Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Their greed will be their downfall
Imagine, if you even can, being in uncharted waters, unsure of your destination, unsure of your safety, but confident that your crew, the people you’ve throw your lot in with, will keep you safe. As you will try to do for them. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) is a movie that can be many things, depending on what the viewer is looking for in a film. Swashbuckling adventure? Yes definitely. Treatise on friendship? Absolutely. Finely layered quilt depicting maritime life in 1805? Incredibly so. The penultimate film of retired Australian director Peter Weir, a master at the peak of his powers, I never ceased to be amazed at the ability of Master and Commander to present so many tableaus while never losing sight of the action driving all of the men therein.
Off the coast of Brazil, the HMS Surprise sails south with orders to intercept the Acheron, a French privateer intent on carrying the Napoleonic wars into those waters. A complete lack of musical score up to this point gives us our first indication that standard film expectations may not be met. Heavy fog hangs in the air, an unsure captain of the watch can’t decide if he should rouse the crew. His subordinate recognizes his inaction and makes the call: “Beat to quarters!” he yells. A snare drum rolls (the first instrument of the film) as men rush about, preparing for a possible enemy encounter. Captain Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) emerges from his quarters to survey the situation. Does danger lie in the fog off the port bow? Perhaps the Acheron, the object of his obsession on this voyage?
By the film's end, you may feel like you’ve done a tour of duty with the crew. The aforementioned quilt depicting maritime life includes sailor’s songs, honor, anthropology, insubordination, galley humor, tea on deck, dancing, and more that I’ll surely recognize upon future viewings. Prominent are the naval battles, which often lead the crew to see the ship’s surgeon, Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany). After the crew is patched up, the ship sails on, requiring plenty of patching itself. One of the many details paid great attention to is the ship itself. Weir uses every floorboard and porthole on his set to make you feel present in the space. A crewman touches up the paint on the ship's masthead as it sails away from a battle. Despite it getting torn to shreds, you can see the crew’s resolve to carry on.
Years ago, when I first watched Master and Commander, I was somewhat underwhelmed. The movie seemed to dither a great deal. Too much time spent detailing life on the Surprise, not enough time chasing down those privateering French bastards. Turning back to it recently with the sole intent of dithering, I felt like the film plumbed new depths in my mind, each scene acting as a parable for some higher ideal of man. Take, for example, a scene in which Captain Jack sacrifices his obsession for a friend. Or a subsequent scene in which that friend sacrifices his obsession in return, for his Captain. Somehow, these tableaus add up to something greater than the sum of their parts. The film is a testament to working together and to our better natures.
In Greek mythology, the Acheron is the entrance to the underworld, a river across which the souls of the dead are ferried. The 180-or-so souls on the HMS Surprise may feel at times like they’re trapped on a vessel heading for oblivion, but they have each other, and they maintain a good ship under their feet. Even when their enemies seem to have the upper hand, Captain Jack tells his crew:
“They mean to take us as a prize. We are worth more to them undamaged. Their Greed will be their downfall…though we be on the far side of the world, this ship is our home.”
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Written by Peter Weir and John Collee; Directed by Peter Weir
2003
138 minutes
English
Recommended way to watch (at time of publication): Available to Rent
You’ll like this if you like: The Last of the Mohicans (1992), Gladiator (2000), The Thin Red Line (1998)
I literally can't tell you how many times I've seen this movie. I grew up sailing, and as a child I read Billy Budd, which had a huge effect on me, as did the John Huston production of Moby Dick. I loved Mutiny on the Bounty, both versions, and last year I read David Grann's The Wager, which is a tremendous read. So...yeah, Master and Commander...what a script. What a film.