MASTER and COMMANDER (2003) | First Time Watching | MOVIE REACTION | He's A Great Sailsman!
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- čas přidán 27. 05. 2022
- Thanks to Granny Marina for the Special Request, the Mrs checks out Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003). Here's her reaction to her first time watching.
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This is the greatest Age of Sail movie that has been filmed. It feels like they really work and live on the ship, and it is almost like a character. And also just a wonderful skillfully made film in every way. :)
Peter Weir at your service!
Back then in Victorian times surgeons were more interested in being fast not clean. There was a surgeon that could amputate a leg in 35 seconds. He used a kinfe he invented and had a cool way of making one motion to cut all the way around the leg and then grab his saw and cut the bone
@@breakingames7772 The Liston knife. The surgeon in question being the Scotsman Robert Liston.
Another film that has that same feeling (working & living upon a ship) is "The Bounty" w/Mel Gibson & Anthony Hopkins. Both films are really good, but for me personally, I have to give The Bounty a slight edge (based upon how many times I watched that on as opposed to this).
@@breakingames7772 1805 was pre-Victorian - Victoria didn't become queen for over thirty years.
Fascinating thing about those tortoises, Darwin brought one back with him and it was still alive up until ten years ago
Tried to look it up, says it died in 2006. 176 years old
Another interesting, if sad, thing about tortoises is that they were highly prized as ship's rations. They could live for quite a long time on minimal food and water, meaning you could have fresh meat long after any packed meat had spoiled (I've heard some call "life" "nature's way of keeping meat fresh"). They were also easy to store, as you could just flip them on their back and immobilize them.
Not a great time for the tortoises, but there you go.
6:50 "Look at all those friken ropes!" And that is from where the phrase, "Learning the _ropes,"_ comes.
I love at what a throw-back genre this movie is. Since the late 60s there has been almost nothing but anti-heroes, conflicted heroes, troubled heroes, etc. This movie is just a straightforward adventure which celebrates bravery, duty and honor in an un-ironic way. Plus the writing and acting is first rate, along with the cinematography. Very refreshing, wish they would make more movies like this.
One of the best FILMS ever made! Seriously you ARE PART OF THE CREW! The efforts that were made in just the audio department alone is worth the price of admition alone! Seriously this is a top tier film - especially for home theater demo's - that stands the test of time in every catagory. I saw it in theaters and was blown away! Watch the making of if you can - greater appreciation for what it takes to make a movie with real world sets, ships, and all that comes with working on the water ;)
Speaking of the audio, some of the foley for the wind in the sails and rigging was captured by the artist via attaching said equipment to his truck and driving it at speed across the salt flats.
Its okay
@@lampad4549 . . . . the DVD cover is "okay" . . . the movie is amazing!
Paul Bettany and Russel Crowe both give phenomenal performances.
Everyone in this movie is fantastic.
A beautiful mind reunites them.
Or rather master and commander reunites then since a beautiful mind came out first
The film is based on a series of books by Patrick O'Brian. The film uses plots and characters from several of the books and pulls them into one story. Captain Aubrey is VERY loosely based on Thomas Cochran an actual Napoleonic naval captain.
I've only got ahold of two of the books, but they were both amazing. I've re-read each about 4 times.
Cochran was a crazy bastard, i'll tell ya what, but i'll salute his bravery.
@@aaronburdon221 *audacity
I'd characterise bravery as holding (fast) to a situation you know is likely to see you killed, for the good of others, but always acting within the rules of warfare. Conversrely, I 'd charcterize audacity as acting outside the rules of war, knowing that the only forgiveness possible is gained through victory.
Cochran was probably even more daring and insane than Aubrey is.
25:05 - ah yes, cactus moonshine, also known as Tequila
32:20 - yes, they really learned how to play the couple of pieces in the movie. They weren't good, you can hear them in the behind the scenes stuff, but they had their fingers in the right place.
They were taught by the famous Australian violinist, Richard Tognetti, and as a violinist I can say they didn't do too badly at faking it - in fact I originally thought Paul Bettany could really play the cello.
@@stevenlowe3026 in the film you can see him stretching his fingers as if playing causes him pain. in the series, the character was captured by the french and tortured, breaking his fingers. he had trouble playing after that. An other little thing they added to the film.
@@jhnshep Oh, for heaven's sake! I've seen the movie quite a few times (it's one of my favourites) and I've read the books over and over, and I knew about the torture, but I never noticed that detail in the movie! Well done for picking it up.
HMS Beagle was about 30 years later. It was there that Darwin drew the connection about the isolation of the islands and different species' there to begin what we now call the Theory of Evolution. According to this movie, Dr. Maturin might have done it much earlier, just didn't have the time to do so.
Acheron was built like some of our original six frigates. Basically, frigates by class but faster, heavier gunned, and tougher than her contemporaries. Theoretically only a ship of the line (battle ship) could have stood up to one. Those were mostly near England at the time.
