Master and Commander: the Far Side of the World

Director, Peter Weir. (138min)
This is a movie adaption of beloved author Patrick O’Brian’s books on the Royal Navy in the age of sail, centred on the characters of Captain Jack Aubrey and his ship’s physician Stephen Maturin. The movie splices together stories form several of the novels, specifically Master and Commander and the later book in the series, The Far Side of the World. It follows Aubrey and Maturin in the frigate HMS Surprise as they hunt a commerce raiding French ship (changed from the books, where the ship is American). The movie is an excellent adaption of the books, true to the characters and themes: of duty and service, the loneliness of command, and leadership in war.