View source for Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

{{short description|2003 film by Peter Weir}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Master and Commander:<br/>The Far Side of the World
| image = Master and Commander-The Far Side of the World poster.png
| alt = 
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Peter Weir]]
| producer = {{Plainlist|
* [[Samuel Goldwyn Jr.]]
* [[Duncan Henderson]]
* Peter Weir
}}
| screenplay = {{Plainlist|
* Peter Weir
* [[John Collee]]
}}
| based_on = {{based on|[[Aubrey–Maturin series]]|[[Patrick O'Brian]]}}
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Russell Crowe]]
* [[Paul Bettany]]
}}
| music = {{Plainlist|
* [[Iva Davies]]
* [[Christopher Gordon (composer)|Christopher Gordon]]
* [[Richard Tognetti]]
}}
| cinematography = [[Russell Boyd]]
| editing = [[Lee Smith (film editor)|Lee Smith]]
| production_companies = {{Plainlist|
* [[20th Century Fox]]
* [[Miramax|Miramax Films]]
* [[Universal Pictures]]
* [[Samuel Goldwyn Films]]
}}
| distributor = 20th Century Fox{{#tag:ref|Although 20th Century Fox engaged Miramax Films and Universal Pictures to co-finance and co-produce the film, Fox itself distributed the film in the United States and Canada.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Staff |date=August 14, 2003 |title=Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,474736,00.html |url-status=dead |access-date=December 19, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190912131205/https://ew.com/article/2003/08/14/master-and-commander-far-side-world/ |archive-date=September 12, 2019}}</ref> Universal released the film in Latin America and France through their joint-venture company [[United International Pictures]], Miramax distributed the film in Italy and Japan theatrically through [[Buena Vista International]] and Fox released the film in all other countries, Universal distributed the Japanese home media releases.|group=note}}  
| released = {{Film date|2003|11|14}}
| runtime = 138 minutes<!--Theatrical runtime: 138:11--><ref>{{Cite web |date=October 28, 2003 |title=''MASTER AND COMMANDER – THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD'' (12A) |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/master-and-commander-the-far-side-of-the-world-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc00nta0oti |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306000842/http://bbfc.co.uk/releases/master-and-commander-far-side-world-film |archive-date=March 6, 2016 |access-date=October 1, 2015 |website=[[British Board of Film Classification]]}}</ref>
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $150 million<ref name="boxoffmo"/>
| gross = $211.6 million<ref name="boxoffmo"/>
}}
'''''Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World''''' is a 2003 American [[Epic film|epic]] [[historical drama|period]] [[war film|war]]-[[Drama (film and television)|drama film]] co-written, produced and directed by [[Peter Weir]], set during the [[Napoleonic Wars]]. The film's plot and characters are loosely adapted from novels in author [[Patrick O'Brian]]'s [[Aubrey–Maturin series]], which includes 20 completed novels of [[Jack Aubrey]]'s naval career. The film stars [[Russell Crowe]] as Aubrey, captain in the [[Royal Navy]], and [[Paul Bettany]] as [[Stephen Maturin|Dr. Stephen Maturin]], the ship's surgeon. This was the second onscreen collaboration for Crowe and Bettany, who previously co-starred in 2001's ''[[A Beautiful Mind (film)|A Beautiful Mind]]''.

The film was a personal project of [[20th Century Fox]] executive [[Tom Rothman]], who recruited Weir to direct. Filming took place on the open sea, on replica ships in the water tanks of [[Baja Studios]], and in the [[Galápagos Islands]]. The film, which cost US$150 million to make, was a co-production of 20th Century Fox, [[Miramax Films]], [[Universal Pictures]], and [[Samuel Goldwyn Films]], and released on November 14, 2003. The film received critical acclaim and grossed $212 million worldwide.

It garnered Weir the [[BAFTA Award for Best Direction]]. At the [[76th Academy Awards]], the film was nominated in ten categories, including [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]] and [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]]. It won [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]] and [[Academy Award for Best Sound Editing|Best Sound Editing]].

==Plot==

In April 1805 during the [[Napoleonic Wars]], British frigate [[HMS Surprise (1796)#Surprise in fiction|HMS ''Surprise'']] is ambushed by French [[privateer]] ''Acheron'' off Brazil, suffering heavy damage. After escaping into a fog bank, ''Surprise''{{'}}s captain [[Jack Aubrey]] refuses to return to land and insists on having his ship repaired at sea. Shortly afterwards, ''Surprise'' is again ambushed by ''Acheron'', but escapes using a decoy raft. Following ''Acheron'' southwards to prevent her from attacking the [[Whaling in the United Kingdom|British whaling fleet]], ''Surprise'' heads for the [[Galápagos Islands]], where Aubrey had promised ''Surprise''{{'}}s surgeon [[Stephen Maturin]] several days to explore the islands' unique flora and fauna. However, when she reaches the islands, ''Surprise'' rescues survivors from a British whaler burnt by ''Acheron'' and Aubrey orders a pursuit of the privateer, upsetting Maturin.

Becalmed for several days, the crew of ''Surprise'' becomes restless, and superstition starts taking hold among them. Sailor Nagle deliberately bumps into unpopular [[midshipman]] Hollom, whom the crew believe to be a [[Jonah#Cultural influence|"Jonah"]], and is flogged; Hollom subsequently commits suicide by jumping overboard. The wind picks up again, and ''Surprise'' resumes the chase. [[Royal Marines|Royal Marine]] Captain Howard accidentally shoots Maturin in the stomach while [[fowling]]. As the required operation would be much easier on land, Aubrey orders ''Surprise'' to return to the Galápagos, where Maturin performs [[self-surgery]] using a mirror. Finally giving up his pursuit of ''Acheron'', Aubrey grants Maturin the chance to explore the Galápagos and gather specimens before returning to [[Portsmouth]]. While looking for the [[flightless cormorant]], Maturin discovers ''Acheron'' on the other side of the islands. He returns to ''Surprise'' and warns Aubrey, who after observing the [[camouflage]] ability of Maturin's [[Phasmatodea|phasmid]] specimen orders his ship to be disguised as a whaler.