Not quite true, there had been the idea of evolution before Darwin, yet he managed to conclusively show it occuring, i can't remember the naturalist's name but he travelled around east asia, mostly the Philippines, and noticed the lemurs there having different fur colour yet fulfilling the same roles as each other
@@the98themperoroftheholybri33 I stand corrected.
@@davidatkinson47 I'm not saying you're incorrect, but with the Galapagos Darwin could physically show how animals fulfilled roles of animals on other continents, such as his examples with the finches which all evolved specialised beaks for different foods.
@@the98themperoroftheholybri33 Yes. The beaks. They're one of the foundations. I do know that many of the animals were close to other known species but unique enough to be their own species and isolated, and altogether they did form an ecosystem there. That, I was taught, is what became the basis of the theory. Of course my information was incomplete, it always is. You had more of the story. I cannot know everything but I love to learn. Thank you.
@@the98themperoroftheholybri33 Something new every day!
Being hit by a cannonshot was relatively unlikely, it was wood splinters that wounded and killed most crew during a gunfight.
Also ´´ The lesser of two weevils´´ Is one of the better movie jokes.
Such a great film that gets overlooked. I'm glad it's getting a little bit of a resurgence vis react channels.
Peter Weir put his heart and soul into this movie and was rather dejected M&C got snubbed at the Oscars. Just goes to show how history is not the best topic for a Hollywood blockbuster, no matter how great the original material is, nor how adept the director, actors, set designers, et al. do their work. Haven't seen that many reaction vids on YT, sad to say. But there's hope.
@@artbagley1406 well it got out the same year as Return of the King, two Matrix movies and Pirates of the Caribbean. 2003 was packed with good movies, competition was rough.
@@artbagley1406 well it got out the same year as Return of the King, two Matrix movies and Pirates of the Caribbean. 2003 was packed with good movies, competition was rough.
@@artbagley1406 Idk, if its fair to say the film got snubbed. I mean it got nominated for 10 awards and won 2 for cinematography and sound I think. I mean sure, ROK beat it out for picture and director, but it did get nominated for those categories too. Still a really well received film overall. I think its far more underrated by the movie goers than the industry tbh.
@@user-pm3wk6lw6m ROK was the only one it really had to compete with. The other films weren't nominated for best picture or director.
This is one of the few films that TRULY deserves a sequel. I would be at the theatre to watch it in a heartbeat.
Getting a prequel because they kinda did the best parts of the entire series lol
@@Captainkebbles1392 Plenty of untouched material in the remaining 18 novels, 1392. Jack makes and loses several fortunes, both men marry (Maturin has 1 daughter, Jack has twin daughters and a son), Stephen is also a British naval intelligence officer, and more exotic locations around the world are visited and fought over.
It'd work better as a TV series. It's just incredibly expensive to film at sea, and I wouldn't want to see a CGI-fest.
The music in this movie is so good. Yes it was Bach's 'Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, Prélude'. My personal favourite from the soundtrack though is Ralph Vaughan William's 'Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis'.
Absolutely. Even though the RVW piece was written more than a hundred years after this film is set, it still feels appropriate to the period. All-in-all a good choice.
I have always had a theory that RVW music appeals to something in Englishmen even though on the world stage he is a 2nd rate composer. Very moving. I used to listen to Fatasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis on casette as a boy. Suits the film perfectly.
@@thesofahippo4055 The RVW may have been, but not the Tallis that it is actually based on. Tallis was 300 years BEFORE this film is set.
@@Quotenwagnerianer well put.
The Boccherini at the very end, in which Stephen picks up the cello and strums it like a guitar (blew my mind the first time I saw that!), is my fave. Bettany and Crowe did take music lessons, rather basic ones, just to make their fingering and bowing seem to "work" for the compositions.
I think stories that don't pretend to be accurate to some historical event actually fare better; no important event to get wrong, and the filmmakers can then go after the true details. I recommend this to all history buffs, even those who don't care about the Napoleonic Era Royal Navy. This feels so real that it's far better than the usual fare.
Fury and Saving Private Ryan are good examples. They dont have to compromise a good story for historical accuracy, but can instead use historical detail to enhance a solid story.
Almost everything in both movies are based on things that actually happened, just not things that all happened in that order to the same people in that certain place.
Russell Crowe actually did learn to play the violin for this part! Excellent film!
One of my favorite pieces of trivia about this movie (and the IMDB Trivia page for this is filled with great stuff) is that they had to custom order miles of rope for it. The reason being is that, nowadays, rope typically runs with a right hand lay, but, back in the Age of Sail, rope usually had a left hand lay. So they ordered an enormous amount of it for all the rope you see in the rigging of the ship and elsewhere.
Such a small detail 98% of viewers would never notice, but it's so emblematic of how much love and attention to every last detail the people making this movie put into it. Such a shame it was overshadowed by Pirates of the Carribean and Return of the King and didn't perform well enough for a sequel to be greenlit.
