Master & Commander (2003) Is a masterpiece only to dads.

[Cole train]

Gotta give credit for its realism in using kid actors since quite few guys on board were just kids and teens in those days

 

[Thrawn33]

unfortunately Crowe has decided to live his life as fat as he possibly can, so i imagine his future role possibilities are limited to divorced loser dads or 1912 bankers.

Senior Naval officers back then were generally fat, they did less physical labor and ate better, hence the naval tradition of needing more people (called side boys) to hoist a senior officer up in his boat (officers didn't climb ladders). The idea was the more senior the officer the heavier he was so more side boys were needed. This is still tradition in western naval services when a senior officer arrives or departs a ship, except the side boys are lined up at the brow to salute rather than manning the boat davit.

 

[plataoplombo]

All I remember was someone getting shot by a Canon ball and thinking "got dayum".

 

[Streeter]

In my 50s n never been able to get past 30 mun mark. I remember wanting to like it due to Crowe n just seeing Gladiator a few years before. Never could watch it through

 

[Sirwastealot]

In my 50s n never been able to get past 30 mun mark. I remember wanting to like it due to Crowe n just seeing Gladiator a few years before. Never could watch it through

Apparently you need to have some children to appreciate it

 

[Streeter]

Apparently you need to have some children to appreciate it

Got 2 ........ nope it doesn't help.

 

[Sirwastealot]

Got 2 ........ nope it doesn't help.

Then this whole thread is a farce

 

[Thrawn33]

Nuanced is a bit of a stretch, it's a comradery movie on the water with some big set pieces. The film is relatively long but it's also well paced. Also the film and book is entirely fictional, you don't really need to know 'world history' to enjoy it. As evidenced by the large multitude of armchair admirals who adore this film.

I prefer the term: "Active Duty Senior Chief Boatswains Mate" personally

 

[Goodfella86]

I don't see how Crowe made an ass of himself with his tweet.

As for the movie, it's excellent. And I'm not a Dad. It's not very flashy, but it is a great tale of- well, Crowe's tweet pretty much summed it up.

 

[Madmick]

One of the greatest movies of the new millennium.

If you don't understand why, you're probably someone who needs Tiktok to hold your attention.

 

[BisexualMMA]

It would actually be a great film to make a sequel to. It took years between voyages, so It could be interesting to see him 20 years later as captain.

That would be a good idea except I think now he'd have to play a whale swimming alongside the ship.

 

[Slothbroth]

I never saw this. Is it as good as Gladiator? I loved that.

 

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

Never watched that shit and never will. Russel Crowe as British captain, LOL.

British and Australian accents are indistinguishable to me so it’s fine.

 

[moreorless87]

Honestly I think Crowes British accent(same in Gladiator as well since we know the Romans all spoke like they were from the home counties) is relatively decent, at least in period stuff were you kind of expect things to be played up a little.

The subject matter maybe very bro/dad cinema fare but again I think the film shows a rather more subtle hand than is typical of such films, not as prone to shmaltzy unearnt drama and chest pumping nationalism as is typical. Instead I think it builds up more subtle characters who have a strong likable charm to them and a very effective atmosphere of life at sea.

Its easy to hate Crowe but honestly when he still gave a dam he was Mr Charisma which works really well here and in stuff like The Nice Guys and Peter Weir was always a director above your standard Hollywood drama IMHO, at least when he had a decent script.

 

[TheTickG]

Yeah Yeah, I'm here to pop the bubble on another film that Gen X considers an unsung masterpiece. Master and Commander.

Much like my thread on Casino (1995), this film is something that you only see called touchstone of cinema in retrospect. No one, absolutely no one was praising this film that much when it came out. Is it because the movie is bad? No. The movie is fine, I'd even go to say it's pretty good. It was a very watchable home cinema type film, decent performances and some cool set pieces. But is it a masterpiece? No, and nobody thought that at the time. The film just hit cultural lottery of both being set on ship and connecting with post-covid men who start to romanticize the open sea when they don't want to think about politics, and featuring a 'straight men love story' (see Shawshank).



Also it helped that Russel Crowe made an absolute ass of himself arguing with someone who didn't like the film on twitter.

Which inevitably triggered lionized the armchair internet film community to have a discussion about how modern audiences just don't 'get it'. Because as we all know the movies we grew up with are the true touchstones of cinema, and anyone who doesn't get that doesn't get films!



But go ahead, tell me why this decent book adaptation belongs in conversation with the godfather.

Never heard of it until now. Won't ever watch it either.

But, there's one thing that will always be true. If men like something, especially dads, women and bitches will try to ruin it.

 

[Gene Tunney]

Not including Pirates of the Carribean, Master and Commander is perhaps the last great naval/swashbuckler movie of note (a most popular genre way back when).

Although it has flaws (perhaps a touch too realistic and somewhat unimaginative), when comparing M&C with another somewhat contemporary film like Cuttthroat Island, one can readily see the skill that went into the production of the former.

Regarding the latter, according to wikipedia, "Oliver Reed was originally cast for a cameo as Mordechai Fingers, but was fired after getting in a bar fight and attempting to expose himself to Davis while intoxicated."

Master and Commander, in respect to the genre and its era (1990's - 2000's), is in my view, as good as it gets. The casting was adequate, the cinematography was quite good, and the story was engaging.

 

[koquerelle]

no one was praising this film that much when it came out

That's a lie. It was praised by critics and the public.

I remember. I didn't understand because I didn't think it was very good.

 

[Osculater]

I saw it for the very first time two months a go and I thought it was good.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

Yeah Yeah, I'm here to pop the bubble on another film that Gen X considers an unsung masterpiece. Master and Commander.

Much like my thread on Casino (1995), this film is something that you only see called touchstone of cinema in retrospect. No one, absolutely no one was praising this film that much when it came out. Is it because the movie is bad? No. The movie is fine, I'd even go to say it's pretty good. It was a very watchable home cinema type film, decent performances and some cool set pieces. But is it a masterpiece? No, and nobody thought that at the time. The film just hit cultural lottery of both being set on ship and connecting with post-covid men who start to romanticize the open sea when they don't want to think about politics, and featuring a 'straight men love story' (see Shawshank).



Also it helped that Russel Crowe made an absolute ass of himself arguing with someone who didn't like the film on twitter.

Which inevitably triggered lionized the armchair internet film community to have a discussion about how modern audiences just don't 'get it'. Because as we all know the movies we grew up with are the true touchstones of cinema, and anyone who doesn't get that doesn't get films!



But go ahead, tell me why this decent book adaptation belongs in conversation with the godfather.

I think i am due for a rewatch. I rate it spontaneously as a good Movie but not life changing.

 

[moreorless87]

Not including Pirates of the Carribean, Master and Commander is perhaps the last great naval/swashbuckler movie of note (a most popular genre way back when).

Although it has flaws (perhaps a touch too realistic and somewhat unimaginative), when comparing M&C with another somewhat contemporary film like Cuttthroat Island, one can readily see the skill that went into the production of the former.

Regarding the latter, according to wikipedia, "Oliver Reed was originally cast for a cameo as Mordechai Fingers, but was fired after getting in a bar fight and attempting to expose himself to Davis while intoxicated."

Master and Commander, in respect to the genre and its era (1990's - 2000's), is in my view, as good as it gets. The casting was adequate, the cinematography was quite good, and the story was engaging.

A big issue I think is that swashbuckers tend to be either pirate films which were veiwed as pretty cliched for decades pre Depp or they tend to focus on the British Empire which Americans have never been that keen on and especially not in recent decades were the arrogant british imperialist has become a stock badguy. That we havent had a Nelson film made since the Brit film industry went into decline in the 50's I think stands as pretty glaringly when you consider how obviously cinematic his life was.

Again though I think that kind of works in Master and Commanders favour as the film does not fall for pushing nationalism that hard and is IMHO much the better for it.