Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

Theatrical Release Date: 2003 11 14 (USA)

UPC: 024543114215

Studio: 20th Century Fox

MPAA Rating: PG13   Contains:[Violence, Adult Situations, Adult Language, War Violence]

Summary: Director Peter Weir's first turn behind the camera since 1998's critically acclaimed The Truman Show, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is based on two Napoleonic War-era adventure novels in author Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series, Master and Commander and The Far Side of the World. Russell Crowe stars as Captain Jack Aubrey, a high-seas adventurer who maintains a strong bond with ship-surgeon Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany). After conquering much of Europe already, Napoleon's forces have set their sights on taking Britain, so Aubrey and the crew of his ship, the HMS Surprise, take to the Pacific to intercept any attacking ships from the French fleet. When Aubrey eyes a renegade French super-frigate, the Surprise pursues, leading to an adrenaline-charged chase through the distant reaches of the sea. Edward Woodall, James D'Arcy, and Lee Ingleby also star as members of the Surprise's crew. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

Category: Adventure

Awards: Best Picture - Drama – null Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama – null Best Director – null Best Cinematography – National Society of Film Critics Best Director – Directors Guild of America Producer of the Year – Producers Guild of America Producer of the Year – Producers Guild of America Producer of the Year – Producers Guild of America Best Art Direction – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Art Direction – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Cinematography – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Costume Design – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Director – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Editing – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Makeup – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Makeup – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound Editing – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Visual Effects – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Visual Effects – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Visual Effects – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Visual Effects – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture – National Board of Review Best Director – Chicago Film Critics Association Best Cinematography – Chicago Film Critics Association Best Cinematography – American Society of Cinematographers Best Picture – American Film Institute Best Picture – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Director – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Picture - Drama – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama – Hollywood Foreign Press Association

Features: cc[None specified]

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

Format: Digital Video Disc (DVD)

Release Date: 04/20/2004

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 2.40:1

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS Digital Theater Systems, DDS Dolby Digital Surround

Runtime: 138 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,French,Spanish

Subtitles: English,Spanish

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Side #1 --
1. Main Titles [2:03]
2. The HMS Surprise [1:56]
3. A Shape in the Fog [2:03]
4. Under Attack [2:17]
5. Lucky Jack's Gambit [3:44]
6. The Butcher's Bill [:37]
7. Aubrey's Plan [2:36]
8. No Braver Patient [2:47]
9. Duet [:08]
10. The Ship of the Future [2:09]
11. The Captain's Table [4:03]
12. Turning of the Tide [1:56]
13. A Small Surprise [1:40]
14. The Storm [2:23]
15. Man Overboard [1:05]
16. Pride or Duty? [5:05]
17. Our Destination [:16]
18. The Galapagos [2:55]
19. Survivors [2:50]
20. Broken Promises [3:08]
21. Batteries and Biology [3:04]
22. The Doldrums [:38]
23. Hollom's Weakness [5:06]
24. Jonah [:31]
25. The Doctor's Dilemma [3:04]
26. Heal Thyself [3:34]
27. The Fighting Naturalist [:48]
28. An Unexpected Find [1:59]
29. Nature and Naval Warfare [1:44]
30. Surprise Is on Our Side [2:15]
31. Against the Acheron [:38]
32. Wolf in Sheep's Clothing [2:38]
33. Committed to the Deep [2:01]
34. Captain's Orders [:45]
35. Requirements of the Service [4:28]
36. End Titles [1:34]

Dana Rowader

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is a beautifully realized, atypically intimate action drama. After an absence of five years, director Peter Weir has made a bold and impressive return. With high seas films notoriously difficult to manage in regards to both budget and box-office marketability, Master and Commander deftly avoids the pitfalls and stands as one of the high points of the genre. The film's attention to period detail is fascinating and renders the setting of the ship as a character all its own. The film is so rich with detail that one gets an almost authentic sense of what everyday life was like on such a ship in the early 19th century. Accolades must go out to all of those involved with art direction, set design, and cinematography. Director of photography Russell Boyd, who has worked with Weir on several previous films, works wonders here, capturing images from seemingly any angle from which one could film a ship. His sweeping photography deftly conveys the grandeur and scope of the ship(s) against the backdrop of the sea, the minute details of life on the ship, and the claustrophobic, crowded lives of the men on board. Sporting an impressive cast of both stars and unknowns, young and old, Master and Commander reigns in their talents to create an utterly convincing ensemble of characters. Perfectly cast as Captain Jack Aubrey, Russell Crowe, not-surprisingly, delivers another layered, intriguing performance. Equally, if not more, impressive is the moving portrayal of ship surgeon Stephen Maturin by Paul Bettany, who sinks into the role and reveals further depths to his acting. The two men, captain and surgeon, display an interesting friendship, characterized by mutual interests (playing music together), sharp divisions (military vs. nature/science), and hearty debate. But between them, and between all of the men on the ship, there is a great sense of mutual respect that is the heart of the film. Also noteworthy, among several impressive youths, is newcomer Max Pirkis as Lord Blackeney, a young midshipman who must deal with a very emotional loss early in the film. Despite all of its successes, the film does pose a few problems, the most notable being the incomprehensibility of much of its dialogue. Along with the film's attention to period and nautical detail, many of the accents and terminology are difficult to grasp, especially when characters are talking fast or dialogue is spoken in the heat of battle. But even that does not deter one from becoming engrossed in the intrigue and drama of the film; in fact, the period accents and dialogue further set one in another time and place, where things are both foreign and strangely relatable. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is a rare feat -- a quiet action film. Though the scenes of battle and broken bodies are brutal and gruesome, and every cannonball threatens to crush bones as callously as it shatters wood, much of the film is calm and contemplative. Weir has managed to craft a masculine, yet emotional, film that draws one in to the lives and world of the characters it portrays without necessarily offering too much detail as to their personal stories. In this way, it is a collective, balanced story and not simply a spotlight for any one actor. ~ Dana Rowader, Rovi

Cast and Crew: John Collee  Screenwriter 
Samuel Goldwyn, Jr.  Producer 
Duncan Henderson  Producer 
Peter Weir  Director 
Peter Weir  Producer 
Peter Weir  Screenwriter 
Alan B. Curtiss  Executive Producer 
Christopher Gordon  Composer (Music Score) 
Iva Davies  Composer (Music Score) 
Richard Tognetti  Composer (Music Score) 
Russell Crowe  Actor 
Paul Bettany  Actor 
Billy Boyd  Actor 
James D'Arcy  Actor 
Lee Ingleby  Actor 
George Innes  Actor 
Mark Lewis Jones  Actor 
Chris Larkin  Actor 
Richard McCabe  Actor 
Robert Pugh  Actor 
David Threlfall  Actor 
Max Pirkis  Actor 
Edward Woodall  Actor 
Ian Mercer  Actor 
Max Benitz  Actor 

Country: USA