Master and Commander

[thomm225]

We had a snow day here in Virginia Beach today, and I just happened to have the movie Master and Commander.

It was an awesome movie and the perfect day to watch it.

Funny thing was I checked out Gallipoli at the same time and come to find out both were directed by the same guy, Peter Weir. I guess I should check out his other movies. Btw, Gallipoli is still hard to watch through until the end.

Speaking of movies, Lone Survivor is great!

[MarkJ]

Peter Weir only does one movie every five years so theres not many.... And there are all exceptional.

His first major one was Picnic at Hanging Rock. It still holds its place today as great cinema.
After Gallipoli Hollywood called and we lost him, and nearly all our other great directors of the 1970s to the USA.

The Director of Photography, Russell Boyd, on Picnic at Hanging Rock was also the DOP on Gallipoli and Master and Commander. And he shot Cocodile Dundee I and II!

So, yep, you will do well to track down more of those movies!

[Kevin84]

That is a good movie. It loosely, very loosely, based on the Patrick O'Brien books. To make that movie, they built the HMS Surprise and for the French ship they used digital scans of the USS Constitution. Plus, well, Russel Crowe is a great actor.

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[gordwedman]

Originally Posted by Kevin84

That is a good movie. It loosely, very loosely, based on the Patrick O'Brien books. To make that movie, they built the HMS Surprise and for the French ship they used digital scans of the USS Constitution. Plus, well, Russel Crowe is a great actor.

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Having read the entire Patrick O'Brian series twice I wish they would make movies of some of the other stories. Lots of good material there.

[Kevin84]

Originally Posted by gordwedman

Having read the entire Patrick O'Brian series twice I wish they would make movies of some of the other stories. Lots of good material there.

Agree. Unfortunately, it's kind of a small audience for historical pieces like that. Sad because they could really make some great movies out of those books.

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[Pelagic]

I also read the whole series which was great.
Found the movie a disappointment

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[Capt RonB]

I kept the entire series, took it cruising, still have it and still drag them out and reread them now and again. I always discover something new in there. I liked the movie even though it mixed elements of several books together. Wish they'd make another, I thought Crowe made an excellent Aubrey. Not many books I read more than once and not many movies I'd watch over again either . Master & Commander is one.

[Kalinka1]

for the at sea shots they used the bounty and the shot of Crowe and? at the top of the mast was actually at the top of the mast! Also there was a sequence of a chain pump working. That pump was built from plans of pumps used in the Royal navy during the 1800's A lot of the onboard stuff was acutally Historically correct.

[markpierce]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

I also read the whole series which was great.
Found the movie a disappointment

Generally best to see the movie before reading the book(s).

[pablothesailor]

if you like this sort of film you should try to get the DVD box set of the UK TV series HORNBLOWER, said to be based on a young Lord Nelson, quite stunning!

[dannc]

I have the Hornblower series on DVD and Master and Commander. I have read the Hornblower books several times and read one or two of the books while sailing on a 33 foot sail boat.

I read most of the O Brien books but never quite finished the series. I had hoped they would make more movies based on the books but of course that did not happen. At least with Hornblower they made a few movies but they did not complete the series which was a shame since the movies were so well done.

I read quite a bit of history and one thing that struck me with the Aubrey books was the impossibility of the story lines. Then I picked up a history book or two about the Royal Navy during the 1700-1800s and found out that battles and situations in the Aubrey books were often based on real life. Amazing what these men and boys did.

[pablothesailor]

Its incredible what those guys did back then, I always pop in to the Trafalgar cemetery when in gibraltar to pay my respects, It was also nice to watch the sunset while sailing off cape trafalgar & imagine Nelson & his fleet in the same place, preparing for one of the most important naval battles in History!

[ryon]

Originally Posted by Kevin84

That is a good movie. It loosely, very loosely, based on the Patrick O'Brien books. To make that movie, they built the HMS Surprise and for the French ship they used digital scans of the USS Constitution. Plus, well, Russel Crowe is a great actor.

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They didn't exactly build the Surprise for the movie. She was redone from the HMS Rose Travels with the Tall Ship Rose

You can see her at the Maritime Museum of San Diego www.sdmaritime.org

[ato]

perhaps you'll like this one as well...
STARZ - Black Sails - A STARZ Original Series

[HopCar]

If you enjoy the Aubrey books, you should try Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series. If you enjoy the Sharpe series he has written a bunch of other historical novels.

Of course C.S. Forester sets the standard with the Hornblower series.
Hornblower could kick Aubrey's ass. That should get it started!