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

[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. :-)