Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World on
DVD |
If it’s true that the world is divided
into only two types of people, then I suppose a legitimate split would be between those of
us who are gaga over Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin novels and those
who’ve never read them.
There are a lot more of the latter than there are of the
former (or there were before this film), and I had assumed that Master and Commander:
The Far Side of the World would be aimed at them, since the very title revealed
that it blends the first novel of the series with one that chronologically belongs in the
middle of it.
Of course, as Voltaire put it so well, "The best way
to be boring is to leave nothing out." Director Peter Weir made the right decision to
graft the story of the HMS Surprise’s chase of the French warship Acheron
onto O’Brian’s introduction of the feature characters.
Those characters are the Surprise’s captain,
"Lucky Jack" Aubrey (Russell Crowe), and its ship’s surgeon, Stephen
Maturin (Paul Bettany) -- who, of course, personify the dual natures of the Age of
Enlightenment: action and intellect. One of the most remarkable of the victories of the
film is that it -- like the novels on which it’s based -- manages to portray the two
as real people, not simply as stand-ins for such high concepts.
As the Surprise seeks its nemesis, we see the two
men’s friendship flourish -- and we also see that they view the world quite
differently. What’s most exciting is that we get a glimpse of what life in the
British navy must have been like back in the great age of sail. It smelled worse, to be
sure (and thank goodness we don’t have that level of realism in home theater),
and I’m sure it was dirtier and scruffier and less hearty than the life portrayed on
the screen -- but M&C: TFSOTW comes so much closer to bringing it alive than I
would have ever imagined possible.
The film is not a swashbuckler -- there are only two naval
encounters, and the requisite battles with the weather -- but it’s full of action
(the film is essentially one long chase sequence) and detail that bring it vividly to
life.
I may be the only person in America who didn’t catch
it in the theater, so I won’t recite the plot details except to say it’s a
ripping yarn splendidly told. If you have seen it, you probably don’t need any
urging to add it to your DVD collection. The two-disc Collector’s Edition is
packed with extras, some of them even justifying the disc-bloat.
Disc 1 contains the widescreen (2.17:1) version in slightly
less than demo-quality video -- the picture is ever so slightly granular compared to
cinematographer Russell Boyd’s usual crisp detail, especially in the interior shots.
But I didn’t see M&C: TFSOTW in the theater, so I can’t say whether
this is different from the original film. I suspect it is.
However, both the Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 soundtracks are
spectacular. You get "wow-factor" stuff like deep bass and wide dynamic swings,
but what’s most impressive about the sound is the way it envelops you with sonic
details such as wind, the creaks and groans of wood, flapping sails, and the sounds of the
water lapping on the Surprise’s hull.
Then there are the battles -- which will have you ducking
for cover as cannonballs and splinters of wood fly past your head. Oh yes, this is
what multichannel HT is supposed to be all about!
Disc 1 also contains 36 deleted scenes, which are all fine,
but Weir used his scalpel well. In paring down the tale, he tightened it very effectively.
Disc 2 boasts the bonuses: a 70-minute feature,
"The Hundred Days" (it’s widescreen!), which describes the making of
the film; a 20-minute feature, "In the Wake of O’Brian," which recounts how
Weir came to focus on the tenth novel of the series rather than faithfully recount Master
and Commander; and then there’s a flurry of featurettes on model making and CGI,
sound production, more deleted scenes, scenes shot from different angles, art galleries,
trailers, and a teaser ad. It’s a mixed bag, but I watched ’em all and am glad I
did. Although I’ll never watch most of them again, I’m glad to have seen
’em.
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is
one heck of a voyage. Salute the poop deck and climb aboard -- you’ll be delighted
you did.
...Wes Phillips
wes@onhometheater.com