I agree about it being an damned shame about the epically bad timing of releasing it that year of all years, but I'm fine with it being a one off. They wouldn't, forget it being impossible even today and THEY couldn't, so let the one off be a literal masterpiece, get interest in the field/genre, movies/entertainment wise show it could be/was a success, and then pitch someone that maybe could be adapted today. Long form TV esqe mini movies in miniseries/TV shows. That's a way you could pull this series off. It's way too long and convoluted to make a movie franchise off O'Brien's work. I've got like 10 audio books and still need like 5+ more to complete it. Big chunk of real estate in dad's library
If only they had repeased it in 2004 or 2005.
Except they changed the nationality of enemy ship from American to French!!!
As I was taught in the Sea Scouts... ‘worm and parcel with the lay, but always bind the other way...’ good advice...
It really was the worst year for this movie to release. They would have gotten more Oscar buzz if it wasn't for RotK.
I saw this in theaters when I was 11, several months after seeing Pirates of the Carribean in theaters. I remember thinking to myself, "This is like the serious/adult pirates of the carribean".
"Name a shrub after me. Something prickly and hard to eradicate." One of my favourite lines from this movie.
The book which the Captain gave Blakeney was the biography of Horatio Nelson, the legendary British Lord Admiral who commanded the British fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar which destroyed the Spanish navy. Nelson had lost the arm earlier in his career as a fighting naval officer and Captain. Memorialized on Nelson's Column at Trafalgar Square in London. No better encouragement for a thirteen-year-old Midshipman who has just lost his own arm.
My own favorite scene is Blakeney's commanding the "Surprise" during the battle, and ordering the action which saves the ship. Like a Boss.
Nelson, an incredible disabled hero twice. No arm or eye, famous quote at Cophenhagen, I see no flags when Nelson puts his telescope to his bad eye.
Both Crowe and Bettany learned to play their respective instruments for the film. The amount of prep that went into making this film feel as authentic as possible is breathtaking.
The script changed the setting of the book's plot from 1812 to 1805, as the 1812 plot was about the British ship engaging an American vessel during the War of 1812, and the producers figured that wouldn't play great in the US.
One way to regard the "curse" is that it was one inflicted on the crew via their own lack of fellowship towards their shipmate. The curse lifted when Captain Jack asked forgiveness for that sin.
My favorite character in both the movie and the books has got to be Killick, Aubrey's steward. Always complaining, shady, and the only one that is permitted to nag the hell out of Aubrey and Maturin.
In the RCN series of science fiction novels by David Drake which are heavily inspired by the Aubrey-Maturin novels by Patrick O'Brian, the role is filled by Hogg, Captain Leary's man-servant. If something is needed done under the table, Hogg is the one to do it. "Where did this wine come from? No, wait. Forget I asked. Thank you."
This movie is a modern masterpiece. This is one of those rare instances, where a movie is based on a fiction story that was itself based on a real person, and for once, the real person was even more of a badass than the story or the movie made him out to be.
Fun fact: Napoleon is often thought to have been a short man but in reality he was about 5'7, not short at all for the time period.
Propaganda was alive and well back then.
He was actually taller than Wellington but this idea that Napoleon was short is due to political satire comics of the time which were very much propaganda for obvious reasons
@@the98themperoroftheholybri33 It also didn't help that his Marshall's were taller especially Ney and they wore their large hats and Napoleon usually went bareheaded! Also there are people that are Small Featured ....and appear smaller that guys their own height!
Really didn’t help himself by surrounding himself with men in quite tall hats like the Old Guard and his marshals, but in reality yeah he was fairly normal height, slightly taller than some.
Love the positive attitude of the movie. It's not a fantasy, but it's also not some wallowy "the past was miserable" movies. There's a reason people did this and went out on the sea half a world away despite having a perfectly good understanding of the risks. It was glorious and new.
Wish we had that positivity these days, life in 1800 was tough, war was raging and people starved to death.. yet empires were built, life was lived. These days, in our privileged lives, we have no idea how lucky we are and we simply have no idea how bad things can get.
@@HarryFlashmanVC I think your point is the opposite of what Duder was trying to say. He appreciates the film specifically because it doesn't try to tell you that the past was rough and that we don't realize how bad life can be. And instead it treated the past as it was experienced by the people that lived it - not without its hardships of course, but also filled with all the things that gave these people joy and excitement and ambition.
After all, there's no age of people who knew what it would be like to live in the future. So even though we have a lot of things easier now, the people living back then didn't have that to compare to. They didn't sit around and think "oh how rough we have it with no electricity". In fact, they likely saw themselves as lucky to have lived when they did in comparison to the hardships their ancestors faced. And you can see that in the scenes with the doctor and the wonder the crew has at his ability to perform surgery on the man's brain. And likely, hundreds of years from now, people will look back on us and be glad for whatever technology and advancements they have that we didn't.
So I think Duder's point is that history feels a lot more real and vibrant when you tell it from the perspective of the people that lived during that era. Making a period piece that injects a bunch of modern attitudes about how 'backwards' or 'rough' things were back then might make us feel better about our own age, but it also washes over the genuine human experience of the people back then.
