“Straight at ’em, Mr Mowett.”
So says Russell Crowe, as Captain “Lucky Jack” Aubrey, in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, as battle with a French ship looms.
“Straight at ’em, sir,” replies Edward Woodall, playing 2nd Lt William Mowett.
Twenty years on, Peter Weir’s film remains a masterpiece, a miracle of forceful, direct, intelligent action cinema. To paraphrase Ulysses S Grant on the art of (land) war, as an action movie, Master and Commander is simple enough. It finds out where its viewer is, gets at them as soon as it can, strikes them as hard as it can, and keeps moving on.
Read Full Article »