Master and Commander

[Gold Trumpet]

certainly don't see the fact that it only touched on a variety of issues as a flaw, GT.

I do - maybe we were expecting different - because I saw it as an art film. Russel Crowe promoted and by golly, an indepedent movie theater in Milwaukee, WI is showing this film. As an art film, I rather it would have delved into one or two ideas instead of skating around an entire ballpark of ideas that revealed absolutely nothing in the end.

[Redlum]

Can a film cost $135m and be an art-film? At what point in production does a film become an art-film? I'm not really sure how relevant the classification of 'art-film' is to any film. Probably because I never really understood what it meant.

"Adam Sandler in a $25million art house film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson of Boogie Nights fame"?

[Gold Trumpet]

Can a film cost $135m and be an art-film? At what point in production does a film become an art-film? I'm not really sure how relevant the classification of 'art-film' is to any film. Probably because I never really understood what it meant.

Art film just means a film with honest, artistic purposes.

[SHAFTR]

Bordwell lists 3 characteristics of an art film...

Realism / Ambiguity / Authorship

[ProgWRX]

I guess movies *are* subjective after all

The very reason you didnt care for the movie is the same reason i *loved* it.  I would've been really dissapointed if the plot would've been more linear and those little touches that "strayed" from the "main plot" were just  like delicious chocolate icing for me. That said, Crowe dissapointed me, I was just expecting more from him, not to say he was bad or even less than stellar, but damn, Bettany (sp?) was excellent on this.

[Jeremy Blackman]

Realism

Not necessary.

[SHAFTR]

Realism

Not necessary.

Realism:
External:  on location shooting, etc.
Internal:  Subjective realism.

[Banky]

i , like many others, think it was just good

[MacGuffin]

I enjoyed this film as well. I found it to be a lot like the submarine classic "The Enemy Below" or rather more like "Das Boot". Like those films, "Master..." made you a part of the crew, their way of life on a ship and got in the thinking of the captain. Beautiful cinematography.

[Gold Trumpet]

I was dragged to this film again and happy I was. I was able to see the great achievement this film had in its photography and recreation of life in that time period. The flaws in story still held up the same for me, but the production values in this movie were really astounding. Considering most of the nominations it got the Academy Awards are in its production, I definitely agree the film should have gotten them and I hope it wins. When I first saw the film, I really was going through some emotional problems and wasn't able to see the good in the film. I'm glad I did this time. To comment: I don't think Russel Crowe was good in this film. Not really his acting, but he did what he could with a screenplay that only extended him to the trivial small speeches and duties of an average sea captain. Nothing seemed there by way of creating a character.

[modage]

Title: Master and Commander
Released: 20th April 2004
SRP: $29.99 (TBC)

Further Details
We've managed to get hold of an advertisement containing the official release date for the region one release of Master and Commander which stars Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany. I'm afraid that we've yet to receive the official announcement from Fox, so we can't reveal the full disc specs to you yet. We do however expect the disc to include a featurette on sound design, a HBO first look featurette, a In The Wake Of O'Brian featurette as well as twenty minutes of deleted scenes. Plenty more features should be included though - and hopefully a stonking DTS track! Naturally, we'll try and bring you the full list of specs in the coming days. For now though, we've attached the aforementioned advertisement below:

[The Silver Bullet]

I don't think Russel Crowe was good in this film. Not really his acting, but he did what he could with a screenplay that only extended him to the trivial small speeches and duties of an average sea captain. Nothing seemed there by way of creating a character.

His performance was lacking regardless of what flaws existed in the screenplay. I am reminded namely of his "cheerful" persona [alternatively, his "drinking" persona] which was just awful to watch. A man playing the role of the drunk is one thing, the man simply pretending to be tipsy when he's not is another.

I'm glad you appreciated the film's production values though. That's what I love about the film myself.

[Ravi]

http://www.davisdvd.com/news/announcements.html



When a sudden attack by a French warship inflicts casualties and severe damage upon his vessel, Captain "Lucky" Jack Aubrey of the British Royal Navy is torn between duty and friendship as he embarks on a thrilling, high-stakes chase across two oceans to intercept and capture the enemy at any costs.

Fox, PG-13, 138 min, $39.98, 04.20.04  
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen (2.40:1)
Audio: English (Dolby Digital 5.1); English (DTS 5.1); French (Dolby Digital 5.1); Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0)
Subtitles: English, Spanish  

Supplements: The Hundred Days (69:34 min); In The Wake Of O'Brian (20:56 min), Cinematic Phasmids (29:59 min); Sound Design Featurette (20:13 min); Interactive Sound Recording Demo; Six Deleted Scenes (22:33 min); HBO First Look (25:49 min); Four Multi-Angle Studies; Split Screen Vignette; Four Art Galleries; Theatrical Teaser and Trailer; International Trailer (this is a two-disc set)

[Redlum]

Wow. That is a classy release. Even the extras look good (apart from the HBO first look, of course). This would make a great Sunday afternoon DVD, I think.

[modage]

they showed this on the plane the other day and i tried to watch it even though i swore to myself i'd never see it, and it was so terrible i couldnt even get through it.  and i was ON A PLANE, i had nothing else to do BUT watch it and still it was unbearable.