Flogging was standard punishment in the Royal Navy; it was done originally with a cat-o'-nine-tails, which left open lacerations. There was no limit on the number of lashes; a man could be flogged to death. The cat-o'-nine-tails was eventually replaced, before the Royal Navy got rid of flogging altogether.
I absolutely love this film. As a history buff, I enjoy it quite a bit. I always wished that they would have continued with the other books in the series. Good stuff!
Yeah, This & Hornblower, Historically Beautiful
Yeah, I just finished rewatching the Hornblower series. There may have been a few issues continuing from this, with how it combines books and tge fact tgat they call it Master and Commander, though takes place on the ship he got as a Post Captain. I think it could have been a great series of movies, just they made it a bit more difficult for themselves, though I do not think they intended to make more than one at the time.
@@ostrowulf Great series, I have it on DVD & binge watch it at least one a year, I was really hoping they would make a few more movies to expand on Master & Commander.
I love the reaction of Captain Jack, during Hollom's funeral. When they set the book of Jonah in front of him.
Darwin was 40 years in the future. Maturin never quite reaches Darwin's conclusions
Russel Crowe really was playing the violin at the end.
Yes, but was dubbed over by actual musicians. He wouldn't have mastered the instrument in this short time enough to not sound unbearable. He did say that learning the violin was the most difficult thing he ever had to do for a movie. Love his commitment to the role
6:50 "Look at all those friggin ropes..." The average British Man of War had had over 43 miles worth of rope over 75 tons. There were whole towns dedicated to just th manufacture of rope.
The youngest sailor in this movie also plays young Caesar Augustus in the HBO series "Rome" which is definitely worth consideration of watching on your channel. It was sort of the lead-up to Game of Thrones in terms of a big budget period drama on HBO (though HBO went from period to fantasy).
Brave young Blakeney holds the rank of midshipman, an officer in training, and wears the appropriate uniform. He is so young that his voice hasn't even changed yet. To give an idea of the gravity of the crisis situation with the French vessel, Aubrey assigns him a command position aboard ship over men old enough to be his grandfather. Royal Navy regulations at the time for the rank of lieutenant required the candidate to be twenty years old, with at least six years of experience at sea. There were exceptions.
The young actor who played Mr. Blakely (lost his arm) was great in his role and you can see a more grown version of him in the series "Rome".
You should see it, it's really good.
A bigger role but not more grown up, Rome was made at the same time as this. It would make a fantastic reaction though
@@madpaduk He's several years older, it's obvious.
@@guscarlson7021 M&C was released 2003, Rome was 2005.
He was only 16 when he finished filming Rome so hardly a "grown up". They had to replace him midway series 2 if only so they could film the sex scene Livia
@@madpaduk I said he was more grown and he was. Release dates are not a reliable yardstick for measuring someones age. Stop trying to make a moot point.
BTW I have had M&C and Rome on DVD in my collecton for quite a while now.
@@guscarlson7021 I don't think all those words mean what they think you do.
He was a child when he made the film, he was still a child when he made Rome. Bigger role in the series for sure but he was not a grown up, or even more grown up, by any reasonable yardstick
One of my all time favorite movies. Glad you liked it. Everything is great about this movie, but I'm glad you pointed out the music. Lovely soundtrack!
I was never into military fiction. But this film inspired me to check out the first novel about Captain Jack Aubrey. The story was so well done I ended up reading the entire series of novels. Many of the adventures were based on actual events during the era of the Napoleonic Wars, and Aubrey is much like the real British naval Captain Thomas Cochrane. The film is a wonderful adaptation which combines elements from two of the novels. The characters in the novel and film are well drawn and sympathetic and you get a great sense of what life aboard ship was like. It is a nice touch that except for the visit to the island, the movie audience is always on the ship with the crew and you are far from any home port. You are immediately immersed in the life and daily rituals of being at sea. Another great film about life at sea is the German World War 2 era film, Das Boot (The Boat). Again, the emphasis is as much on the emotional life of the sailors as it is on military action.
There are elements from more than two of the novels in this movie but I agree with everything else in your post.
He's nothing like Cochrane. Stop chanting about f***** Cochrane ffs, he did nothing a thousand other guys didn't do day in day out, except blab a lot about how great he was.
@@shakes.dontknowwhatyergettin The author of The Aubrey novels mentioned Cochrane as an inspiration. Your argument is with him.
The books are wonderful.
I would also recommend The Cruel Sea by Nicholas Montserrat, set on a corvette during the Battle of the Atlantic, wonderful novel and great film.
@@shakes.dontknowwhatyergettin Are you going to cry?
Dude, your supporters give SO GOOD suggestions of content to watch... a lot of amazing movies that usually don't get much attention these days.
In point of fact, Surprise runs out His Majesty's colors before engaging Acheron. Nothing dirty about luring them in; they fought as a flagged vessel of war.
I love that battle, I love the battle speech. The understated emphasis on "... much will depend on your accuracy", which is a very Napeolonic era Royal Navy way of saying "if we don't take down her mast, she's going to get under speed, swing round, and pummel us to the bottom of the ocean"
False Flag, the key was to switch to your true colors before the battle.