''Acheron'' falls for the disguise and is ambushed by ''Surprise'', which dismasts the privateer. Aubrey leads a boarding party onto ''Acheron'' and captures the ship after fierce hand-to-hand combat. He meets ''Acheron''{{'}}s surgeon, de Vigny, who informs him that the privateer's captain is dead and gives Aubrey his sword. Both ships are repaired by the crew of ''Surprise'', and Lieutenant Pullings is promoted to captain and ordered to sail ''Acheron'' to [[Valparaíso]]. As ''Acheron'' sails away, Maturin casually mentions to Aubrey that de Vigny died months ago. Realizing that the surgeon was actually the captain in disguise, Aubrey orders the crew of ''Surprise'' to [[General quarters|beat to quarters]]. Maturin is once again denied the chance to explore the Galápagos, but Aubrey wryly notes that since the bird he seeks is flightless, "it's not going anywhere." The duo play ''[[Musica notturna delle strade di Madrid]]'' as ''Surprise'' turns in pursuit of ''Acheron'' once more.

==Cast==
{{See also|Recurring characters in the Aubrey–Maturin series}}
{{multiple image|total_width=350
 | direction = horizontal
 | alt footer= Head shots of Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany|footer = [[Russell Crowe]] in 2013 (left) and [[Paul Bettany]] in 2014
 | image1 = Russell Crowe.jpg
 | image2 = Paul Bettany SDCC 2014.jpg
 }}
{{div col}}
* [[Russell Crowe]] as [[Jack Aubrey]]<ref name="french" />
* [[Paul Bettany]] as [[Stephen Maturin]], [[Ship's doctor#Royal Navy|Surgeon]]<ref name="french"/>
* [[James D'Arcy]] as First Lieutenant [[Recurring characters in the Aubrey–Maturin series#Shipmates|Thomas Pullings]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=James D'Arcy |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/james_darcy |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124170811/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/james_darcy |archive-date=January 24, 2021 |access-date=March 1, 2021 |website=Rotten Tomatoes}}</ref>
* Edward Woodall as Second Lieutenant [[Recurring characters in the Aubrey–Maturin series#Shipmates|William Mowett]]
* [[Chris Larkin]] as [[Captain (OF-2)|Captain]] Howard, [[Royal Marines]]
* [[Robert Pugh]] as John Allen, [[Master (naval)|Master]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Robert Pugh |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/onshow/onscreen/pages/robertpugh.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160613140002/http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/onshow/onscreen/pages/robertpugh.shtml |archive-date=June 13, 2016 |access-date=March 1, 2021 |website=BBC}}</ref>
* [[Max Benitz]] as [[Midshipman]]/Acting Third Lieutenant Peter Myles Calamy
* [[Max Pirkis]] as Midshipman Lord William Blakeney
* [[Lee Ingleby]] as Midshipman Hollom
* [[Richard McCabe]] as Mr. Higgins, [[Surgeon's Mate]]
* [[Ian Mercer]] as Mr. Hollar, [[Boatswain]]
* [[Tony Dolan]] as Mr. Lamb, [[Carpenter]]
* [[David Threlfall]] as [[Recurring characters in the Aubrey–Maturin series#Shipmates|Preserved Killick]], [[Chief steward|Captain's Steward]]
* [[Billy Boyd (actor)|Billy Boyd]] as [[Recurring characters in the Aubrey–Maturin series#Shipmates|Barrett Bonden]], [[Coxswain]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Moore |first=Roger |date=November 8, 2003 |title=Crowe Isn't Playing — He Owns Jack Aubrey |work=Orlando Sentinel |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2003-11-08-0311070496-story.html |url-status=live |access-date=March 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427220455/https://www.orlandosentinel.com/ |archive-date=April 27, 2021}}</ref>
* [[Bryan Dick]] as Joseph Nagle, Carpenter's Mate
* [[Joseph Morgan (actor)|Joseph Morgan]] as William Warley, Captain of the [[Top (sailing ship)|Mizzentop]]
* [[George Innes]] as [[Recurring characters in the Aubrey–Maturin series#Shipmates|Joe Plaice]], [[Able Seaman]]
* [[Patrick Gallagher (actor)|Patrick Gallagher]] as [[Recurring characters in the Aubrey–Maturin series#Shipmates|Awkward Davies]], Able Seaman
* [[John DeSantis]] as [[Recurring characters in the Aubrey–Maturin series#Shipmates|Padeen Colman]], [[Loblolly boy|Loblolly Boy]]
* [[Mark Lewis Jones]] as Mr. Hogg, Master of the [[Whaler]] ''Albatross''
{{div col end}}
In trying to find men who looked as though they were from the 19th century, Weir recruited many extras from [[Poland]].<ref name="wrap"/> [[Philip French]] noted that the casting of Crowe, an Australian, as a British naval hero followed a tradition in film (e.g. [[Errol Flynn]] as Geoffrey Thorpe in ''[[The Sea Hawk (1940 film)|The Sea Hawk]]'', [[Peter Finch]] as [[Lord Nelson]] in ''[[Bequest to the Nation (film)|Bequest to the Nation]]'', and [[Mel Gibson]] as [[Fletcher Christian]] in ''[[The Bounty (1984 film)|The Bounty]]'').<ref name="french"/>

