Taking our first voyage this Autumn in August with Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World

 Welcome to our second year of Autumn in August , where we talk about movies that just have that fall feeling most of us crave by this point in summer.

As we prepare for yet another heat wave that will have folks batten down the hatches via the A/C of your choice, it’s only fitting to start this series off on the high seas with 2003’s Master & Commander : The Far Side of the World.

The length of the title is due to this film being based on two of the books in the acclaimed historical fiction series (known as Aubrey-Maturin) by late author Patrick O’Brian. 

Set during the Napoleonic Wars, this set of twenty novels chronicles the nautical adventures of Captain Jack Aubrey(played by Russell Crowe here) and his good friend/ship’s surgeon Dr. Stephen Maturin(Paul Bettany in his pre-Vision days).

The latter part of the film’s title is the basis for the central plot , placing Aubrey and the crew of the HMS Suprize in 1805, under orders to hunt down the infamous French warship called Acheron, a vessel that is much better equipped than their own. Nevertheless, “Lucky Jack” is anxious to capture this ship but their first encounter does not go well, to say the least:

Despite that initial battle, Aubrey and company head out in serious pursuit, facing a number of obstacles along the way.

Some of those include a long stretch of rough weather followed by a bout of windless sea which considerably slows them down. Tensions rise among the crew, leading to the harassment of a seen as weak officer that ends in a most sorrowful way.

Tensions also rise between Aubrey and Maturin , especially during a pit stop at the Galagos islands where Maturin hopes to gather samples of flora and fauna (he’s a pursuer of natural science). Other arguments deal with the growing resentment of the crew and how things should be run. Yes, Aubrey is in charge but listening to another point of view is helpful even if that advice is not taken:

 The strongest parts of the film are when we are shown all of the daily living of all aboard from rank and file officers to regular sea men, making you feel as you’re one of them struggling to deal with the hazards of the ocean and the hunt for Acheron, which feels hopeless at times.

The main strength of this story is the bond between Aubrey and Maturin that Crowe and Bettany carry off amazingly well. Their ups and downs, alongside their mutual respect for one another, is the steady hand on the wheel that keeps this long story on course.

During this rewatch, I noticed how well both characters were reflected in separate ways by their dealings with a young officer named Blakeney(Max Pirkus, who made his film debut here).

 Blakeney goes through quite a lot on this trip, from losing an arm in the first battle against the Acheron to helping out an isolated fellow officer that doesn’t end well to assisting Maturin with his nature studies.

As he grows up over the course of the story, the paternalistic connections Blakeney makes with both Captain and surgeon not only help him but his two unlikely mentors to boot,allowing each man to show a more caring side and at times, take a moment of humility:

It’s such a shame that they didn’t make any Master & Commander films other than this one. Director Peter Weir did an excellent job here with the movie earning ten Oscar nominations(winning two) and critical acclaim. However, the box office numbers, while respectable, weren’t high enough to get a sequel going.

There is talk of a prequel, focusing on the first book in the series, which is fine but such a project will have much to measure up to. For such a sweeping story to have the confidence to hit the cinematic ground running here is a feat not easy to achieve. 

Much like the musical duets that Aubrey and Maturin treat themselves to, such perfect harmony is an act not instantly repeatable yet certainly worth the effort:

Now that this ship has sailed, our next stop for Autumn in August takes to Jane Austen country with 1995’s Sense and Sensibility.  After all, M&C:TFSW takes place during Austen’s time(she did have brothers in the Royal Navy!) and it only seems fitting to visit the Dashwood sisters here.

This film did much to encourage the Austen revival of the nineties, along side the iconic P&P miniseries and gave us a truly memorable set of performances including the late great Alan Rickman as Col. Brandon who mastered many a heart with his steadfast devotion indeed: