In these days of cinematic sensitivity, men just aren't afforded the opportunity to run the whole show all by themselves (not even "Lord of the Rings" gave them that privilege), but in "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World," they reign supreme . . . and on their own. Virile, unhygienic and blithely oblivious of equal rights (being set in the early 19th century) the men in "Master" really are men, as opposed to guys.
In the midst of their company, you'd think there'd be a 19th-century maiden or two done up in pink bodices, but no. In this, one of last year's best and most entertaining films (it earned a Best Picture Oscar nomination), there are absolutely no women. This seems like a risky move on the part of filmmaker/writer Peter Weir -- alienating half of the audience and not letting his characters even mention the other sex (when the talk shifts to living creatures apart from men, it's all sea turtles and iguanas). But the result makes you want to shout, "Bravo, Mr. Weir!" By excluding the fair sex he remains loyal to the spirit of the original adventure series by Patrick O'Brian and concentrates on just telling a jolly good swashbuckler of a story. After all, "Master and Commander" is about a British warship, circa 1805, and in those days, seafarers lived for months and months without women.
How did they do it? Well there's really no evidence they were missing anything, and neither will the audience. There was plenty of fun to be had on the high seas -- getting cannonballed, weathering storms and slicing pirates into ribbons, not to mention that "tot of grog" when the day's work is over. Their ship, the H.M.S. Surprise, is under the command of authoritative, barrel-chested Capt. "Lucky Jack" Aubrey (Russell Crowe). He has just received orders to locate and take captive or destroy the enemy French warship, Acheron, and his crew trust Jack completely to fulfill the mission. The captain, for his part, is all too happy to oblige, as he barks out his authentic, ye olde navalspeak: "Hard to larboard, Mr. Warley!" "Luff, luff, and shake her!" Doesn't it sound glorious?
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