With this movie being a period piece, a seafaring adventure epic, with a major star, could it become an Academy Award contender?
carnivorousplant – A few years back on the O’Brian list someone speculated that the deaths in THD were at least partly the result of critics who complained that no one important ever died in O’Brian’s novels. The first deaths were at least foreshadowed in that mention had been made in earlier books of the dangerous location where the accident happened and the driving habits of the person involved. The last major death really seemed more like a random swipe of fate.
Speaking of events “back home,” I get the impression that the movie isn’t going to show us much of the home life they leave behind. I’d have liked to have seen how Sophie and Diana were portrayed.
Thanks, Curate. That person did seen a bad choice, though.
Early reviews look promising: The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, and Rolling Stone liked it:
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/MasterandCommanderTheFarSideoftheWorld-1127359/
The problem with Master and Commander’s Oscar chances is that Return of the King has the adventure epic angle covered, while Cold Mountain has the period piece angle covered. So Master and Commander may slip through the cracks unless its a big popular success.
“The only traditions of the Royal Navy are rum, sodomy and the lash.” - Winston Churchill.
Sounds like B&D to me 
Could you please, in a spoiler box, remind me who the second major death was? I remember that the first was
Diana
…but I don’t remember the second. Was it
Bonden?
I’ve only read one O’Brien book, and that was “The Golden Ocean” (well, listened to it on audiobooks, to be precise) and loved it way more than I expected I would. I thought this movie looked interesting, but it wasn’t until I’d seen the trailer several times that I learned it was based on an O’Brien book. Then I was utterly ramped up for it.
Parts of the film apparently use the HMS Rose, which was actually toured by Patrick O’Brian. The Rose is a little older than the fictional Surprise, but probably the closest thing afloat today.
Rocketeer: You are correct on both counts.
From this interview.
His real name was Richard Patrick Russ. He cut all ties to his real (and relatively poor) family early in life, including eight siblings, probably around the time he walked out on his wife and kids. He later married the daughter of a succesful barrister. It’s not clear from the interview if he ever divorced his first wife, though. Although I assume that, if he were a bigamist, that would have come up in the interview as well. When he died, he had not seen his son in more than thirty years.
Incidentally, he published his first novel, under his real name, when he was fourteen. Whatever his other failings, he was a heckuva writer.
Rocketeer – there was one other person involved in the first instance of death you put in your spoiler box. It’s arguable whether that person was a major character or not, but certainly someone whose departure wasn’t quite so lamented.
The more I learn about O’Brian the more the wisdom of separating the artist from his work looks in importance. Apparently when the recent (last few years, I think) biography came out there were quite a few upset fans. It seems to me that no one could write about such an introspective person as Maturin without being introspective himself and it makes one wonder what kinds of interior monologues O’Brian must have had as he considered his earlier life. It may be significant that Maturin is depicted as having had a painful life prior to time we meet him at the beginning of the books.
I recall one person on the O’Brian list who suggested that Diana might have been the closest personification of the author in the books. Her faults are presented without much excuse and her motives are almost always self-serving. It’s not too hard to draw a parallel between her style of parenting and O’Brian’s.
Still, to get back to the movie, I don’t see it as being the vehicle for much deep characterization. Lots of cannon fire though…
Nah. Still not sallow and ill-favored enough.
I dunno, Tranquilis, he’s a pretty rum looking cove with two day’s beard.
-or-
Hey, you never saw this guy track tar across a newly holy stoned deck!
Jack ducks???
I don’t THINK so! One image of him I retained from the books was of a man who was steadfast and unafraid even though cannonballs and splinters were flying around. I even seem to remember him admonishing another sailor who ducked when a cannonball flew fairly close. (Don’t ask me for a cite though – not sure I could find it in any reasonable amount of time.)
Jeezopete. I guess I’ll just have to look at this as an Age of Sail movie, with only peripheral connection to the O’Brian books.
<<sigh>>
He better not do that on my deck, or I’ll introduce him to one of a long list of old naval traditions!
He does that on Jack’s or rather, Bonden’s deck.
Jack ordered the crew to lie down when they were going to be raked. I also remember his ordering a Mid down, but I don’t remember who.
They don’t show any “rum, sodomy and the lash” in the previews.
But you can still hope.
Oh, yes, I remember now, the first death also involved Sophie’s mother, Mrs. Williams, and her fast-living friend
Good riddance, I say.
Saw the movie today. Anyone else?
It ROCKS. Crowe and Bettany inhabit their roles; it’s all very authentic; the cannons firing on the ship are fearsome. Crowe’s Aubrey is a great leader, bold, brave, temperamental. Bettany’s Stephen wants nothing more than to explore and this leads to some fighting between them. The enclosed world of the ship is very well done; nice performances from all, some just young boys. The musical duets create some good relief from the battles, deaths, and wounds. I took my elderly mom along and she liked it too.
One thing: We had to leave before the ending credits had finished, so I couldn’t check on all the music. There was a nice string classical bit used when they arrived at the islands, and I know I’ve heard it before. In fact, it was used in some tv commercial but I can’t remember which one. Can anyone help?