==Production==
===Source material===
{{original research|section|date = July 2023}}
{{main|Aubrey–Maturin series}}
The film is drawn from the [[Aubrey–Maturin series]] by [[Patrick O'Brian]], but matches the events in no one novel. The author drew from real events in the Napoleonic Wars, as he describes in the introduction to the first novel, ''[[Master and Commander]]''. Various opinions have been offered with regard to which Royal Navy captain most closely matches the fictional character of Aubrey; David Cordingly, writing for ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', suggested [[Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald]],<ref name = Cordingly>{{Cite news |last=Cordingly |first=David |date=September 2, 2007 |title=The Real Master and Commander |work=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3667673/The-real-master-and-commander.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3667673/The-real-master-and-commander.html |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=November 30, 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref> a view with which the Royal Navy Museum concurs, at least with regard to the inspiration for the captain's character in the first novel, ''[[Master and Commander]]''.<ref name = RMG.co.uk>{{Cite web |title=Thomas Cochrane |work=Royal Museums Greenwich |date=August 5, 2015 |url=http://www.rmg.co.uk/discover/explore/thomas-cochrane |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210218194736/https://www.rmg.co.uk/discover/explore/thomas-cochrane |archive-date=February 18, 2021 |access-date=December 4, 2016 |publisher=National Maritime Museum, Royals Museums |location=Greenwich}}</ref>

While no specific British naval officer is a complete match for Aubrey, the exploits of two naval captains are said to have inspired events in the novels, the forementioned [[Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald|Captain Lord Thomas Cochrane]],<ref name = Cordingly/><ref name = RMG.co.uk/> and Captain [[William Wolseley (Royal Navy officer)|William Wolseley]].{{citation needed|date = July 2023}} Cochrane used the ruse of placing a light on a floating barrel at night to avoid capture.<ref name="Dundonald107">{{Cite book |last=Cochrane |first=Thomas, Earl of Dundonald |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W_pVAAAAYAAJ |title=The Autobiography of a Seaman |publisher=Richard Bentley |year=1860 |volume=I |location=London |page=107 |access-date=September 4, 2017 |archive-date=May 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503081829/https://books.google.com/books?id=W_pVAAAAYAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref>{{primary source inline|date = July 2023}}{{Original research inline|date = July 2023}} Wolseley, aboard HMS ''Papillon'', disguised a ship under his command as a commercial boat; on discovering information that a rogue ship was on the other side of a small island, he sailed around the island and captured the Spanish ship<!-- by stratagem THIS PHRASE HAS NO CLEAR MEANING-->, on April 15, 1805.<ref>{{Cite book |last=James |first=William I |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tVxTAAAAcAAJ&q=captain+william+woolsey&pg=PA132 |title=The Naval History of Great Britain from the Declaration of War by France in 1793 to the Accession of George IV. |publisher=Bentley |year=1837 |edition=New |volume=4 |pages=132–133 |access-date=November 30, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210218194737/https://books.google.com/books?id=tVxTAAAAcAAJ&q=captain+william+woolsey&pg=PA132 |archive-date=February 18, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>{{primary source inline|date = July 2023}}{{Original research inline|date = July 2023}}

The film combines elements from three different novels by O'Brian, but its principal source is his tenth novel, ''[[The Far Side of the World]]''.<ref name="french">{{cite news|last=French|first=Philip|date=November 22, 2003|title=Command Performance|url=https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2003/nov/23/features.review17|work=The Guardian|access-date=March 1, 2021|archive-date=January 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126121841/https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2003/nov/23/features.review17|url-status=live|quote = The title derives from the first Aubrey-Maturin novel and the tenth book in the series, which is the principal source. ... The film's director, Peter Weir, and John Collee, his co-screenwriter, have made a major change by shifting the time from 1812 to 1805, some weeks before Trafalgar, and turning the enemy into France instead of the United States. They've also taken the bold step of eliminating any scenes shot in ports... and reducing the female presence... }}</ref> The film, however, takes place in 1805 during the Napoleonic Wars rather than during the [[War of 1812]]<ref name="french"/>{{better source needed|date = July 2023}}<!--Asking a better source because not all of this sentence's content can be found in French.-->; [[University of St. Francis]] historian Cathy Schultz claimed that the "filmmakers thought American audiences might not want to see Americans as the villains", leading them to "switc[h] the events to 1805",<ref>{{Cite news| author = Schultz, Cathy  | date = April 18, 2004 | title = The British Navy Sails again in "Master and Commander" | newspaper = Joliet Herald News | via = History in the Movies (stfrancis.edu/content/historyinthemovies) | url=https://www.stfrancis.edu/content/historyinthemovies/masterandcommander.htm | access-date=July 6, 2023 | archive-date=October 29, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161029235823/http://www.stfrancis.edu/content/historyinthemovies/masterandcommander.htm | url-status=live}}</ref> an assertion strongly disputed by [[20th Century Fox]] chief executive [[Tom Rothman]], who initiated the film's development.<ref name="epstein"/><ref name="wrap"/> Rothman also denied claims that France had been used as the villain due to its objection to the [[Iraq War]]. He argued that the setting had been changed in order to avoid lengthy historical exposition on why the United States and the United Kingdom were fighting. Rothman also omitted scenes portraying [[Sexual orientation and the military of the United Kingdom|homosexuality]], violent [[impressment]] and [[corporal punishment]]s of sailors, and severe hardships of life at sea in order to obtain a PG-13 rating.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/54272-MASTER-AND-COMMANDER--THE-FAR-SIDE-OF-THE-WORLD?cxt=filmography |access-date=2024-11-12 |website=AFI Catalog}}</ref> With regard to further differences between source novel and film, the fictional opponent was changed from USS ''Norfolk'' to the U.S.-built French privateer [[frigate]] ''Acheron''.<ref Name="Wpost1">{{cite news|last=Hendrix|first=Steve|title=Now Playing at a Theater Near You: Old Ironsides|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=November 16, 2003|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2003/11/16/AR2005041501687.html|access-date=September 4, 2017|archive-date=February 20, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150220130457/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2003/11/16/AR2005041501687_pf.html|url-status=live}}</ref>{{efn|group=note| The ''Acheron'' design presented in the film was constructed by the film's special-effects team who took stem-to-stern digital scans of [[USS Constitution|USS ''Constitution'']] at her berth in Boston, from which a computer model of ''Acheron'' was created.<ref Name="Wpost1"/>}} As well, the film excludes scenes from the books that took place in ports,{{clarify|date = July 2023}} and, besides Brazilian women in a single scene, the novels' female characters were not adapted.<ref name="french"/>

