Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World [Blu-ray]

Bottom Line: In the final analysis, as the credit rolled I felt cheated; I wanted more or this suburb movie about naval action in the 19th century.Master and Commander opens with the following caption: April 1805 Napoleon is master of Europe. Only the British Fleet stands before him. Oceans are now battlefields.Directed by Peter Weir with screenplay by Weir and John Collee, Master and Commander is based on two novels by Patrick O'Brian, part of a twenty-book series of Royal Navy Captain "Lucky" Jack Aubrey's adventures spanning the later 18th - early 19th centuries.This particular installment followed Captain Aubrey, superbly portrayed by Russell Crowe as he captains the 24 gun 6th Rate frigate HMS Surprise. Aubrey's orders are to intercept French 4th Rate 44-gun Frigate Acheron currently en-route to the Pacific Ocean with the intention of making war in those waters off the coast of Brazil. Aubrey is to either sink, burn, or take the French warship as a prize.In the first five minutes of the movie however the larger, faster, more heavily armed Acheron draws first blood, when materializing out of a fog bank she delivers a devastating broadside to the HMS Surprise, damaging the ships bowstrip, mainmast, and rudder, severely crippling the ship. If it weren't for the same prevailing fog, the quick thinking of Aubrey and able rowers, the HMS Surprise would have surely been lost and well, the movie ended.Against all opposition Aubrey decides not to sail home for a refit of his shattered vessel, but to effect repairs at sea in a quite little inlet off the Brazilian coast. Repairs completed the game of cat-and-mouse is taken up again as the HMS Surprise chases the Acheron around Cape Horn into the Great South Sea (Pacific), where she looses her mizzen topmast and a well liked seaman.The chase final ends at the Galapagos Islands (of all places) where British whalers are currently plying their trade, creating the perfect backdrop for the Acheron to do her worst, and for the climatic battle scene to take place.My ThoughtsAs it unwinds, mostly onboard the HMS Surprise, the plot evolves into an extended game of cat-and-mouse: encounters with the aptly named Acheron as the "phantom ship" are in juxtaposition with prolonged glimpses into life onboard a 19th century Royal Navy Frigate. We are treated to little interaction with the French crew, save through spyglass. Most of the human interplay is reserved for Aubrey and his mixed crew of seasoned naval veterans, conscripts involuntarily impressed into service, young midshipmen, and powderboy's who are far too young to see battle.Weir's concentration on the HMS Surprise and her crew brings home a realism seldom seen in Hollywood productions; indeed the battle scenes between the HMS Surprise and the Acheron seem cursory to the telling of the lives of men too harshly lived. And Weir's passion for detail is evident in every frame as he brings to life O'Brian's rich historical details -- the sailors' routine, the pettiness and superstitions, the grim realities of 19th-century navies, the realistic battle scenes, the blood, and horror, and heroism, the honor and devotion to duty and country, are all portrayed in a stark often macabre reality.The cast is rich, varied, and too numerous to list in narrative, but the relationship between Aubrey and his old friend, and ships doctor, Stephen Maturin, portrayed by Paul Bettany is well worth exploring and receives the most attention throughout the movie. Maturim is Aubrey's alter ego, his rational voice, and his musical partner. It is through their music that we are treated to the two men's attempt to bring civility to an otherwise uncivilized pursuit.But Maturin is Aubrey's intellectual equal (Aubrey's military mind and almost mindless devotion to duty is offset by Maturin's humanity, conscience and scientific curiosity). They are both endowed with a similar sense of honor, and know each other well enough--although we are not told from where their relationship sprang--to playfully, and oft-times earnestly challenge their respective positions, though Aubrey has to obvious upper hand; as captain the final word is his. Their friendship was made warm and believable by their obvious onscreen chemistry; the closeness they shared while locked in a battle of wills made me wish for the same kind of uncompromising male friendship in my life. Watching their verbal spars in the officer's mess and their infrequent musical duets together (Aubrey play the violin and Maturin plays the Cello) was for me clearly one of Master and Commander's greatest pleasures.Though through necessity there is "nautical" speech peppered throughout Master and Commander, it is only used to lend realism to the story, and contemporary speech is used otherwise. The use of contemporary chatter is designed to keep the less nautical engaged in the movie drawing them deeper into the action, allowing them to care, and enveloping the story in a cloak of humanity as the HMS Surprise pursues the Acheron across two oceans.In the final analysis, as the credit rolled I felt cheated; I wanted more; the movie ended just as the Aubrey and Maturin were once again engaged in play, and the ship was clearing the decks for action, once more in pursuit of the Acheron after Aubrey learns a prickly bit of information. This is testimony to the movies draw, it has everything one would expect from a high-seas adventure movie set in the 19th century--exhilarating battles, menacing weather conditions, honor, bravery, devotion to duty, treachery, superstition, God, and a wonderfully cast of characters that brings life onboard the HMS Surprise to a point where you can virtually taste and smell the salt laden sea spray on your lips and feel the fresh sea air on your skin.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is a period piece with modern execution. From the standpoint of the story and cast, Russell Crowe as Captain Jack Aubrey is the ultimate star of Master and Commander. He conveys an authenticity and charisma that few actors currently possess, which allows him to pull off the Aubrey role so authoritatively. Richard King was brought on board by director Peter Weir as "sound designer". His passion and technical expertise in audio engineering make the film a powerhouse cinematic experience, transporting viewers from their seats to a place onboard the British Navy ship, Surprise, off the coast of South America almost 200 years ago. More than any other aspect of the film, the realism and immersive quality of the audio puts the audience in the middle of the action. King won the Academy Award of Merit for Best Sound Editing for his work on Master and Commander. It was very well deserved, and the DTS-HD MA encode on the BD fully pays off King's fantastic sonic achievement.The audio is the real spark that ignites Master and Commander, bringing life to the action. This was apparent even in the DVD version, but the Blu-ray goes beyond the excellent sound quality of the earlier release. Listen to the battle scene at the beginning of the film when cannons fire, the projectiles rip through the air and slam into the hull of the Surprise, splintering the wood, sending men and debris flying. Modern audio design involves a blend of sounds created in innovative ways. For example, the sound of a fist hitting someone's face is often created by recording a head of lettuce thrown onto a hard surface. Another excellent scene for evaluating the audio is as the Surprise chases the Acheron around Cape Horn. Here, the audio conveys the howling winds, torrential rain, creaking planks of the ship and the crashing waves. Rarely if ever have Blu-ray fans been treated to an audio mix with this combination of resolution and immersion. Even during quieter scenes, the audio quality is uncanny in its realism. Sonic cues like the sounds of water and footsteps lend good presence to the DTS HD MA track. The rich midrange during the Bach viola and cello pieces, as well as voices and gunshots have a strength and palpability rarely heard in home theater mixes.Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World was one of the most commercially underappreciated movies of 2003, hands down. Thankfully, Fox didn't deliver a half-hearted DVD release...in fact, the overall quality of this 2-disc set really took me by surprise. Sporting a fantastic technical presentation, the high production values of Master and Commander really shine through, making this as close to reference quality as I've seen yet.It's a great film!!!