“Master and Commander: The Far Side of the
World” 20th Century Fox
Peter Weir’s excellent new film, “Master and
Commander: The Far Side of the World,” seems on the surface
to be geared to far too small an audience to merit the overwhelming
advertising campaign behind it. But as with many things in life,
looks often can be deceiving.
Certainly, fans of author Patrick O’Brian, on whose series
of novels the film is based, will love this movie. It’s full
of nuanced details about the lives of sailors in the early 19th
century, from the witty banter during the officer’s evening
meals to the realities of maritime battle, that will delight people
who devour books about tall ships.
Action and adventure aficionados will have plenty to cheer about
with this film, as well. Even though most of the fiercest, stormy
battle sequences were shot in the same gigantic tank originally
built for “Titanic,” Weir’s assured hand has
resulted in beautifully believable, far from overblown action
scenes.
But, beyond the obvious niche audiences, who else would want to
sit through two swashbuckling hours of men and boys in period dress
fighting their way to the Galapagos Islands? Given the total
absence of a romantic story line, will women enjoy “Master
and Commander”?
Luckily for girlfriends everywhere, as well as Miramax, 20th
Century Fox and Universal Studios ““ all three of which teamed
up to foot the enormous production costs of the film ““ Weir
has managed to tell a compelling story about courage and friendship
that should appeal to nearly everyone.
With the awards season fast approaching, “Master and
Commander” seems likely to be counted among the year’s
best films.
-Sommer Mathis