The episode in which Aubrey deceives the enemy by means of a raft bearing lanterns is taken from ''[[Master and Commander]]'', while the episode in which Maturin directs surgery on himself, while gritting his teeth in pain, to remove a bullet is taken from [[HMS Surprise (novel)|''HMS'' ''Surprise'']].<ref>{{cite book |title=HMS Surprise |first=Patrick |last=O'Brian |year=1973 |location=UK |publisher=Collins |isbn=9780002213165| page = }}{{page needed|date = July 2023}})</ref>{{primary source inline|date = July 2023}}{{Original research inline|date = July 2023}}

===Development===
[[20th Century Fox]] executive [[Tom Rothman]] had wished to adapt O'Brian's novels since first reading them, recognizing the potential for a film franchise. He originally began developing the film at [[The Samuel Goldwyn Company]] in 1993. However, the film was later acquired by [[Touchstone Pictures]] with [[John McTiernan]] hired as director. When Rothman became the CEO of Fox, he re-acquired the rights in 1998 and recruited director [[Peter Weir]] to helm the project.<ref name="wrap"/><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Petrikin |first=Chris |date=1998-11-18 |title=Fox nabs 'Master' rights |url=https://variety.com/1998/film/news/fox-nabs-master-rights-1117488625/ |access-date=2024-11-12 |website=Variety}}</ref>

===Filming===
{{multiple image
| align     = right
| direction = vertical
| image1    = 2001 - Gimbal machine in the deepest part of tank 1 103-0365 IMG.jpg
| width1    = 220
| caption1 = The gimbal upon which the ship was mounted
| image2    = Baja Tank ship 16451432420 afa83d8152.jpg
| width2    = 220
| caption2 = Replica ship at [[Baja Studios]]
}}
Great efforts were made to reproduce the authentic look and feel of life aboard an early nineteenth-century [[man-of-war]]. In addition to 2,000 hats and 1,900 pairs of shoes, some 400 pounds of hair were used on actors.<ref name="epstein"/>

However, only ten days of the filming took place at sea aboard ''[[HMS Rose (replica ship)|Rose]]'' (a reproduction of the 18th-century [[post ship]] [[HMS Rose (1757)|HMS ''Rose'']]).<ref name="wrap"/>{{efn|group=note|The ''Rose'' is now renamed [[HMS Surprise (replica ship)|HMS ''Surprise'']] in honor of her movie role; she is moored at the [[San Diego Maritime Museum]] and serves as a dockside attraction. In September 2007, the ship was returned to sailing status.}} Other scenes were shot on a full-scale replica mounted on [[gimbal]]s in a nearly 20-million-gallon tank at [[Baja Studios]] in Mexico,<ref name="epstein"/><ref name="rolling">{{cite magazine|last=Tobias|first=Scott|date=January 4, 2019|title=Revisiting Hours: Ships Ahoy — 'Master and Commander'|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/revisiting-hours-master-and-commander-stream-this-movie-774616/|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=February 18, 2021|archive-date=January 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117224941/https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/revisiting-hours-master-and-commander-stream-this-movie-774616/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="wrap">{{cite news|last=Fuster|first=Jeremy|date=November 13, 2018|title='Master and Commander': 15th Anniversary of the Franchise That Never Was|url=https://www.thewrap.com/master-commander-15th-anniversary/|work=The Wrap|access-date=February 18, 2021|archive-date=November 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129223140/https://www.thewrap.com/master-commander-15th-anniversary/|url-status=live}}</ref> built for the filming of ''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]'' (1997).<ref name="ebert"/><ref name="epstein"/>

There was a third HMS ''Surprise'' which was a scale model built by [[Weta Workshop]]. A storm sequence was enhanced using digitally composited footage of waves shot on board a [[HM Bark Endeavour Replica|modern replica]] of [[James Cook|Cook]]'s ''[[HMS Endeavour|Endeavour]]'' rounding [[Cape Horn]]. All of the actors were given a thorough grounding in the naval life of the period in order to make their performances as authentic as possible. The ship's boats used in the film were Russian Naval six- and four-oared [[yawl]]s supplied by Central Coast Charters and Boat Base Monterey.{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}} Their faithful 18th-century appearance complemented the historical accuracy of the rebuilt "Rose," whose own boat, the "Thorn", could be used only in the Brazilian scene.{{Citation needed|date=February 2021}}

''Master and Commander'' was the first non-documentary film to shoot on-location in the [[Galápagos]].<ref name="wrap"/> Filming took place from June to November 2002.

