by Derek VanLeenen
What is it that fascinates us with the ocean? The feeling of something so vast and unknown, yet something so close. Something that once evoked a passion for courage and exploration in the hearts of man, but has now been belittled to an attraction in tourist areas. With Master and Commander, director Peter Weir once again lets us feel that same type of adventure. The same zeal felt in the 1800’s now becomes our own, as we are not only entertained but educated and captivated by this film.

Russell Crowe plays Captain Jack Aubrey, captain of the British warship the H.M.S. Surprise. The story is set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic wars of 1805. The Surprise has just been given orders to intercept the faster, more powerful French ship – The Acheron, and Capt. Aubrey sets off on orders that test their courage and his leadership. What emerges is a captivating picture of life aboard a ship, from the vicious, chaotic cannon battles to the unconventional, sometimes brutal medical procedures. Everything seems as it should, and we leave the theater sobered, wondering if we too could display the courage portrayed.

The casting in this movie could not have been done better. Crowe is spotless as Capt. Aubrey, one of his best performances yet. He gives off a sort of courageous, undisputed leadership that not only reflects onscreen but out of the screen as well. He portrays so much in eyes, sometimes words are not needed. Paul Bettany (A Beautiful Mind) plays Stephen Maturin, the ships doctor and the captain’s close friend and confidante. Bettany is great as a sort of ?voice of reason? role to Crowe’s masculine leadership.

The real strength to this movie is the pacing, I will warn that some may not like it. It’s not a fast-paced action flick, but rather a captivating strategic naval chess match. Every move is thought out to the detail, and every action has its consequences. It pays homage to the war movies of the past, as character development and strategy play as important a role as action. The battle scenes are chaotic yet not loud and overdone, and many times anticipation was drawn through something as simple as a cannon through the fog. At least see this movie for the photography, I have not been left so impressed with a movie’s ability to do so much with something so consistent. The ship takes on a character of it’s own, and the shots of the ocean leave you feeling (in a word)….small.

What was also really impressive is what the story could have been, yet refrained, as to not cheapen the movie. In one scene Capt. Aubrey is seen writing to his sweetheart at home, yet no mention of her was ever again in the movie, as we realize the sea is his home. Also we see the fondness of Capt. Aubrey to Dr. Maturin, yet the movie respects us enough to not turn this into a ?buddy flick?. It respects itself enough to let it be what it has the intention of being, without adding any crowd-pleaser aspects.

The only issues I have with the film are very minor. For one, I would have liked to have seen this an “R” movie, other than the pg-13 rating that was given. I feel there could have been so much more chaos without holding fast to a pg-13. There was more blood in the sword-fighting scenes in The Princess Bride than there was in this movie. Medical scenes could have also been more effective without the rating crutch. Also I found Billy Boyd’s character rather annoying, do they need a hobbit on the ship? I found his character useless as most of the time he was either giving awkward faces or bouncing around on the front of the ship. Not a very good character, nor was it a useful role. I like him in LOTR as much as anyone, but did we really need to see him in this movie?

This is a movie that will become gradually more and more impressive after you leave the theater. You’ll start to understand that the battles were not fought out of simplistic pride on part of the Captain, but rather a healthy respect for the enemy and an undying honor for the country they serve. Its an honor that we still see today in the armed forces, but you too will feel this as you get drawn in by the respect this movie shows its audience and itself. With movies already this year such as Finding Nemo and Pirates of the Caribbean, hopefully we will also remember Master and Commander (as the naval classic it now is) and we will remember 2003 as “The year of the Ocean”.

Derek VanLeenen