Today’s movie is a naval war film with a scene that happens
on May 14. I hope you will enjoy this motion picture and watch it tonight.
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
In 1805, The HMS Surprise
under the command of Captain Jack Aubery is ordered to pursue the French
privateer the Acheron and sink or capture her. The ship however is
surprised by the Acheron in the fog and the Surprise’s
cannonballs bounce off the Acheron’s hull. Surprise’s rudder is
shot off and it is only by using rowboats to pull the ship into an impenetrable
fog bank that the Suprise escapes. They lay low repairing the ship and
tending the wounded. The captain and his friend Dr. Maturin relax by playing
music together. On May 14, 1805 a crewman who happened to see the Acheron
being built in Boston gets a friend to build a model of the ship which they
give to the Captain. [28:05 to 30:00] The Captain dines with his officers. For
a second time they are spotted by the Acheron. They stay ahead of it
during the day and at night, using a raft with lamps as a decoy, slip away. The
Surprise is now chasing the Acheron, but loses her in a terrible
storm. Aubrey heads to the Galapagos
islands where Dr. Maturin engages in some scientific investigation of the
islands unique flora and fauna. They find the crew of a British whaler sunk by
the Acheron. An officer suicides and Dr. Maturin is accidentally shot.
Aubrey abandons pursuit of the Acheron to take Maturin back to dry land
in the Galapagos where Maturin operates on himself using a mirror. While
looking for more specimens Maturin discovers the Acheron is very close.
Taking an idea from one of the insect specimens collected by Maturin, Aubrey
disguises the ship as a whaler to lure the Acheron in close. The ruse works. Acheron’s mainmast is
shot away and boarding parties capture the French ship. As the Acheron
sails away with a prize crew Aubrey learns that the man he thought was the Acheron’s
surgeon was actually its captain. He orders a pursuit.
A very exciting combat film. It
explores an area of history that has received little attention from
filmmakers. Very good action sequences
as well as character development, which only rarely both occur in the same
film.
Date given in film via Aubrey’s letter to his wife at 28:09
Awards – The film won the Best Cinematography and Best
Sound Editing Oscars. It was also nominated for the Best Picture, Best
Director, Best Art Direction, Best Sound Mixing, Best Costume Design, Best Film
Editing, Best Visual effects and the Best Makeup Oscars at the 76th
Academy Awards.
Producer - Alan B.
Curtiss
Director - Peter Weir
Screenplay – Peter Weir & John Collee
Runtime - 2 hours 18
minutes
Released – November 14, 2003
Starring –
Russell Crowe as Captain Jack Aubrey
Paul Bettany as Dr. Stephen Maturin
James D'Arcy as Thomas Pullings
Edward Woodall as Lt. William Mowett
Chris Larkin as Captain Howard
Max Pirkis as
William Blakeney
Jack Randall as Midshipman Boyle
Max Benitz as Peter Myles Calamy
Lee Ingleby as Midshipman Hollom
Copyright by Ivan Walters 2014.
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