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

[TraderVic]

Excellent movie, for sure one of my favorites. I've owned it for some time now. I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite scene, there are so many ( for me anyway).
Having spent two years on navy destroyers and two tours to SE Asia, I enjoy most any seagoing adventure movie.
Had a British destroyer tie up to us in Subic Bay. I joined a group of British sailors drinking in Olangapo City....what a night.
Sorry for the rambling, to say the least I enjoy this movie.

 

[user 49399]

Good movie. Every time I hear someone yell “follow me”, it reminds me of my time at Fort Benning.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Excellent movie, for sure one of my favorites. I've owned it for some time now. I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite scene, there are so many ( for me anyway).
Having spent two years on navy destroyers and two tours to SE Asia, I enjoy most any seagoing adventure movie.
Had a British destroyer tie up to us in Subic Bay. I joined a group of British sailors drinking in Olangapo City....what a night.
Sorry for the rambling, to say the least I enjoy this movie.

Wild place there, spent 6 mos at upper MAU camp.

 

[Codger Craig Wilcox]

Been very familiar with O'Brian's series for years, never knew there was a movie about one of the books. Thanks for guiding me to it! O'Brian was very true in his nautical writing, glad to hear that the movie was also.

Also familiar with Trader Vic's Olongapo. Dad was a Naval Officer, and we travelled the world. Spent two years at Sangley Point NAS - was 10, 11, and 12 there. We often went over to Subic Bay for one reason or another. Sometimes driving, sometimes flying over in a C-45, or Twin Beech. (much later in life, flew the US Mail in a C-45 weeknights, from Mobile, AL to Birmingham, AL. Luckily, very few "adventures").
When I was in the Navy, the ship I was aboard, USS Intrepid, CVA-11, often made port at Subic Bay, and once or twice I made my way to Olongapo, across the bridge for S**t Creek - actually had a sign with that name on it. And it was appropriately named! But small boys would dive in for a tossed coin, alligators and all!
Had my 21st birthday on Round Island, located near the mouth of Subic Bay. They had a "USO" type setup there - everything was a nickel. Had 21 vodka Collins, with long-stem maraschino cherries. Had 21 of those stems before I kinda passed out - there is a small barracks-like hotel adjoining the club. Woke in the morning clear headed, went SCUBA diving all morning before reporting back to the ship.

 

[Oldbear63]

The movie was obviously important and a good production, but I had one serious issue with it.
There is a well known scene in the captain's cabin where the officers are talking. A cook comes in and addresses the captain. In those times in European society there was a strong class consciousness. A lower crew member was usually not allowed to speak to the captain unless asked to. A crew member speaking directly to the captain could have been flogged.
This is something that is not taught today, today's history has been disinfected of the historical class distinctions, so that youth today think that a classless society has always existed, when the reality was that (at least in Europe) class distinctions were iron clad.
To watch some modern TV and movie productions you would think that a person of color could walk into the home of an upper classman and have a conversation with the lord, when that would not have been tolerated. Even someone of a slightly lower class would have been prohibited from interacting freely with upper class or aristocracy.
Today we pretend that class distinctions don't exist when they are still very much in force, just acting in a much more subtile and complex manner.

 

[Codger Craig Wilcox]

A few years before that stint in the Philippines, we lived in England, just south of London. I had my 6th birthday in the middle of the Atlantic crossing to Portsmouth.
Dad was a Lieutenant at the time. He had graduated from the Academy in '44, and was found to have a slight vision problem. So they sent him to Harvard where he got an MBA, and was made a Supply Officer. So in England, he was buying stuff for the Navy, like the first steam catapult for our aircraft carriers. Actually buying a permit to build them - they were patented.
At any rate, we lived in a nice big house, had a cook, a gardener, a nanny (I had a younger sister), and a maid. NONE of them would approach my Dad directly - they first asked permission to speak to him through my mother. So in the early '50's, the class system was still much in effect.
I went to British schools, and constantly got into fights because of my "Yankee" accent. And when we returned to CONUS, I got into fights because I had a "Limey" accent!
We were in England in interesting times. George VI died, and Queen Elizabeth II was crowned (June, 1952). In school, we had to learn to draw the crown, orb, and scepter. I did see the young Queen passing one time in her white and gold carriage, drawn by four white horses. Thought she was beautiful! Still an attractive woman at 96 now - only 20 years older than I. And I did learn to plunk out "God Save the Queen" one fingered on the piano! One other big change that affected all Englishmen at the time was the cessation of the ration system - even we children had to have a ration book to buy sweets, or new shoes, etc. All food, and gasoline, kerosene, etc., was covered by the system.
Dad would often take me to various Royal Navy bases, where we would see Midshipmen of 13 to 16, learning how to be an officer. Stuffy lot, to be sure, all with rather squeaky voices. But they learned to boss the seamen around.
Patrick O'Brian is pretty close to actuality in his books, one of the things that made them so enjoyable. And yes, the Captain's cook would address him personally, one of the few of the crew that would do so. He had the same cook through several ships, and I would guess that they established a bit more personal relationship than the rest of the crew. The cook did not want to disappoint, and would ask what Aubrey wanted to eat, or how many and who would be at dinner.
In our USN Squadron, I was an E-4, our Squadron Commander an O-5. But I was running the first computer programs that tracked manhours, maintenance, and material, and often had to speak to Commander O'Conner about what I was finding, what troubles I was having, etc. My division Officer, an O-3, was often airborne, or being briefed or debriefed, so it was me that worked things out with the Commander. The LT and I were the only personnel in our Division - pretty exclusive. And what I worked on was pretty highly classified, so I was encouraged to not be too friendly with my fellow enlisted squadron members. An ancillary duty was for me to run the projectors nightly in the Ready Room for all the officers - pretty good duty, except it came after my 12-hour work shift.
And the only muzzle loader on the carrier was the line guns - they chambered a blank shotgun shell, but the projectile, a ball attached to a light line, was stuffed down the muzzle. They seemed to have a LOT of recoil!

