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Stars: Russell Crowe and Paul
Bettany
Director: Peter Weir
Year of Theatrical Release: 2003/DVD
Release: 2004
Theatrical Distributor: Twentieth
Century Fox
Home Video Distributor: Twentieth
Century Fox Home Entertainment
Reviewer: Mark A. Rivera
Twentieth Century Fox Home
Entertainment was kind enough to give a preview of some of the special features
that will accompany the upcoming two-disc DVD release of “Master And
Commander: The Far Side Of The World.” I have not seen the actual feature yet
on DVD and it is possible that between the times of my publishing this preview
and the actual retail release of the film on DVD some of the extra value
features to be included on the second disc could be amended. So please keep this
in mind and also keep in mind that this is a preview and not a review so
there will be a somewhat less formal nature to this article than I normally
post.
The second disc is loaded with
enough multipart documentaries and featurettes regarding just about every aspect
of the film’s production, including some historical context, that it could
accompany some of those A&E/History Channel DVD releases side by side and in
some ways the focus on historical detail actually surpasses some of the more
literary network DVD products I have reviewed over the years. First off there is
a 9 part documentary entitled “The Hundred Days” (68:38) that features
detailed vignettes on the development of the screenplay, the casting, and the
training that had to be accomplished in order to make the behavior of the seamen
as accurate as possible for the time in which the film is supposed to take
place. Principle photography, makeup and costumes, on location open sea
shooting; music and more are also covered in great detail. I have not read the
novels, but it is interesting to note that Director Peter Weir chose the tenth
novel in the series because he wanted to jump into the story with the characters
firmly established and then at times reveal back story elements to define them
from the original “Master And Commander” novel. I also found the musical
choices of the film to be interesting because given the fact these sailors would
be out at sea for great lengths of time, what would be considered popular music
back in England, for lack of a better expression, would not necessarily be known
by any of the crew members so when we see Crowe’s character of Captain Jack
Aubrey playing in his quarters, the music chosen for the film would have been
something less contemporary and probably about fifteen years older to what might
be performed before the aristocracy in England at the time.
Next are several multi-part
featurettes that could in themselves qualify as documentaries given the level of
detail and running time. “Cinematic Phasmids” (30:02) focuses on the
incredible amount of special effects performed by the various contractors to
bring the film to life. From WETA Digital’s amazing CGI work through the
combined use of miniatures, green screen technique and on location shooting with
a real restored boat of the period to add greater authenticity and realism to
the production. This featurette is complemented by a short on sound design
(17:47) and the “HBO First Look” special (25:02).
There is a reel of deleted scenes
that can be viewed individually or as a whole (24:20) with the segments detailed
under the subheadings “Shipboard Life,” “Superstition,” “Dentistry”,
“Articles Of War,” and “Galapagos.” Several multi-angle scenes are also
provided and they allow the viewer to screen various scenes from as many as four
camera positions as well as B-roll footage and the completed shot with the
option to toggle between them while the scene is running and the ability to view
six or seven boxed images onscreen at once. Conceptual art galleries and a
trailer gallery featuring the theatrical teaser (1:21), U.S. theatrical trailer
(2:43) and the international trailer (1:03) wrap up the extra features on the
proposed second disc I screened.
Before I close this preview I just
wanted to note two elements that stuck out at me. The international trailer
seemed more like a TV spot or even home video preview than a theatrical trailer.
Perhaps I’m wrong, but I do think it is important to point it out anyway. On
the positive side, the featurette where Peter Weir displays the vintage period
artifacts he purchased while writing the screenplay adaptation is excellent. His
comments regarding the feeling someone gets when they hold something of true
historical significance are one hundred percent on the money in my opinion. I
mean when my brother went to Scotland a few years back I asked him to bring me
back a rock from the banks of Loch Ness and while the request might have sounded
odd, he did bring me back a rock. Now for all I know it could be a petrified
turd left by the legendary Loch Ness Monster, but assuming it is a rock, I found
it interesting to be able to hold a piece of another continent and to compare
the texture of the rock to one that can be pulled out of any garden in Brooklyn.
Geologically speaking, I found it fascinating so while this anecdote is a bit
“off the mark” I can understand why Weir purchased the artifacts and had
them handy to examine while writing the screenplay. I’m sure the experience
had a somewhat sublime quality to it.
Based on what I have seen so far,
I think the eventual DVD release of “Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The
World” looks promising and I look forward to reviewing the DVD set once final
product becomes available. “Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World”
will debut on Region One DVD-Video on Tuesday, April 20, 2004 from Twentieth
Century Fox Home Entertainment.
© Copyright 2004 By Mark A.
Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
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