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Master and Commander: the Far Side of the World (2003)
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Like the much-loved series of novels by Patrick O'Brian, to which this adaptation will no doubt be scrupulously compared, Peter Weir's film immerses the audience in the day-to-day life on board a 19th-century British warship as it pursues a “phantom” French vessel with the avowed intent of sending her to Davy Jones's locker. Purists will endlessly discuss the casting of Russell Crowe as Captain Jack Aubrey (here deploying his self-described “RSC two pints after lunch” English accent) and Paul Bettany as his ship's doctor and best friend, Maturin, but both give full-blooded performances. It might have been a little repetitive, but thankfully the likeable characters, Weir's meticulous attention to period detail and the stunningly realised action (The Surprise's rounding of Cape Horn is as exciting a seaborne sequence as has ever been committed to celluloid) more than make up for the slightly anorexic story. Sadly for the placated fans, the film wasn't enough of a box-office success to generate the sequels that it seemed to promise. AS
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Tell us what you think
Email us at rtfilmcomments@bbc.co.uk to tell us what you think of this film. Your comments may appear in Radio Times magazine.
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Running time
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132min
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Country of origin
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US
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Genre
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Period Adventure Drama
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Original language
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English
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Screenplay
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Peter Weir, John Collee, from the novels Master and Commander and The Far Side of the World by Patrick O'Brian
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Theatrical distributor
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20th Century Fox
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UK cinema certificate
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12A
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UK cinema release date
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November 2003
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| awards information |
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Award |
Category |
Name |
Nominee/Winner |
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| Academy 2003 |
Best Picture |
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Nominee |
| Academy 2003 |
Directing |
Peter Weir |
Nominee |
| British Academy Film Awards 2003 |
Best Film |
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Nominee |
| British Academy Film Awards 2003 |
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role |
Paul Bettany |
Nominee |
| British Academy Film Awards 2003 |
The David Lean Award for the Best Achievement in Direction |
Peter Weir |
Winner |
| Golden Globe 2003 |
Best Director Motion Picture |
Peter Weir |
Nominee |
| Golden Globe 2003 |
Best Motion Picture Drama |
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Nominee |
| Golden Globe 2003 |
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama |
Russell Crowe |
Nominee |
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Film certification logos reproduced by kind permission of BBFC |
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