"hit it or we're fucked"
That moment of tension before the cracking of wood and the fall of Acheron’s mainmast still gives me goosebumps.
17:17 The cello music is the Prelude from Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007.
That is exactly the kind of damage you would expect from cannonballs, grapeshot would more likely be used to clear the decks of personnel, and there were munitions made from two cannon shot chained together designed to cut through rigging.
The noise and smoke below decks was impressive, and with officers shouting commands to load, adjust aim, and fire, plus water intrusion, decks slippery with blood, and cannon constantly recoiling, it was a true exercise in military discipline. This is the way naval battles were fought.
Amputation was a far better choice than sepsis and gangrene from a shredded limb. These boys are midshipmen from likely noble families who paid for their training and commissioning into the Royal Navy, some as young as ten years old but with status as officers over the rest of the crew. The one that joined in the singing was fraternities, an absolute no-no in military discipline. He can sing as much as he wants when seated around the Captain's mess, but not with the men.
Actually, the Galapagos Islands were discovered in 1535, Charles Darwin's first trip there was three hundred years later in 1835, AFTER this movie takes place, and he was still young back then.
An officer is not there to be liked. He's there to make tough decisions and give appropriate commands when they're needed. The crew could sense his weakness and the sailor who bumped into him tested it, so the captain was not micromanaging when he was giving him instruction on how everybody was expected to behave. You can't have your men questioning your orders when you send them to die in battle, not on land and most definitely not at sea. A warship is like a single organism that needs to function effectively and decisively.
No, the plan is to pretend to be a whaling ship. American ships in particular sailed all the way from upper New England to the Pacific to hunt whales, but many countries did so. It's cargo of whale oil was very valuable and considered a good prize, as well as an easy target. They still followed the rules of chivalrous war by raising the English flag when they engaged the French "Acheron". This is one very smart captain based on a real British captain of the time. Sort of a 19th century Captain Kirk.
The Acheron is based on the new-style ship-of-the-line frigates built in America like the USS Constitution ("Old Iron Sides"), faster, tough, better armed. In fact, "Old Iron Sides" got its nickname because of the tough oak planking sheathing its hull, which resulted in cannon shot bouncing off the hull instead of splintering into the interior.
Yes, they are really playing, but not very well. They learned to play their instruments for the movie, so they could follow along with the right movements. A better performance by experienced musicians was then dubbed over the scene. But I'm pretty sure they could still knock this piece out so you would recognize it.
Mrs. Movies doesn't seem like the type of person that should ever leave home. This was life on the high seas at the turn of the 18th to 19th centuries. I've been up on the rigging in stormy weather, it's not that hard. You just sway a little more. And every stay, halyard, sheet, etc. Is planned and routed, sailing ship rigging is a wonder of engineering.
One of the most immersive films ever, and one of the greatest I have ever watched.
The story is made up but it's based and a few different actual historical events. The ship to ship combat, tactics, and operation are all accurate, including having young kids on the crew. The Acheron is based on the the USS Constitution aka "Old Iron Sides" and that model the guy made of hull was also accurate. It was constructed in Boston (and is still on display there,) and at the time it was the most technologically advanced sailing war ship ever built. Russell's Captain Jack is based on a real life Commander Lord Thomas Cochrane, a famous British Naval Captain who was just as daring and creative in real life.
I love that ship (USS Constitution) been to it several times.
The USS Constitution isn’t exactly on display. She is a museum ship, and open to the public, but she is also listed as a commissioned warship in the United States Navy, and is fully crewed by United States Naval personnel.
@@gawainethefirst She's the oldest commissioned warship afloat. The HMS Victory is older, but she's not seaworthy.
US ships had the additional advantage that they used the New World red oak rather than the Old World oak. Which was a much more ballistic resistant material and better for ship-building. [If properly seasoned; the US had a habit of needing ships in an emergency due to serious shortfalls in naval funding which resulted in many of the ships being built out of green wood.]
Whilst the original story was set in the War of 1812 the producers and studios felt that the enemy being an actual US ship wouldn't go down so well with domestic audiences. Hence a French privateer built in a US shipyard.
The USS Constitution was also the ship which famously put out its boats and towed itself into a fog bank to escape a pursuing British squadron.
Terrific movie, one of the best sailing ship period movies. It's nice that it has a sense of humor too, tween Crowe and Bettany's witty banter. I like they don't pull the bloody scenes, it's gritilly realistic. A great series of books also, if you don't mind it moves at its own slower pace.
In these days, there were no medical personnel aboard. The doctor was technically a guest, and had no rank.
The fact that he ate with the officers, and that they saluted him and called him "sir" is a testament to his skill and character.
One of my all-time favorite films! Highly praised for being historically accurate and is immensely engaging. It is such a shame we never got a sequel.
No, the film wasn’t “historically accurate”. In the book the enemy ship was American - not French!!!
