Review
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
Starring Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany
Directed by Peter Weir
Opens Friday, November 14
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With its grandiose scope and epic sea battles, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World offers just what you might expect – a loping narrative, punctuated by cannon fire and stormy weather. Peter Weir has based his career on making stunning films that deliver little more than you’d imagine. From the weepy Dead Poets Society to the satire of The Truman Show, Weir’s later career has offered films with a simple commonality that’s elevated by his deft directorial hand and excellent performances. This time, however, Weir falls short.
Based on two of the novels from the Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O’Brien, Master and Commander follows Captain "Lucky Jack" Aubrey (Russell Crowe), his friend and ship’s doctor Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany) and the crew of the HMS Surprise as they hunt a French warship in the South Pacific at the turn of the 19th century. In the simplest terms it’s The Hunt For Red October meets Mutiny on the Bounty.
Compressing the narrative of two novels into a film that runs just over two-and-quarter hours is a dicey scenario. Cut too much and the threads will be lost, but don’t cut enough and the story becomes bloated. Weir co-wrote the screenplay with John Collee and, unfortunately, they err on the side of excess. With so much going on, the film lacks the focus necessary to sustain itself properly.
Is the story about the conflict between a man and his faceless foe? Does it chronicle the hardship and brutality of sea warfare? Does it assess the true cost of man’s ambition? Yes. The film tries to tackle each of these topics and more, yet it doesn’t give a satisfactory response to any of them.
At its best when it’s a swashbuckling call to arms Master and Commander’s battle sequences are tight and lean – Weir is as comfortable with close-up as he is with a sweeping wide shot.
Crowe delivers an excellent performance as a man who has spent his life at sea and who knows the consequences of life and death decisions. But the most interesting thing about the film is how normal Aubrey is. In most films of this ilk, the ship’s Captain is a megalomaniacal psycho or a salty cuckoo. The fact that Aubrey is a likable yet flawed leader makes his screen time and interaction with Maturin that much more interesting. Bettany, whose work in A Knight’s Tale proves he’s tailor made for these sorts of period dramas, solidifies their relationship with his fine performance.
Had the film used their relationship as its main thrust, Master and Commander would have been a welcome addition to this genre. Instead, Weir jams so much into the film that it’s hard to remain engaged.
Unlike Aubrey’s distinct command of his crew, Weir seems to have trouble keeping this lumbering vessel on course. His past films, like Picnic at Hanging Rock and The Mosquito Coast, proved Weir’s talent for powerful intimacy. Gallipoli and The Year of Living Dangerously cemented his ability to elevate the war picture. Somehow, though, Master and Commander gets the better of him resulting in a film that will no doubt be in the running for an Oscar, but falls short of what Weir is capable of. |
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