Master and Commander

[azziria]

A few random thoughts jotted down as I've just got back from the cinema:

• Totally in love with the ship. Sat there all the way through listening to the creak of the timbers and the hiss and crash of the sea, and suffered a serious serious need for the ocean.
  
• The movie seems to give a reasonable picture of how tough life at sea on one of those ships must have been: primitive conditions, all crowded in together, nothing ever really dry or clean. No wonder sailors didn't live long lives.
  
• The cannon fire is scary. Seriously realistic. As are the costumes. And the photography is great, a few shots really took my breath away.
  
• I'm not a huge Russell fan, but I think he did a fair job of depicting the Jack Aubrey I see in the novels.
  
• And I'll own up. I nearly cried at one point.

So I really enjoyed it. Worth a look on the big screen, definitely.

Comments

[ihlanya.livejournal.com]

Glad you enjoyed it. We're going to see it on Sunday morning with friends, one of whom (a woman, no less!) is a marine archaeologist. So it should be fun getting her educated opinion. :o)

[marquesate.livejournal.com]

Even worth if one detests Crowe? (but loves tall ships)

[azziria.livejournal.com]

I would say so, yes. The ship is amazing, and I found Crowe relatively unobtrusive (for the star). Yes, there are 'Crowe staring heroically into the distance' moments, but personally the ship and the detail of it all more than compensated for that.

[ihlanya.livejournal.com]

I think that Russel Crowe is this generation's Oliver Reed. A bad boy drunkard out of control, but a damn fine actor.

My dad worked with Oliver Reed and told us that he'd stay in his trailer all day getting drunk. They had to carry him onto the set, but the moment the director called 'action', he swung immediately into character and acted his heart out.

Unfortunately when the director yelled 'cut', he'd collapse where he stood and they had to carry him back again.

Fortunately, my dad didn't have that much to do with him. He did the pyrotechnics - gunfire, blowing up buildings, that sort of thing.

[marquesate.livejournal.com]

I love ol' Ollie Reed, superbly fine actor.

However, what I don't like about Crowe is that he seems aggressive and bent on beating up people. *shudder*

I prefer mellow or just passed-out drunks. :-)

[claidheamhmor]

I loved all the sea stuff - the ship were so authentic.

[marquesate.livejournal.com]

You know, I have to say it. *has been biting lip for too long*

I meant to call our smut-fic Master and Commander and then realised that Oooops! That title is already kinda taken.

I mean come on! Norrington... 'Master and Commander'. Can it get any more to the point? *G*

[linaelyn.livejournal.com]

This made me laugh beer out my nose.

[azziria.livejournal.com]

And once again I discover that coffee and keyboards are not a good combination...

[marquesate.livejournal.com]

*SNERK*

*wriggles Groves' arse in icon*

Ahhhhhhh......

[linaelyn.livejournal.com]

A question: How is the soundtrack? I've noticed you ploaying the OUaTiM soundtrack a lot, and I love that one. Obviously, this one will be very different. But what did you think of the accompanying music?

With any luck, I'll see the film tomorrow. Just too jet-lagged tonight to get real enjoyment from it, and besides, Saturday night and no advance tix = long lines.

[azziria.livejournal.com]

I really liked the soundtrack. There's a lot of period classical stuff on it, much of which was already familiar to me (Mozart, Vaughan Williams, Bach, Boccherini). I think it's a case of, if you like that sort of thing, you'll like the soundtrack - and even if you don't like that sort of thing usually, it works very well with the film, it's very evocative and in places very much enhances some already very stunning visual imagery.