Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Appreciation Post

[Mangonboat]

Master and Commander is likely to be the last film of that sort that will be made. It was one of the most expensive movies ever made due to the complexities of filming at sea and the commitment to accuracy. Now it is all done with computer-generated graphics and green screens, with little regard for authenticity of period pieces as there are no 'props' in the traditional sense, just digitally-manipulated pixels.

 

[Coinneach]

O’Brian: Master and Comander is the first one. It’s not the story in the movie. It follows ‘Lucky Jack’ from his first command a sloop of war ( that’s actually a brig).
He climbs the stairs of command.
Largely a version of the Hornblower books.
Alexander Kent re Douglas Reedmans Bolitho stories and Alan Lewrie books by Lambin are also good reads
Bolitho is honor and service to the king above all else, Lewrie is a rouge who spends the entire series hoping no one finds out the truth and Jack Aubrey is in between

"Largely a version of the Hornblower books."

I disagree "Lucky Jack Aubrey" was based on one Captain Thomas Cochrane, many of the exploits you'll read in O'Brians series (I have them) actually were from Cochranes own service history.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Cochrane,_10th_Earl_of_Dundonald

 

[Coinneach]

"Largely a version of the Hornblower books."

I disagree "Lucky Jack Aubrey" was based on one Captain Thomas Cochrane, many of the exploits you'll read in O'Brians series (I have them) actually were from Cochranes own service history.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Cochrane,_10th_Earl_of_Dundonald

I dont mean to name drop here but Russ Crowe is a personal mate of mine, often stayed at our mountain retreat over the years; Russ was very keen on producing a HBO series follow up to "Master and Commander".

 

[tenngun]

"Largely a version of the Hornblower books."

I disagree "Lucky Jack Aubrey" was based on one Captain Thomas Cochrane, many of the exploits you'll read in O'Brians series (I have them) actually were from Cochranes own service history.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Cochrane,_10th_Earl_of_Dundonald

Hornblower was based on Cochrane also.
As to saying a version of the Hornblower, the Aubrey Hornblower, Bilitho and Lewrie books, along with som shorter series like Rammage all shared that one officer rising via ability and luck in the great age of sailing navies
C S Foresters idea to create a series like that, with an attempt to stay historicly accurate and plausible, and keep the readers intrest over dozens of books

 

[mushka]

One of my favorite scenes is where at dinner they are discussing the lesser of two weavils. Cracked me up.

 

[Zapadach]

It is a great movie. Isn’t there a book series?

Yes, there are a series of books. I made the mistake one day of mentioning to a Englishman when we were out at sea that I had enjoyed the movie very much. He then proceeded to explain to me why he thought the movie was a travesty. I then bought the first book in the series and quickly devoured it, he was right. But that is what you get with a Hollywood movie. The props were very accurate by the way but the story was in the perturbed Englishman's vernacular " complete rubbish".

 

[MikeMyDay]

Yes, there are a series of books. I made the mistake one day of mentioning to a Englishman when we were out at sea that I had enjoyed the movie very much. He then proceeded to explain to me why he thought the movie was a travesty. I then bought the first book in the series and quickly devoured it, he was right. But that is what you get with a Hollywood movie. The props were very accurate by the way but the story was in the perturbed Englishman's vernacular " complete rubbish".

I'm currently reading the series for the third time, and have seen the movie twice. I can't agree that the movie is "complete rubbish", it's very entertaining, has elements drawn from several of the books, and is true to the "mood" of the books. The author, O'Brian, (sadly passed away) had a fine sense of humor ... Captain Aubrey claimed that he was as good a judge of horses as any in the navy.

 

[Tradbow]

Not many movies are as good as the book. Knowing that ahead of time can let one enjoy the movie with out expecting the movie to be true to the book.

 

[lexington1]

One of my all-time favorite movies. I really wish that a sequel would be made.

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Unfortunately anything made nowadays would look like the movie "300"....CGI everything and all scenes on a soundstage. Not to mention the dull gray tint to everything.

