Master and Commander: The far side of good

Blah, blah, blah - spoilers in the review.

Went and saw Master and Commander this evening with an old Navy buddy and a couple of co-workers. Also old Navy types, but neither of whom were ‘buddies’ while in the Navy.

The flick started well - foggy morning, off the coast of Brasil. The HMS SURPRISE commanded by ‘lucky Jack’ has orders to find and capture or sink the French ship ACHERON. One of the officers is indecisive on watch, and one of his peers jumps forward with the right call, which is to ‘beat to quarters’, or to man battlestations. ACHERON beats the living crap out of SURPRISE, and the Englishmen escape only by slipping away into a fog bank.

But basically, the flick blows. It starts great, with the responsibility of the Captain of a ship being bound more closely to the interests of his Country than the interests of his ship. But there’s a pivotal scene where the whiny bitch of a doctor inisists that the Captain of the ship go to the Galapagos instead of killing Frenchies. Honest to God, there’s an exchange that goes “But you promised…” “Sometimes Country takes precedence over promise”.

At the same time, there’ s a scene immediately before the climatic battle, in which Russel Crowe gives a speech straight out of Henry V. There’s enough time with the Frenchies that I expected to hear “I taunt in your general direction” before the final battle.

But you don’t, missing a huge opportunity, IMO.

Which I suspect is the lesson for the flick.

Look, I’m all about science, but the denouement in this film comes when the SURPRISE is chasing the Frenchies. One of the Royal Marines decides to shoot a bird and carelessly shoots the Doc. Crowe blows off the chase so his doc can sew on himself. Pussy.

There’s a great twist at the end, though.

Honestly, I’d go see the flick again (Wait here for postings.) There’s enough wind, sail, rope, and water to capture the romance of the sea for someone who’s woken up more often than necessary out of sight of land, and there is enough

(“Free Cigarettes from the folks back home” says the sign in The sands of Iwo Jima )

blind devotion to duty to justify the flick to everyone. Honestly, it’s worth a look. There’s enough blind blood lust to pacify hawks, and enough pantywaists to satisfy pacifists. I dug it, and will invest in a matinee next week. Won’t pay full price twice, though.

Posted by jank at November 22, 2003 9:01 PM