===Sound===
Sound designer Richard King earned ''Master and Commander'' an Oscar for its sound effects by going to great lengths to record realistic sounds, particularly for the battle scenes and the storm scenes.<ref name="autogenerated2003">{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1505241 |title="The Sounds of Realism in 'Master and Commander'" - National Public Radio interview with Richard King |publisher=Npr.org |date=November 13, 2003 |access-date=April 28, 2012 |archive-date=March 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317111150/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1505241 |url-status=live }}</ref> King and director Peter Weir began by spending months reading the Patrick O'Brian novels in search of descriptions of the sounds that would have been heard on board the ship—for example, the "screeching bellow" of cannon fire and the "deep howl" of a cannonball passing overhead.<ref name="autogenerated2003"/>

King worked with the film's Lead Historical Consultant Gordon Laco, who located collectors in Michigan who owned a 24-pounder and a 12-pounder cannon. King, Laco, and two assistants went to Michigan and recorded the sounds of the cannon firing at a nearby National Guard base. They placed microphones near the cannon to get the "crack" of the cannon fire, and also about {{convert|300|yd}} downrange to record the "shrieking" of the chain shot as it passed overhead. They also recorded the sounds of bar shot and grape shot passing overhead, and later mixed the sounds of all three types of shot for the battle scenes.

For the sounds of the shot hitting the ships, they set up wooden targets at the artillery range and blasted them with the cannon, but found the sonic results underwhelming. Instead, they returned to Los Angeles and there recorded sounds of wooden barrels being destroyed. King sometimes added the "crack" of a rifle shot to punctuate the sound of a cannonball hitting a ship's hull.<ref name="autogenerated2003"/>

For the sound of wind in the storm as the ship rounds Cape Horn, King devised a wooden frame rigged with one thousand feet of line and set it in the back of a pickup truck. By driving the truck at {{convert|70|mph}} into a {{convert|30|-|40|knot|adj=on}} wind, and modulating the wind with barbecue and refrigerator grills, King was able to create a range of sounds, from "shrieking" to "whistling" to "sighing", simulating the sounds of wind passing through the ship's rigging.

[[Richard Tognetti]], who scored the film's music, taught Crowe how to play the violin, as Aubrey plays the violin with Maturin on his cello in the movie.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/life/weekend-australian-magazine/against-the-tide/news-story/e6b1c2248acab4e96c9e86f00be1ad5b |title=Against the tide |last=Chenery |first=Susan |newspaper=The Weekend Australian |access-date=March 30, 2019 |date=March 30, 2019}}</ref> Crowe purchased the violin personally as the budget did not allow for the expense. The violin was made in 1890 by the Italian violin maker [[Leandro Bisiach]], and sold at auction in 2018 for US$104,000.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://theviolinchannel.com/actor-russelll-crowe-violin-sold-auction-104000-sothebys-australia/ |title=Movie Star Russell Crowe's Violin Has Sold at Auction for $104,000 |newspaper=Classical Music News |date=April 8, 2018 |access-date=March 28, 2019 |archive-date=March 28, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328143821/https://theviolinchannel.com/actor-russelll-crowe-violin-sold-auction-104000-sothebys-australia/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Bettany learned how to play the [[cello]] for the role of Maturin, so the pair could be filmed playing with proper posture and technique instead of miming. The recording was dubbed in the final version of the film.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Paul Bettany on ''Master's'' funniest sea story |url=https://ew.com/article/2003/11/13/paul-bettany-masters-funniest-sea-story/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |first=Gary |last=Susman |date=November 13, 2003 |access-date=April 24, 2021 |quote=Our fingers are in the right place, and our bowing is good, but you wouldn’t want to hear the sound we were making. |archive-date=April 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210424105558/https://ew.com/article/2003/11/13/paul-bettany-masters-funniest-sea-story/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2003-12-19-0312190408-story.html |title=English actor Paul Bettany finds, for him, it's 'Carry on, doctor' |last=Smith |first=Lynn |date=December 19, 2003 |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |quote=Even after seven months of practice to learn four classical pieces, Bettany admits, "we sounded like two people trying to kill wounded animals." When they filmed the duets, Weir says he played the professionals' recording used in the film as background so the actors couldn't hear themselves. |access-date=April 27, 2021 |archive-date=April 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427220456/https://www.chicagotribune.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Music ===
[[Iva Davies]], lead singer of the Australian band [[Icehouse (band)|Icehouse]], traveled to Los Angeles to record the soundtrack to the film with [[Christopher Gordon (composer)|Christopher Gordon]] and [[Richard Tognetti]]. Together, they won the 2004 APRA/[[AGSC]] Screen Music Award in the "Best Soundtrack Album" category.<ref name="SMAWinSoundtrack2004">{{cite web |url=http://apraamcos.com.au/awards/2000-2010/2004-awards/screen-music-awards/best-soundtrack/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005083242/http://apraamcos.com.au/awards/2000-2010/2004-awards/screen-music-awards/best-soundtrack/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 5, 2016 |title=2004 Winner Best Soundtrack Album – Screen Music Awards |publisher=Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) |access-date=7 July 2016 }}</ref> The score includes an assortment of [[baroque]] and [[classical music]], notably the first of [[Johann Sebastian Bach]]'s [[Cello Suites (Bach)|Suites for Unaccompanied Cello]], Suite No. 1 in [[G major]], [[BWV]] 1007, played by [[Yo-Yo Ma]]; the Strassburg theme in the third movement of [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]]'s [[Violin Concerto No. 3 (Mozart)|Violin Concerto No. 3]]; the third (Adagio) movement of [[Arcangelo Corelli|Corelli]]'s [[Christmas Concerto]] ([[Concerto grosso]] in [[G minor]], Op.&nbsp;6, No.&nbsp;8); and a recurring rendition of [[Ralph Vaughan Williams]]'s [[Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis]]. The music played on [[violin]] and [[cello]] before the end is [[Luigi Boccherini]]'s [[String Quintet]] (Quintettino) for 2 [[violin]]s, [[viola]] & 2 [[cello]]s in [[C major]] ("[[Musica notturna delle strade di Madrid]]"), G.&nbsp;324 Op.&nbsp;30. The two arrangements of this cue contained in the CD differ significantly from the one heard in the movie.