@@oldman1734 Okay, I agree that it was a change that has annoyed me from the start. The reason I believe is that they thought they'll lose the American audience if they make the ship American, so they found a (somewhat unsatisfying) loophole - made the enemy to be French, but the ship to be made in Boston. Still, I agree with you on that. Besides that, they did a tremendous job to keep it as historically accurate as possible.
As a student of history, I know that from the Norman invasion of England in 1066 to the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815, there was pretty well no point when England and France were not at each other's throats.
We've been at each others throats for oh a 1000+ years
They got along well during the Crusades I guess.
When there's no current or wind they call it the Doldrums and usually crew's blamed it on a curse or unlucky member of the crew when it was just a natural oddity.
"in the Doldrums" is also British slang for feeling blue or depressed
Loved the books, loved the movie, wished they had continued adapting the series. The fact many scenes were filmed on an actual ship not too unlike the real HMS Surprise was a huge visual bonus. Other scenes were filmed on a non-sailing copy of the ship so they are equally convincing.
Aubrey was loosely based on an actual British captain of the period and a number of Aubrey's victories were based on actual exploits of his. As were Aubrey's conflicts with the admiralty in some stories. It's a real page turner of a book series.
Many thanks to Marina for the awesome suggestion, a great film. And your reactions were great. So glad you enjoyed it.
The first time I watched it I thought I had gone deaf as it has such a quiet start, I wasn't expecting that. It's a nice change from the "standard" films.
I liked Lord Blakeney but the amputation scene was hard to watch, although a good surgeon could remove the limb in less than a minute. Ok all the surgical scenes were tough to watch.
Lucky Jack was a captain I would follow... so many good characters, Pullins, the young Lieutenant, the old guy (looks a bit like me now.) makes me want to get the "hold fast" tattoos. The big guy that helped Blakeney sew up the young Lt in his hammock. The cook and his assistant.
The worst bit of acting imo, was the guy from LOTR "the rudders shot away" etc, very poor work.
A good representation of life and discipline aboard a RN ship.
The gunnery was spectacular and the director suffered permanent hearing damage from it but doesn't complain.
I wouldn't name my cannon "no idea" though tbh ;)
An absolutely fantastic movie. One for adults that want to pay attention and see something complex. One quick point, this was set in 1805, Darwin wasn't born until 1809.
“2003 was the middle of high school” makes me feel extremely old.
Captain Jack Aubrey was inspired by the most amazing British officer, Lord Thomas Cochrane. A real genius.
He's a hero here in Chile. We have Statues and streets honoring him.
You two NEED to be watching Black Sails. One of the best shows to have graced the screens. Prequel to Treasure Island and will make you want to raise the black and plunder the seas. Oh, and visit the fuck tent!
For more sailing content you can check out the Black Sails series - it is done as a prequel to Treasure Island.
I come from a family with a long time Maritime tradition, so I'll do my best to explain some things :)
Grapeshot loads were used to tear holes in sails and in men, essentially making the cannon into a shotgun. Round shot was primarily used to damage spars and guns, as well as to blow holes in the hull, and chain shot was used to rip through the rigging and disable the ship. After trading broadsides, if the enemy ship looked to be damaged sufficiently, boarding parties were sent to attempt a capture of the vessel and whatever cargo it may carry. In the event that a boarding was imprudent, a Captain would order the gunners to sink her.
Shrapnel injuries were a very common occurrence aboard ship, wood splinters cause a lot of damage, not limited to the initial wound, but also infection. It was a rough life aboard naval ships in the Age of Sail. English Lords would often buy their sons' commissions as lower officers in the Navy, hence all the kids giving orders and such to the common sailors. This was to give them experience in commanding their own retainers when they grew up.
The sump on board a ship was called the bilge, and was where all the waste water and any leakage might be pumped out of the ship. And yes, those seamen did sleep in hammocks on the lower decks all crammed together, as they needed all the room they could get for ammunition/powder and supplies (water casks, food stores, etc.) and repair materials (the ship's carpenter and his apprentices were the ones to repair damage to the hull and to any rigging shot away in battle, pulleys and yardarms and such). The pulleys, shrouds, and stays were what kept the rigging organized so that the sailors knew which ropes and cables went to which sails.
Grog was the crewman's drink, rum mixed with water, to keep them happy and in high spirits, but not drunk :P The dessert the Captain served to his officers when telling them of their trip to the Galapagos was a popular 18th century dish called the "floating island", which was made of pudding, light bread, and jam. Albemarle was one of the islands they were sailing to :P
Napoleon wasn't actually short, either, he was average height for a Frenchman of the time, 5'2", the tales of him being a 'little' man were pure propaganda on the part of his enemies :P
Hey, Mr. and Mrs.! This film is a masterpiece and my 7th favorite film of all time!
Scrupulously researched and meticulously rendered, it is the most accurate Age of Sail adventure film ever made!
Bow to stern, the ship's crew is stocked with an amazing cast but the Patrick O'Brian story boils down to the bond between Captain Jack, the warrior, Doc Maturin, the scientist, and the impact they have on the mind of young Blakeney.
O'Brian wrote 20 books in the Aubrey-Maturin series of which "Far Side of the World" is the 10th but the movie draws from many of the novels.
