It was a string of events that lead me to select Master and Commander: The Far Side Of The World as this weekend’s Sunday Night Movie.

First off I am editing/re-writing Love and Loyalty. Now Love and Loyalty is a Space Opera novel of adventure among the stars it might not seem congruent with a movie like Master and Commander. That’s only on the surface, Love and Loyalty  is my salute/homage to the Horatio Hornblower novels, which are Napoleonic Sea adventures, like Master and Commander. I have read the entire Hornblower series multiple times and one of these days I intend to get around to the Jack Aubrey novel — from which the film Master and Commander was inspired.

Second over at Star trek re-watch after a particularly wide-ranging conversation in the comments section we ended up talking about naval matters and traditions. Star Trek also is inspired by the Hornblower stories and so there was a mood synergy that just insisted that I had to watch Master and Commander and soon.

Master and Commander: the far Side of the World is the story of Jack Aubrey captian of HMS Surprise during England’s war with France under Napoleon. Aubrey has been dispatched to deal with a French frigate that is intent on taking the war to the Pacific and raiding English interests there. The HMS Surprise is a small ship and the French vessel the Acheron is faster and with more guns.

Jack Aubrey is ably played by Russell Crowe, a tremendously talented actor even if all the films he selects are not the best scripts. (He was quite good in Gladiator, but the film was terribnly weak.) Jack has Severed on the HMS Surprise since his days as a midshipman, forging a bond with his ship that is quite reminiscent of James T. Kirk and The Enterprise. He knows the vessel and the crews and how much each can give when he needs it.

Aboard the HMS Surprise Jack has on true friend in the ship’s doctor, Stephen Maturin. Stephen is an intellectual, a naturalist, and I am told, in the novels a spy. His place in the script is often as an audience stand in as his character understands little about the nautical life and serves as a seamless point for exposition to the viewer. Jack is also the voice of moderation and conscience for Jack. Paul Bettany turn in his usual stellar performance and shows that the chemistry he displayed with Crowe in A Beautiful Mine was not a coincidence.

One of the reasons — and there are legion — that this film is atop the mizzen mast compared to other sailing-ship adventure movies is the gritty realism of the film and events. Director and co-wroter of the screenplay Peter Weir, a talented man who has not gotten enough work in my opinion, does not sugar coat life aboard an 18th century warship. There is a reason why we have the phrase ‘wooden ships and iron men’ from this period. Weir captured in wonderful detail the squalid, cramped, and dangerous life that these men faced for years at a time. The combat is horrid, bloody, and brutal. best of all Weir does this display in his typical understated directorial style. he doesn’t show use people running about screaming with stumps of their appendages in a graphic display of masterful make-up effects. (and there is nothing wrong with those sorts of movies in the right context.) Rather, Weir takes a more subtle approach. Showing us an amputation operation so unnerving that the entire audience in the theater squirmed, but without ever directly showing the cutting and hacking. Truly a master of understatement.

Another element often handled poorly in previous films is the treatment of Midshipmen. I do not mean how the midshipmen themselves were treated by the service but rather how the filmmakers treat the subject at large. Watch almost any other film and the midship are adults. Young men mind you, but clearly men. That was not how it happened historically. Boys went to sea and became midshipmen. If they lived, and passed their exams they might become officers after years if study, training, and war. In Master And Commander one of the key midshipmen is Mr. Blankeney played by the augustly talented Max Pirkis. That is the face that would lead men in life and death combat. (max may be recognizable to some as Octavian from the first season of HBO’s incredible show ROME. If you have not seen it, Netflix it right away.) Peter Weir clearly hone to Houston’s dictum about casting properly as this is a wonderful cast. The last member of the cast I will mention, thought I intended no slight to the fine supporting cast is Billy Boyd, known to world of course as Pipping from The Lord Of The Rings trilogy filmed by Peter Jackson. Billy has a fairly small part and you should rent this movie if you are doing it solely for mr. Boyd. You should rent this movie because it kicks serious ass as an thoughtful, smart, exciting adventure movie. One I am very happy to own in my collection.

As an aside the HMS Surprise is here in San Diego. The ships used to be known as the HMS Rose and you used to be able to book sailing adventure holiday on her. For a sum of money I could never afford, you;s live for weeks aboard the ship acting as crew. Damn thatwould have been fun.