Review of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) by Blake B — 13 Jul 2009

This is by far my favorite Russell Crowe movie. It's so good that it turned my mom completely around on Crowe as an actor (she hated him for his off-screen antics). That's pretty good considering how stubborn my mom can be about these things. It probably helped that the movie around Crowe is an excellent portrayal of leadership, not to mention pretty realistic and anti-sentimental (to add to the realism). I can't say I've read the novels that inspired the movie, so I didn't have any background when I saw Master and Commander for the first time. We're often treated to these sorts of movies with the often tiresome viewpoint of the pirates, but rarely does a mainstream movie take on the viewpoints of the dueling navies of the Napoleonic Wars. As that goes, this could be a definitive film on this high-seas era, pirates or no.

As the title suggests, a lot of time will be dedicated not only to the war, but to the leadership required to keep hundreds of men in line in the absolute middle of nowhere under some pretty severe circumstances, while also following sometimes strict codes and laws, and with an inferior ship to boot. It's fascinating to see it all play out, and Crowe's complete immersion in the role allows us to see how every decision affects himself, his friends, and his crew. It's also very well-acted by those same friends and crew, as we can see how the captain's decisions affect them as well, and how they deal with them on their own and as a group.

It's really an outstanding movie with a little something for everyone (drama, action, comedy) that should be on the top of many aspiring leaders' lists of influences.