 

[Cubreac]

Too bad a sequel was never made. I loved it. It was one of the last movies I saw with my dad before he passed.

 

[1971fx]

Salt life is good

 

[Surfinator58]

Great movie had an opportunity to board her majestys ship as it lives at the san diego maritime museum great day trip if you get the chance
they even turn her around once a year and sell tickets....the lesser of two weevils.

 

[Mad L]

Great movie had an opportunity to board her majestys ship as it lives at the san diego maritime museum great day trip if you get the chance
they even turn her around once a year and sell tickets....the lesser of two weevils.

Are you speaking about HMS Surprise?
Did you hear they wreaked her about a month ago?! Tore out nearly half the Captain's cabin while docking .... not heard how repairs are going.
I sure miss Brandon's pirate parties aboard the Surprise...
And playing 'Hide the Rum' from the captain!

 

[SOLANCO]

Imagine being able to hit a ship at 200 yards with a cannon, that has no sights, from the deck of another ship, that is rocking in the waves....

Chain shot into the rigging if ship is too lively for aimed balls.

 

[Coinneach]

Too bad a sequel was never made. I loved it. It was one of the last movies I saw with my dad before he passed.

Russel Crowe was keen to develop it into a HBO series but couldnt get the financial backing.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

I'm paraphrasing here but "Sometimes one must choose between the lessor of two weevils".
That's the line I remember most from the movie.

 

[Coinneach]

I cant comment on the American Army, but the Brit and Commonwealth Armies (our traditions) the "Lesser of Two Evils" is applied universally to what may be a difficult command decision; hence the play on words "Lesser of two Weevils".

 

[Coinneach]

The movie was obviously important and a good production, but I had one serious issue with it.
There is a well known scene in the captain's cabin where the officers are talking. A cook comes in and addresses the captain. In those times in European society there was a strong class consciousness. A lower crew member was usually not allowed to speak to the captain unless asked to. A crew member speaking directly to the captain could have been flogged.
This is something that is not taught today, today's history has been disinfected of the historical class distinctions, so that youth today think that a classless society has always existed, when the reality was that (at least in Europe) class distinctions were iron clad.
To watch some modern TV and movie productions you would think that a person of color could walk into the home of an upper classman and have a conversation with the lord, when that would not have been tolerated. Even someone of a slightly lower class would have been prohibited from interacting freely with upper class or aristocracy.
Today we pretend that class distinctions don't exist when they are still very much in force, just acting in a much more subtile and complex ma

The movie was obviously important and a good production, but I had one serious issue with it.
There is a well known scene in the captain's cabin where the officers are talking. A cook comes in and addresses the captain. In those times in European society there was a strong class consciousness. A lower crew member was usually not allowed to speak to the captain unless asked to. A crew member speaking directly to the captain could have been flogged.
This is something that is not taught today, today's history has been disinfected of the historical class distinctions, so that youth today think that a classless society has always existed, when the reality was that (at least in Europe) class distinctions were iron clad.
To watch some modern TV and movie productions you would think that a person of color could walk into the home of an upper classman and have a conversation with the lord, when that would not have been tolerated. Even someone of a slightly lower class would have been prohibited from interacting freely with upper class or aristocracy.
Today we pretend that class distinctions don't exist when they are still very much in force, just acting in a much more subtile and complex manner.

Well no. the Cook was usually a long term Navy Veteran who'd distinguished himself ( and often wounded with loss of limb) in the company of the Ships Captain; who took the Cook and Killick with him on posting. They were considered a Post Captains personal staff for the want of a better term, and that tradition continued right up to WW2 in both the RN and RAN after which adequate Pensions were assured to retired Navy Veterans.

 

[Daveboone]

Within the books, O'Brien mentions several times the close "familiarity" of communicaiton with Killick, his cook and "manservant" which permitted frequent direct conversation which otherwise would not have been allowed in the circumstance.

 

[maillemaker]

I love Killick in the battle. He's a grumpy servant most of the time but in battle he was a wild man!

 

[Daveboone]

Even though O'brien passed away ten years before I discovered the books, I was broken hearted when I came to the last....Over the course of the books the author developed so many characters so well, you felt you knew them personally. I was delighted to read in Keith Richards (of the Rolling Stones) biography that he was also a fan of the books.

 

[Coinneach]

Even though O'brien passed away ten years before I discovered the books, I was broken hearted when I came to the last....Over the course of the books the author developed so many characters so well, you felt you knew them personally. I was delighted to read in Keith Richards (of the Rolling Stones) biography that he was also a fan of the books.

Thats probably because "Keefy" was there at the time, he goes back a long way.

 

[Daveboone]

Thats probably because "Keefy" was there at the time, he goes back a long way.

I can picture him as Killick, actually....