The song sung in the [[wardroom]] is "[[Don't Forget Your Old Shipmates]]", a British Navy song written in the early 1800s and arranged in 1978 by [[Jim Mageean]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hardtackers.com/JerryBryantPaper.html |title="Long we've toiled on the rolling wave": One sea song's journey from the gun deck to Hollywood |author=Bryant, Jerry |date=June 11, 2010 |access-date=February 22, 2016 |work=Music of the Sea Symposium |archive-date=September 7, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907175112/http://www.hardtackers.com/JerryBryantPaper.html |url-status=live }}</ref> from his album ''Of Ships... and Men''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/Jim-Mageean-Of-ShipsAnd-Men/release/4591080 |title=Jim Mageean – Of Ships...And Men |publisher=Discogs |access-date=February 22, 2016 |year=1978 |archive-date=June 29, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160629232443/https://www.discogs.com/Jim-Mageean-Of-ShipsAnd-Men/release/4591080 |url-status=live }}</ref> The tunes sung and played by the crew on deck at night are "O'Sullivan's March", "[[Spanish Ladies]]" and "The British Tars" ("The shipwrecked tar"), which was set to tune of "Bonnie Ship the Diamond" and called "Raging Sea/Bonnie Ship the Diamond" on the soundtrack.

==Release and reception==
=== Theatrical release ===
On November 17, 2003, ''Master and Commander'' had its UK Premiere at the 57th [[Royal Film Performance]], a fundraising event held in aid of [[The Film and Television Charity|The Film and TV Charity]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kay |first=Jeremy |title=Master And Commander chosen as Royal Command Performance |url=https://www.screendaily.com/master-and-commander-chosen-as-royal-command-performance/4015072.article |access-date=2022-08-16 |website=Screen |language=en |archive-date=August 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220816210509/https://www.screendaily.com/master-and-commander-chosen-as-royal-command-performance/4015072.article |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Box office ===
[[File:US Navy 031106-N-9693M-001 Seaman Apprentice Chris Firking carries popcorn and soda into a theater.jpg|thumb|A U.S. serviceman attending a special Department of the Navy screening of ''Master and Commander'']]
Hoping to draw adults during the [[film awards seasons]], ''Master and Commander'' was slated for a release in mid-November 2003. However, the film failed to reach the No. 1 spot on its opening weekend.<ref name="wrap"/> It opened No. 2 behind Christmas comedy ''[[Elf (film)|Elf]]'' in the first weekend of North American release, November 14–16, 2003, earning $25,105,990.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-nov-17-et-lowe17-story.html|title='Elf' a giant at the box office|website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=November 17, 2003 }}</ref><ref name="wrap"/><ref name="boxoffmo"/> It dropped to the No. 4 position in the second weekend and #6 in the third, and finished the domestic run with $93,927,920 in gross receipts. Outside the U.S. and Canada, the film grossed $118,083,191, doing best in Italy (at $15,111,841).<ref name="boxoffmo">{{cite web |url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=masterandcommander.htm |title=Box Office History |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=January 30, 2009 |archive-date=May 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190514195303/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=masterandcommander.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The film grossed $212 million globally, recouping its $150 million budget.<ref name="wrap"/>

=== Critical response ===
On review aggregate website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], 85% of 222 critics gave ''Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World'' an overall positive review, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The site's critics consensus states: "Russell Crowe's rough charm is put to good use in this masterful adaptation of Patrick O'Brian's novel."<ref name="rotten tomatoes">{{cite web | url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/master_and_commander_the_far_side_of_the_world/ | title=Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) | work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] | date=November 14, 2003 | publisher=[[Fandango Media|Fandango]] | access-date=October 12, 2023 | archive-date=October 29, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029060611/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/master_and_commander_the_far_side_of_the_world | url-status=live }}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a weighted average score of 81 out of 100 based on 42 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/master-and-commander-the-far-side-of-the-world | title=Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Reviews | work=[[Metacritic]] | publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] | access-date=October 1, 2015 | archive-date=September 28, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150928023828/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/master-and-commander-the-far-side-of-the-world | url-status=live }}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.<ref name="CinemaScore">{{cite web |url = https://cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |title = CinemaScore |access-date = March 31, 2021 |archive-date = December 20, 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181220122629/https://cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |url-status = dead }}</ref>

