail the Acheron, especially in heavy weather. It could only be possible if the Acheron was lubberly and poorly handled, which she was not. But then with the magic of Hollywood and the luck of “Lucky” Jack Aubrey anything’s possible.
Bob

Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander
 

In 2008,, had pleasure of sailing with a former Skipper of "HMS ROSE", who acted as technical advisor to the film, and coach to Mr. Crowe. Capt Andy Reay-Ellers was skippering the pilot schooner "Virginia" on a race out of Halifax and around Prince Edward Island", I was onboard as a paying "guest deckhand". Capt Ellers related that he was impressed with the depth at which Mr. Crowe wanted to understand his character. As he coached him through the technical sailing commands and directions,, Russell Crowe wanted to know all about them, where the term came from, what should happen and why, as a result. He wanted to be able to look in the right direction, wait for the right result, with the right kind of emotion or concern on his face. Undoubtedly he did most of his own stunts.

Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander
 

The light episode is based on a real event which occured. Many of the the events and actions in the books are of a real captain in the British Navy who had the dash and flare of Aubrey. A Scotish Lord I think. There was a documentry about it but I cannot remember its name.