Journalist Jamelle Bouie recently re-watched Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World and live-tweeted the experience. His comments motivated others to share their thoughts on the film as well.
Master and Commander tells the story of Captain Jack Aubrey, played by Russell Crowe, and his ship HMS Surprise as they attempt to hunt a rival French vessel off the coast of South America. The film has been praised for its historical accuracy and the way it portrays seafaring life during the Napoleonic wars.
The film was a critical success, but it has largely fallen out of the public consciousness since its release. It was rated at 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, 7.4/10 on IMDB, and it was given a 4/4 by Roger Ebert.
Bouie commented on the accuracy of the film in its portrayal of the reality of life during the time period, as well as the quality of the editing and sound.
watching MASTER AND COMMANDER and so far it pretty accurately shows how Napoleonic-era naval service was a death-filled nightmare— b-boy bouiebaisse (@b-boy bouiebaisse)1551575762.0
the editing and sound editing in this movie is very, very good— b-boy bouiebaisse (@b-boy bouiebaisse)1551578738.0
There is a definite lack of films about life on ships.
seriously i need more movies that take place on ships and or submarines. (also trains)— b-boy bouiebaisse (@b-boy bouiebaisse)1551580846.0
Jamelle expressed surprise that the movie made it through the studio's vetting process to be made, considering the budget required.
this movie is so particular and slow-paced and cerebral that i’m shocked it got made. it cost $150 million to make!— b-boy bouiebaisse (@b-boy bouiebaisse)1551581400.0
Emotional investment in the characters is surely a sign of an excellent film.
i am legitimately stressed out by this final battle. i want all these dudes to live!— b-boy bouiebaisse (@b-boy bouiebaisse)1551582466.0
A few people commented that the books the film is based on are excellent as well.
@jbouie Not to be that guy, but do yourself a favor and read the books. They are unspeakably amazing. Spectacularly good.— Rob Hanna (@Rob Hanna)1551635791.0
@jbouie The 20 well written & historically accurate books by Patrick O'Brian are well worth a read too.— Richard Taylor (@Richard Taylor)1551657826.0
@jbouie I came here to see all the O’Brian fanboys telling you to read the books. I’m staying to tell you: you should read the books.— SamBobLev (@SamBobLev)1551582712.0
@jbouie I can’t stress this enough - read the books. So many of them and yet they never got stale or uninteresting.… https://t.co/cC1eUR7vvO— ⚒bigpp⚒ (@⚒bigpp⚒)1551593509.0
Several people commented on the film's quality.
@jbouie Absolutely wonderful movie. Great cinematography, editing and sound, and the actors are all fantastic. Th… https://t.co/Yb3MKuMyrv— James Corck (@James Corck)1551639987.0
@jbouie For me, that movie was an instant classic.— Bob Brockett (@Bob Brockett)1551646016.0
@jbouie I bought that film the day it was released on dvd. It is one of the best history of science and medicine fi… https://t.co/Viw6B9AxJb— Medieval Robots (@Medieval Robots)1551624356.0
@jbouie I’m so happy at this thread!! This is such a good film, the soundtrack, the costumes, the drama! Gah what a film.— Peter Andrew James (@Peter Andrew James)1551616935.0
Many people called for a sequel to be made.
@jbouie I think it is an excellent film, I hope a 4k uhd release will be made available. I also hope that there wil… https://t.co/UrSAMg4Wn4— Mark Tallen (@Mark Tallen)1551624035.0
@jbouie It's a shame there weren't sequels, apparently there was a lot of book material to draw from.— Deep State Desmond (@Deep State Desmond)1551579281.0
There are plenty of movies that get better with a later viewing, so Master and Commander may be worth another watch!