[[Roger Ebert]] gave the film 4 stars out of 4, saying that "it achieves the epic without losing sight of the human".<ref name="ebert">{{cite web | url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/master-and-commander-the-far-side-of-the-world-2003 | work=RogerEbert.com | title=Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World | access-date=January 10, 2021 | archive-date=January 12, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112033635/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/master-and-commander-the-far-side-of-the-world-2003 | url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[The Guardian]]''{{'}}s [[Peter Bradshaw]] praised the film and Crowe's performance.<ref name="bradshaw">{{cite news|last=Bradshaw|first=Peter|date=November 21, 2003|title=Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian_review/0,4267,1089474,00.html|work=The Guardian|access-date=March 1, 2021|archive-date=January 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125035839/https://www.theguardian.com/film/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian_review/0,4267,1089474,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[New York Times]]'' critic [[A. O. Scott]] described the film as "stupendously entertaining".<ref>{{cite news|last=Scott|first=A.O.|date=November 14, 2003|title=Film Review; Master Of the Sea (And the French)|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/14/movies/film-review-master-of-the-sea-and-the-french.html|work=The New York Times|access-date=August 23, 2022}}</ref> However, [[Jason Epstein]], also writing for ''The New York Times'', criticized the film, taking issue with changes from the novel, Crowe's "one-dimensional action hero", and implausible events in the script.<ref name="epstein">{{cite news|last=Epstein|first=Jacob|date=November 16, 2003|title=Film; 'Master and Commander': On the Far Side of Credibility|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/16/movies/film-master-and-commander-on-the-far-side-of-credibility.html|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 21, 2021|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112024534/https://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/16/movies/film-master-and-commander-on-the-far-side-of-credibility.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Christopher Hitchens]] gave a mixed review: "Any cinematic adaptation of O'Brian must stand or fall by its success in representing this figure [Dr. Stephen Maturin]. On this the film doesn't even fall, let alone stand. It skips the whole project." (The film omits completely the fact that the doctor and naturalist is also a spy for England—a key plot element in the novels.) Hitchens nonetheless praised the action scenes, writing: "In one respect the action lives up to its fictional and actual inspiration. This was the age of [[William Bligh|Bligh]] and Cook and of voyages of discovery as well as conquest, and when HMS ''Surprise'' makes landfall in the Galapagos Islands we get a beautifully filmed sequence about how the dawn of scientific enlightenment might have felt."<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2003/11/empire_falls.html |title=Empire Falls – How Master and Commander gets Patrick O'Brian wrong. |first=Christopher |last=Hitchens |date=November 14, 2003 |magazine=Slate |access-date=April 24, 2014 |archive-date=February 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210218194740/https://slate.com/culture/2003/11/getting-patrick-o-brian-wrong.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' film reviewer [[Mick LaSalle]] was generally downbeat and, after praising director Weir's handling of scenes with no dialogue, observed that "Weir is less surefooted as a screenwriter. Having not read any of O'Brian's novels, I can't say if the fault is in Weir's adaptation or in the source material, but halfway into ''Master and Commander'' the friendship of the captain and the doctor begins to seem schematic, as if all the positive traits that an individual could have were divided equally between these two guys, just so they can argue. Their interaction takes on a preening quality, reminiscent of the interaction of the ''[[Star Trek]]'' characters four or five movies down the line. We come to realize that the specific adventure matters little except as a showcase for these personalities. Once that happens, the story involving the French ship loses much of its interest and all of its danger, and the movie starts taking on water. ''Master and Commander'' stays afloat to the finish, but that's all that can be said."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Grab-your-breeches-hoist-the-mainsail-and-2512121.php |title=Grab your breeches, hoist the mainsail and prepare for an epic ride – but is 'Master and Commander' seaworthy? |first=Mick |last=LaSalle |date=November 14, 2003 |newspaper=SFGate.com |access-date=September 10, 2018 |archive-date=December 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171212004105/http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Grab-your-breeches-hoist-the-mainsail-and-2512121.php |url-status=live }}</ref>

Historian Dan Snow rated Master and Commander as one of his favorite films, rating its ship recreation, tactics, and depiction of 18th-century life at sea as highly accurate on the History Hit YouTube Channel.<ref>{{cite web | title=Naval Historian Breaks Down 'Master and Commander' Movie &#124; Deep Dives | website=[[YouTube]] | date=April 26, 2024 | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5r-VRl8xuE }}</ref>

===Accolades===
{{Main|List of accolades received by Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World{{!}}List of accolades received by ''Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World''}}
At the [[76th Academy Awards]] in 2004, ''Master and Commander'' received ten nominations: [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]], [[Academy Award for Best Sound Editing|Best Sound Editing]], [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]], [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]], [[Academy Award for Best Production Design|Best Art Direction]], [[Academy Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costume Design]], [[Academy Award for Best Film Editing|Best Film Editing]], [[Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling|Best Makeup]], [[Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing|Best Sound Mixing]] and [[Academy Award for Best Visual Effects|Best Visual Effects]]. It won the awards for Best Cinematography and Best Sound Editing.<ref name="TerryLawsonOscars">{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109920140/terry-lawson-picks-the-oscars/ |title=Terry Lawson Picks The Oscars |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220921025703/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109920140/terry-lawson-picks-the-oscars/ |date=March 1, 2004 |access-date=September 21, 2022 |archive-date=September 21, 2022 |page=2 |publisher=[[Detroit Free Press]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |url-status=live}} {{Open access}}</ref><ref name="Oscars2004">{{cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/legacy/ceremony/76th-winners.html |title=The 76th Academy Awards (2004) Nominees and Winners |access-date=November 20, 2011 |work=oscars.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120929190645/http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/legacy/ceremony/76th-winners.html |archive-date=September 29, 2012 }}</ref> The film also garnered Weir the [[BAFTA Award for Best Direction]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2004/film/david-lean-award-for-achievement-in-direction|title=Film: David Lean Award for Achievement in Direction in 2004|website=BAFTA|access-date=February 21, 2021|archive-date=October 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027041626/http://awards.bafta.org/award/2004/film/david-lean-award-for-achievement-in-direction|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Legacy==
[[File:Hmssurprise.jpg|thumb|upright|The replica of [[HMS Surprise (1796)|HMS ''Surprise'']] used in the film docked in San Diego, 2012|alt=HMS ''Surprise'' (replica)]]
Weir, asked in 2005 if he would make a [[sequel]], stated he thought it "most unlikely", and after internet rumors to the contrary, stated "I think that while it did well...''ish'' at the box office, it didn't generate that monstrous, rapid income that provokes a sequel."<ref>{{cite news |title=What hath Peter Weir wrought? |author=Rahner, Mark |newspaper=Seattle Times |date=August 30, 2005 |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20050830/peterweir30/what-hath-peter-weir-wrought |access-date=October 2, 2015 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053422/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20050830&slug=peterweir30 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2007 the film was included on a list of "13 Failed Attempts To Start Film Franchises" by ''[[The A.V. Club]]'', noting that "this surely stands as one of the most exciting opening salvos in nonexistent-series history, and the Aubrey–Maturin novels remain untapped cinematic ground."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.avclub.com/inventory-13-failed-attempts-to-start-film-franchises-1798211310 |title=Inventory: 13 Failed Attempts To Start Film Franchises |first=Donna |last=Bowman |author2=Noel Murray |author3=Sean O'Neal |author4=Keith Phipps |author5=Nathan Rabin |author6=Tasha Robinson |newspaper=[[The A.V. Club]] |date=April 30, 2007 |access-date=July 13, 2011 |archive-date=July 6, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706041110/http://www.avclub.com/articles/inventory-13-failed-attempts-to-start-film-franchi%2C1872/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2009 Crowe claimed in an interview with the Associated Press he was in negotiations for a sequel to the film based on the eleventh book from the Aubrey-Maturin series ''[[The Reverse of the Medal]].''<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2009-07-17-russell-crowe_N.htm?csp=34 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090725114017/https://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2009-07-17-russell-crowe_N.htm?csp=34|title=Crowe considering new 'Master & Commander' movie |archive-date=25 July 2009|journal=USA Today |author=Simon Haydon |date=17 July 2009 |accessdate=3 July 2014}}</ref> In December 2010, Crowe launched an appeal on [[Twitter]] to get the sequel made: "If you want a ''Master and Commander'' sequel I suggest you e-mail [[Tom Rothman]] at Fox and let him know your thoughts".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/russellcrowe/status/11710830559109120|title=If you want a Master and Commander sequel I suggest you e-mail Tom Rothman at Fox and let him know your thoughts|first=Russell|last=Crowe|date=December 6, 2010|access-date=February 7, 2016|archive-date=November 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109022421/http://twitter.com/russellcrowe/status/11710830559109120|url-status=live}}</ref>