 

[Coinneach]

Yes, there are a series of books. I made the mistake one day of mentioning to a Englishman when we were out at sea that I had enjoyed the movie very much. He then proceeded to explain to me why he thought the movie was a travesty. I then bought the first book in the series and quickly devoured it, he was right. But that is what you get with a Hollywood movie. The props were very accurate by the way but the story was in the perturbed Englishman's vernacular " complete rubbish".

Never the less a great visual experience as a movie, IMO too many "experts" waste their lives nit picking and faulting good movies; its an irrelevance really.

The first O'Brian book in The Complete Aubrey /Maturin Novels is somewhat slow and hard to get into, but worth the trouble in that it gives a good background before the "plot thickens".

 

[Coinneach]

Not many movies are as good as the book. Knowing that ahead of time can let one enjoy the movie with out expecting the movie to be true to the book.

Did you know that Russ actually took lessons to learn to play the Violin Concerto for the movie ?

 

[tenngun]

I dont mean to name drop here but Russ Crowe is a personal mate of mine, often stayed at our mountain retreat over the years; Russ was very keen on producing a HBO series follow up to "Master and Commander".

Don’t know Crowe but am a fan of Gallic Storm
If your friends with him don’t share

 

[Rudyard]

one Sene a guy cocks his pistol to fire and as he does with it pointing up with the frizzed left in the foreword position in several Seens, kind of hard to keep powder in the pan and make it spark. it shows him shouting in several Seens with it in this position. you would that Thay would have caught it?

Dear Toot I noticed that re the steel not closed . But its a good picture and actors are just that and not as up on the workings of flintlocks as much as you are . But its still great theatre you got to hand it to the makers . I think the ship was the' HMS' Rose' replica ,I was aboard her at Perth Amboy one time they where not allowed to have' passengers' so we went through the motions as trainee crew . I can sing' Off key sea shanties with the best of them' . ( Its the on key ones I struggle with !) .
Regards Rudyard

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Can’t wait to see it.

 

[tenngun]

Dear Toot I noticed that re the steel not closed . But its a good picture and actors are just that and not as up on the workings of flintlocks as much as you are . But its still great theatre you got to hand it to the makers . I think the ship was the' HMS' Rose' replica ,I was aboard her at Perth Amboy one time they where not allowed to have' passengers' so we went through the motions as trainee crew . I can sing' Off key sea shanties with the best of them' . ( Its the on key ones I struggle with !) .
Regards Rudyard

It was Rose it’s now surprise and berthed with Star of India in San Diego

 

[toot]

one thing the battle seens are non stop! sorta like the opening of SAVING PRIVATE RYAN !! makes you feel like you are in the male!!

 

[toot]

Dear Toot I noticed that re the steel not closed . But its a good picture and actors are just that and not as up on the workings of flintlocks as much as you are . But its still great theatre you got to hand it to the makers . I think the ship was the' HMS' Rose' replica ,I was aboard her at Perth Amboy one time they where not allowed to have' passengers' so we went through the motions as trainee crew . I can sing' Off key sea shanties with the best of them' . ( Its the on key ones I struggle with !) .
Regards Rudyard

Rudyard, so right, a KILLER movie, well done! we are all MONDAY MORNING QUARTER BACKS, setting on our couch! toot.

 

[kipcarter]

Not many movies are as good as the book. Knowing that ahead of time can let one enjoy the movie with out expecting the movie to be true to the book.

The only movie that I know which follows the book is "Cool Hand Luke"

 

[1971fx]

Striving for historical accuracy, they had all of the ship's rigging made a left-lay or left-hand twisted ropes. An amazing movie!

Also check out the 'The Admiral' on Netflix for a 2015 Dutch film about the 17th-century Admiral Michiel de Ruyter; this one has some amazing nautical battle scenes too!

I grew up on Long Island NY my grandma's summer house was right on Long Island sound there's nothing like sailing into the wind with saltwater mist in your face