Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (DVD)

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But I harp needlessly. What we get is still plenty good enough. "Master and Commander" offers up some fine sea vistas, some exhilarating sea battles, and some intriguing character interplay. Oh, and the movie's title, besides referring to Napoleon, Aubrey, and Lord Nelson, becomes more apparent by the end when Aubrey announces to the crew that "Though we be on the far side of the world, this ship is our home. This ship is England." That doesn't ring true-to-life, either, but it makes for great theatrics.

Video:
The screen displays a wide 2.17:1 anamorphic ratio that helps convey all of Russell Boyd's glorious photography. The fact that the story almost never leaves the confines of a sailing ship does not mean we get anything like static imagery. Unfortunately, there is a small degree of grain that accompanies practically every scene, detracting to a small degree from our overall enjoyment of the picture, but once adjusting to it, this fine grain becomes a part of the landscape; and once getting caught up in the story line, it goes unnoticed. Filmed aboard ship for the most part, the video quality is fairly dark, and it's here that grain is most likely to show up in the best of movies. Anyway, the rest of the film's screen appearance is more than acceptable, with decent object delineation and only an occasional blur to the edges. I doubt that anyone is going to complain.

Audio:
While the video quality may only be average to good, the Dolby Digital 5.1 audio reproduction (or DTS 5.1 if you have it) provides the Oscar-winning sound with plenty of punch and pizzazz. It delivers exceptionally wide dynamics, deep bass, pinpoint directionality, and a multitude of awesome surround effects. The audience is almost literally transported to the deck of the sailing ship, enveloped by the creaking of the boards and rigging, the wind in the sails, and the splashing of the sea on the hull. Then, when the battles begin, one has to duck and dodge the flying cannonballs and wood splinters for fear of being hit. But be careful how you adjust your volume. Set it too high in order to hear the dialogue clearly, and you could end up ripping your speakers apart. This is one of the most-impressive DVD soundtracks I have ever heard.

Extras:
Disc one contains the widescreen presentation of the feature film, with its Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 soundtracks; thirty-six scene selections; English, French, and Spanish spoken languages; and English and Spanish subtitles.

Disc two is where the bonus items come into play. On the Collectors Edition you'll find, in order of importance, the sixty-nine minute documentary "The Hundred Days." It is, according to the title page, "A document of Peter Weir & Co. during their production of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World." In widescreen and narrated by the director, crew, and stars, it tells the viewer everything one could want to know about the production, starting with the building and modifying of the full-scale sailing ships, the characters and actors in the film, the principal photography, the makeup and costumes, the shooting at sea, the shooting on the Galápagos, the battles at sea, and the music. It's a little dry but highly informative.
Following that is the twenty-minute documentary "In The Wake Of O'Brian," which tells of the adapting of the tenth novel in the "Master and Commander" series for the screen. Then, there are the featurettes: "Cinematic Phasmids," twenty-nine minutes, which explores the art of cinematic deception, models, CGI, etc.; "Sound Design," twenty minutes, which contains a fascinating interactive cannon demonstration; and an HBO First Look, twenty-five minutes. After those items are six deleted scenes totalling some twenty-two minutes: "Weighing Anchor," "Shipboard Life," "Superstition," "Dentistry," "Articles of War," and "Galápagos." Finally, there are multi-angle studies of various scenes; four art galleries, including conceptual art, naval art, and technical drawings; plus a theatrical trailer, a teaser, and an international trailer.

The two discs are located in a foldout, cardboard-and-plastic sleeve, which also contains an informational booklet, a scene selections menu, and a replica map of the story's journey to "the far side of the world." Everything is housed in a handsome slipcase (check the cover-art zoom for a picture) to make the package a true "Collectors Edition."

Parting Thoughts:
Hip, hip, huzzah! "Master and Commander" may primarily be a roaring good adventure yarn, but it attempts a warmhearted personal drama at the same time. Russell Crowe has never been better, the photography is glorious, and the soundtrack is state-of-the-art. If you don't mind its supermacho bent, its slightly simple story line, and a middle section that for some viewers may tend to sag, the movie otherwise delivers some grand moments of entertainment. In its Collectors Edition format, it even offers some intriguing insights into British naval history and modern filmmaking. Not a bad deal.

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