Master & Commander: The far side of the world

Sea fever

MASTER & COMMANDER:
The Far Side of the World
Cert. 12a. 2 hours 18 minutes
Dir. Peter Weir

It is a long time since I have heard an adult audience give a round of applause at the end of a film - but it happened with this one!

Based on the extremely popular novels by Patrick O'Brien, and set in 1805, during the Napoleonic Wars, it concerns HMS Surprise, captained by 'Lucky' Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe), giving chase to a elusive and superior French frigate from the S. Atlantic into the Pacific Ocean. It is a very 'manly' film - there is hardly a glimpse of the fair sex throughout, and the storms and battle scenes are horrifyingly realistic. The photography is beautiful and the historical detail fascinating.

Early 19th-century Englishmen still had something of a Christian worldview, and it is against this background that the main themes of the film are explored. Those things are good old-fashioned duty and leadership. With his duty to be done, we see Lucky Jack having to make difficult judgements: when must a leader insist on discipline; when should caring humanity take precedence; how does a leader win his men's loyalty; and where is the dividing line between strong leadership and self-centred pride?

From the audience's reaction, it seems that even in a postmodern climate, where we are told there are no causes worth dying for, an heroic man (albeit a celluloid one) can still stir people's hearts. I wonder why...?

JEB

John Benton

© Evangelicals Now - January 2004
Please consider supporting this ministry by subscribing.

• Request Free Sample

Main Articles

• Iraq: 'The Lord is doing something'
• Meeting a World Cup winner
  An interview with Jason Robinson
• Letter from America
  A gay day?
• How Christians can turn the tide
• UCCF's contribution to the Worldwide Church: part 2
• The privatisation of religious belief
• Farewell to Anglicanism
• The losers who win with the work that is rest for the Master who is slave
• The Music Exchange
  Yaks with bronchitis!
• Monthly arts column
  New Year Honours
• Monthly youth leaders column
  The EN Youth Column End of Year Quiz
• The Third Degree
  Evangelism with an 'l'
• Look back with thanks - anniversaries in 2004
  Joy Horn on notable dates for the coming year
• Playing with morality
  A look at some selected family games based on The Lord of the Rings

Other articles

• Master & Commander: The far side of the world
• Beyond belief? Barriers and bridges to faith today
• Love actually
• World Service
• Brothers, we are not professionals - Plea to pastors for radical ministry
• Nobody's child
• Joined up - An introduction to youthwork and ministry
• Total forgiveness
• The story of David - After God's heart
• Into the stadium
• The message of prayer
• The Bible in English
• Waking the dead - The glory of a heart fully alive
• Simple - Justice, wealth and eco-Christianity
• Job - the guide
• The {spiritual}@dventures of Cybercindy
• The Irish Puritans - James Ussher and the Reformation of the Church