Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World [Blu-ray] [2003]

Film is full of tension, action, some funny moments and shows has tough life was on a ship.

Peter Weir is one of the few directors who has, over the years, courted a mass audience whilst retaining artistic integrity. I first encountered his work whilst growing up in his own native Australia. "Picnic at Hanging Rock", while it was always rather frustrating for those who admire the scientific rationalism of a proper detective like Sherlock Holmes, nevertheless provided a showcase for the young director's eye for the beauty of the Australian bush. The timeless "Gallipoli", whilst its plot subscribed to a myth which has long since been disproven by historians, still remains one of the most poignant anti-war films ever made. After Weir's move to America, I still followed him, and was entranced by "Witness", his portrayal of a tough Philadelphia cop exiled by grim necessity in an Amish community, which combines all of the usual features of an action film with the full gamut of unanswered questions about the power of non-violence. Weir's latest movie has all the hallmarks of similar greatness. It has an excellent pedigree, having been inspired by the novels of Patrick O'Brian, a novelist with a genuine knowledge of Napoleonic history, and of natural history too. O'Brian was capable not only of writing superb novels; he also wrote an erudite and entertaining biography of Sir Joseph Banks, one of the most intelligent of the early European-Australian pioneers. When I first watched this movie, I expected to see something out of the ordinary. I was not to be disappointed. From the opening scene, in which the seamen slump listlessly inside their hammocks, the inventive camera angles captured life aboard a ship in the Napoleonic wars with an unerring eye for detail, from the grisly surgical scenes to the disastrous attempts to shoot an albatross. Much of it was gruesome in the extreme, and yet this realism was matched by a great beauty. Never has a sailing ship's rigging been captured by such an aesthetic eye, and in all weathers too, nor with such evocative music as a backdrop. It is possible for the viewer to spend the duration of this film feeling quite convinced that Captain Aubrey and the surgeon Maturin really are just at hand, although Maturin, perhaps, had rather more panache than he possessed in O'Brian's novels. Do not be put off by the reviews in newspapers such as the Guardian and the Independent, written as they are by would-be film-makers who presumably didn't make the grade, and feel miffed as a result. It is not true that the only conflict in the film is over whether Maturin will get to go birdwatching on the Galapagos Islands. It is far from mere birdwatching, after all; these are the same islands that gave birth to Darwin's "Origin of Species", and Maturin is about to encounter marine iguanas and flightless cormorants. And besides, there is always the small matter of a rather formidable French ship which Aubrey is determined to blow out of the water. I hate war films, but this one so engaged me that my heart leapt when the enemy ship's mainmast fell. For me, at least, this film succeeded where C.S. Forester's epics failed. Peter Weir has allowed only one compromise in his courtship of that mass market. Captain Aubrey's original target was an American ship, not a French one. It seems that, ever since Vietnam, at least, American audiences have become too used to being winners for them to accept an account, even a ficticious one, in which their would-be forbears end up blown to smithereens.

Brilliant film a must watch

Engaging classic with good atmosphere and soundtrack

This is a great movie. Pleased with my purchase 👍

A fabulous film. Good cast and storyline. In my opinion well worth watching

They asked for a review of "the item" - do they expect a review of the film, or of the efficacy of Amazon Prime Video's release of it? Well, Barry Norman, I ain't... and there is little to say about Amazon Prime's product. If you have seen the film, you will already know what you think of it, and all I can say is if you want it in digital format, stored in the ether of your Amazon Prime film library, then you will buy it. If you prefer a "hard copy" then you will buy the DVD or Blue Ray instead. If, like me, you think it is one of your favourite films of all time, you will purchase both hard and streamed versions. I don't think think you needed me to tell you that - but I can't think of anything else to say...

This is a truly amazing movie based on the Aubrey/Maturin novels. I was very impressed by the accuracy and authenticity that depicts live on board a Man of War in those times. Peter Weir has managed to capture the essence of the Aubrey/Maturin series. Skilful director, excellent cast including extras, respectful of the historically accurate novels, and much love to detail - a thoroughly enjoyable experience. It's extremely rare that an excellent book (or in this case books) is adapted into an equally excellent movie. Sadly as a rule movies based on books are usually unbelievably disappointing but this one is a real masterpiece. Don't get confused by the title though. One of the novels is actually called Master and Commander and another At the Far Side of The World but that doesn't mean that you get this one movie as one book. The movie feels like you're taking a peek through a keyhole - a moment in time - because the novels are incredibly rich, exciting and deeply gripping reads. If you enjoyed the movie, I would strongly recommend you read the novels and best start with book 1. You won't be disappointed. You are likely to quickly join the wide circle of O'Brian addicts :-)

Über den Inhalt des Filmes ist schon ausreichend berichtet worden. Ich will nur noch eine kleine Rezension beifügen. Ich hatte den Film bereits vor einigen Jahren auf VHS-Cassette gesehen und war schon damals begeistert. Die DVD hat mich einfach umgehauen. Über meinen Yamaha Receiver mit einem Teufel Surroundsystem gesehen und gehört, habe ich nun verstanden warum diese DVD von vielen Fachzeitschrifetn als Refferenz zur Bewertung des Klanges von Surroundanlagen verwendet wurde. Speziell bei den Kriegshandlungen hatte man tatsächlich das Gefühl, dass man sich an Bord befindet. Aber auch der Rest des Tones kam äußerst realistisch rüber. Bild und Ton kann ich nur volle Punktzahl geben! Der Inhalt der Story ist über jeden Zweifel erhaben. Auch hier volle Punktzahl!

Napoléon et l'Angleterre: rivalité commerciale, politique, économique. Un film magnifique qui nous plonge dans l'univers d'un navire de guerre anglais au début du XIX° siècle. L'Acheron, navire français, surprend nos héros et leur inflige de sévères dégâts. Une course poursuite s'engage entre les deux navires. Qui réussira à pièger l'autre? Un grand film d'aventure comme on aimerait en voir plus souvent. Une distribution formidable, bref du très bon cinéma!

"Though we be on the far side of the world, this ship is our home." - J Aubrey. Master and Commander is one of my absolute favourite movies of all times. It was a no-brainer getting this on bluray. The movie is atleast 10 years old and it looks wonderful on bluray. On the review of the bluray. The video quality is great with vivid details and deep blacks. Don't expect HD quality clarity like you might see in a Pixar movie. This is pure conversion of film to 1080p and its great. You might notice graininess but that's how to film was shot. I haven't compared with the DVD version but I can bet that its miles above the DVD quality. The audio quality is great as well with noisy ship battles and stillness during the lull moments. In terms of special features, it only include the trailer and some deleted scenes. This is definitely a downer but blame the Studio for that, not Excel. I have the DVD version as well, which has alot more special features. So, no worries for me. Overall, I love this movie and if you do too, its a keeper on bluray. And for the price of 599, that's a steal.

Hubby was very happy

This is a awesome movie to watch, I only wish that this was 4k a no Brainer.