This cinematic achievement is best appreciated on the biggest screen possible which makes you feel as if you're right on deck!
I would suggest watching "Blakely" in HBO's ROME (2005) :D
Actually they were playing their instruments. Russell Crowe learned the violin for the role, and it was auctioned off for 90 thousand pounds for charity some time later. Russel is a musician who already played guitar, and he was taught the instrument for the role in three months by Australian Chamber Orchestra leader Richard Tognetti. Paul Bettany learned the Cello for his part as well. Russell has had his own band from 1992-2005 called 30 odd foot of grunts before he started doing solo projects. It's much easier for musicians who already know an instrument to learn a new one, as they have the basic concepts of playing chords, rhythm, tempo, and technique.
This is a special movie. While it is not a particularly accurate adaptation of the book series it's based on, it is without question the most accurate historical depiction of the age of sail in film. Everything is spot on. The dialogue, the terminology, the background acting. There is no movie ever made that more accurately depicts a historical period.
"He's a sailsman"
"They had England prisoners"
Some good Mr Movie-isms in this one
Great movie…and they were really playing their instruments :)
A cannon ball, at this time, traveled at about 500 miles an hour and, on a small frigate like the Surprise, weighed 12 lbs. It wasn't the ball itself that caused the casualties but the splinters being thrown around. "One man or a hundred men"...the lesser of two weevils. 🤔
This is the best and most historically accurate film I've ever seen about this era in sailing.
The deceptive engagement rules of the time were vague, but it was generally accepted that your nations flag (colours) should be flown before firing the 1st shot, otherwise it could be considered an ungentlemanly act.
As someone who worked at a naval museum (The Historic Dockyard Chatham) for 8 years; Patrick O'Brian's character of Capt. Jack Aubrey is based on a few historical figures but the most prominent was Captain Edward Pellew, England's greatest frigate commander.
If you guys visit the UK you must see the HMS Victory in Portsmouth. It's lord Nelson's flag ship that was at the battle of Trafalgar which destroyed the French fleet during the Napoleonic wars. You get a tour guide that tells you all about it and you really get a feel for the conditions, the smells and atmosphere. It's amazing. ♥️✌️🇬🇧
The Acheron has 44 guns - so if she fires all the guns on one side, that's 22 iron balls, each weighing 18 pounds, hitting your ship at high speed. Surprise has 28x12 pounders - very outclassed.
Reactors rarely do this film, so thank you. This was a treat to see. It’s one of my favorite movies, and one of Russell Crowe’s best. It’s just amazing how the movie helps bring to life all the details of living life on a ship back then.
Now for more Russell Crowe gems - Gladiator (of course), A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man, and L.A. Confidential. Can’t go wrong with any of them!
The Insider ?
It's the turtle that fires the gun at the end of the Soprano's intro theme.
One of the most underrated movies of this century imo. Also hope you guys will one day watch/react to the show 'Black Sails', the most underrated and one of the best shows ever made. Think you two would truly appreciate the greatness of it.
Might be one of the most underrated movies ever. I recommend "the Bounty" with Mel Gibson, Anthony Hopkins, daniel day Lewis and leam neason
I understand the cannon balls at this time did not explode, they burst through the wood propelling wood splinters which did most of the damage to the men. Larboard, now called Port (left), so it doesn't get confused with starboard (right)
Tortoises of the Pacific were highly valued as that ocean is unfathomably vast and as such crossing it was near impossible without most rations, and especially meat of any kind, rotting in the hold during the crossing. The Galapagos island tortoises could be brought on ship and as they could go for weeks without much or any significant food to stay alive, they were able to provide an excellent and fresh supply of protein for sailors on very long journeys.
They're quite fortunate to have not gone completely extinct despite being thousands of miles from most of humanity.
The movie takes place in 1805. Charles Darwin wasn't born until 1809 and didn't go to the Galapagos Islands until 1831.
Grog is basically mojito as it's rum, lime and water. Sadly it's not soda water and there wasn't always ice to go in it.
The Laws of War at the time permitted a naval ship to disguise itself as something else until just before battle began.
That is why, when the Surprise opened its gun ports to fight the French privateer, the British naval ensign was run up. That made it a legitimate act of war instead of an illegal act of piracy.
They are really playing Violin and cello. The Acharon was based on a real ship. Made in Boston Made out of Swamp Oak, denser than White oak. Most durable ship of it's era. It is still an American navy Ship of the Line. The Acharon was based on The U.S.S. Constitution., Old Iron Sides. ...
Never thought I'd see a guy in a cowboy hat talk about Charles Darwin.
One of my favorite movies of all time. Excellent in all regards.
One of the best movies of all time.
The cello piece was Bach - Prelude from Cello Suite No. 1 one of the greatest achievements in western music - well worth a listen [I adore the yo-yo ma version]
"only thing on a boat" - you guys have seriously not watched 1981's Das Boot - you need to fix that asap and ironically Napoleon was not short - he was average height for a Frenchman at the time.
So glad folks are paying attention to this movie again. Without a doubt the most historically accurate naval movie. Watch Waterloo for the most accurate lane battle movie. Plus Waterloo has no copyrights as the company went under in the 80’s so there are full length copies on CZcams
"...He was a real Sailsman, cuz he manned the sails." Haha soo bad its good I'm using that one 🤣
16:04 Not just about ego, but career longevity. If he returned to England without accomplishing his mission, it is unlikely he would be given a command again -- being as he is, not a nobleman, nor from wealthy or influential family, but raised from the ranks of a regular sailor, Captain Aubrey has no one to vouch for him in the higher circles of the Admiralty. He's got to make his reputation on merit, or he's shorebound and broke. And with a wife, four kids, and mother-in-law to care for.
oh guys,you watch one of the best Navy movies of all times.(By this time only two reactiones on CZcams,I think)Thank you. Of course afterwards it would be time for the best submarin and Antiwarmovie of all times : " Das Boot" (subtitles and Directors Cut please) , only 3 reactiones till now ,one have 260 000 clicks,but of course it´s not Hollywood. Greetings from Germany,nice reactiones,and have a nice weekend!
The Sharpe tv series with Sean Bean is another good show to watch about this period in history.
The events of this movie was very loosely based on the cruise of the USS Essex into the Pacific to attack British whalers during the War of 1812. The British sent two ships after it.
As the film was largely US funded, the American privateer became a French one. 😆
This is the single greatest film ever made. The attention to detail and the respect for the period in history is just incredible.
Charles Darwin didn’t already find the Galápagos Islands. Because Master and Commander (movie) is set in 1805. And Charles Darwin was born in 1809.
Actually, Darwin was there much later. The doctor is shown in this story anticipating some of Darwin's ideas.
Darwin didn't come up with the idea of evolution, but he did manage to show it in a conclusive way.
Many naturalists had the idea before Darwin
"look at all those freaking ropes."
Kinky, right?
Also, WRATH OF KHAN. You guys gotta watch Wrath of Khan. You don't need to be Trekkies to enjoy it.
27:53 Someone will correct me but I'm pretty sure, at this point, the accepted rules of war were that you had to be flying your colors when engaging. This trick they pulled off would have been acceptable, as long as those colors changed before shots were fired.
Correct
15:40 "Everything about water scares me." How about the coldest water...? ;)
It's based on a series of books. As a matter of fact, One book was Master and Commander and another book was Other Side of the World. Good books to read, during the ships of the line circa.
I still maintain that the HMS Surprise might just be the GREATEST name for a ship that's ever existed.
I think the HMS SinkFast was better also known as HMS Hood , best ship ever and then it met a pickled herring 🙂
Yeah, it is a good flick. But did you know the movie director and the producers decided to change the target ship from an American vessel to that of a French ship. As the writer of the book ( Who is a Brit),wrote it. Because they feared it wouldn't be received well in the US.
Surprise. Surprise.
This also resulted in a change in the dates this took place in. I believe that the story involving the American ship they were chasing took place during the War of 1812 while this was changed to align more with the Napoleonic Wars. They refer to Horatio Nelson in a way that makes it sound as if he is still alive, so it would have to be before the Battle of Trafalgar which was 1805
@@SkyJW15 Impressive o7. There are also a whole series of books about Jacks adventures. This is just one of those stories.
I think this movie is set before Darwin went to Galapagos, so the idea is that this doctor was actually the first to discover all these animals, but he had to leave them behind.
What a fun historical nod. Very Forrest Gumpy
Based on a series of books. The enemy in the particular book this takes the plot from was actually an American naval ship, but the director and/or producer thought it would be easier for American audiences to get on board if the enemy was French. GREAT writing... GREAT wordplay... Wish they made a sequel, but EASILY rewatchable movie. Also, missed what Davies(?) said to the kid, i.e., "Is it the arm you're missing or the other one" // ""Oy! Stop being cheeky!". I knew the big guy said something sassy to the little kid, but I didn't realize the degree of BURN he gave him RE the kid's missing arm 😄. Also, that kid was GREAT in this movie! I completely buy that grown men would follow his orders. ALSO, also, the thing about the guy who committed suicide, that kinda put off the captain, is that he was the same rank as all the other tween/teen officers even though he was in his late(?) 20s, which is embarrassing, but made sense given how the character was portrayed.
It's a shame the film didn't do all that well when it came out. They had plans of continuing on filming all the books if the first one proved popular.
@@Fedorevsky This movie was out at the same time as Return of the King. FFS, Billy Boyd is in both.
@@JnEricsonx Yes, I remember watching both around the same time.
Everyone keeps uploading movies in my top 5 today. Master and Commander is my top 3. I've lived on a ship like this myself, loved every moment of it.
This is one of the best films ever made in terms of historical accuracy. This film gets a lot of the small details right that a lot of historical epics overlook.
Mr. Blakeny represents Horatio Nelson, who was tiny, one-armed, one-eyed, and one of the bravest and tactically brilliant commanders history has ever seen.