Film critic Scott Tobias wrote a positive retrospective article about this film in 2019, begrudging the fact that ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl]]'', another sea-faring film also released in 2003, had led to a string of ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean (film series)|Pirates of the Caribbean]]'' fantasy films, but there was no demand for a sequel featuring Captain Jack Aubrey and deeply rooted in historical facts of the Napoleonic Wars, the [[Age of Sail]] and the [[Age of Discovery]].<ref name=Tobias2018>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-features/revisiting-hours-master-and-commander-stream-this-movie-774616 |title=Revisiting Hours: Ships Ahoy — 'Master and Commander' |last=Tobias |first=Scott |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=January 4, 2019 |access-date=January 7, 2019 |archive-date=January 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190109003158/https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-features/revisiting-hours-master-and-commander-stream-this-movie-774616/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In summer 2020, ''[[Vulture.com|Vulture]]'' noted that the "film is ripe for reappraisal."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Grierson|first1=Tim|last2=Leitch|first2=Will|date=August 21, 2020|title=Every Russell Crowe Movie Performance, Ranked Whether in Westerns or biopics, action flicks or sports movies, Crowe has an unmistakable swagger.|url=https://www.vulture.com/article/best-russell-crowe-movies-ranked.html|work=Vulture|publisher=New York|access-date=February 19, 2021|archive-date=October 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201015014113/https://www.vulture.com/article/best-russell-crowe-movies-ranked.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In January 2021, Crowe publicly defended the film from criticism.<ref>{{cite news|last=Parker|first=Ryan|date=January 17, 2021|title=Russell Crowe Defends 'Master and Commander' After Rude Twitter Remark|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/russell-crowe-master-and-commander|work=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=February 19, 2021|archive-date=February 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204055139/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/russell-crowe-master-and-commander|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Shafer|first=Ellise|date=January 17, 2021|title=Russell Crowe Responds to Tweet Criticizing 'Master and Commander': 'Kids These Days'|url=https://variety.com/2021/film/news/russell-crowe-master-and-commander-tweet-1234887112/|work=Variety|access-date=February 19, 2021|archive-date=February 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204054431/https://variety.com/2021/film/news/russell-crowe-master-and-commander-tweet-1234887112/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Kiefer|first=Halle|date=January 17, 2021|title=If You Don't Like 2003's Master and Commander, That's On You, Says Its Star Russell Crowe|url=https://www.vulture.com/2021/01/russell-crowe-defends-his-2003-film-master-and-commander.html|work=Vulture|publisher=New York|access-date=February 19, 2021|archive-date=January 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118041821/https://www.vulture.com/2021/01/russell-crowe-defends-his-2003-film-master-and-commander.html|url-status=live}}</ref> A March 2023 story in ''[[GQ]]'' noted the film's continued popularity among millennial men who were watching the film on streaming services. It theorized that this was in part due to the film's portrayal of "non-toxic masculinity" and strong male friendships, particularly the one between Aubrey and Maturin. "Overall, the masculinity of ''Master and Commander'' ... is overwhelmingly wholesome and positive," reporter Gabriella Paiella wrote. "Any nostalgia for the traditionalism in the movie is less reactionary and more about the healthy male bonding between the characters." That was contrasted with continued problems with [[male bonding]] among 2020s American men.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Paiella |first=Gabriella |date=2023-03-08 |title=Why Are So Many Guys Obsessed With 'Master and Commander'? |url=https://www.gq.com/story/master-and-commander-anniversary |access-date=2023-03-11 |website=GQ |language=en-US}}</ref>

In a 2020 retrospective interview discussing both the Aubrey-Maturin books and the film, author Rachel McMillan discussed her opinion on the film as a longtime fan of the original books stating it "captured the essence of the 21 stories as well as the central relationship between Jack and Stephen" and praises Peter Weir's directing.<ref name="McMillan">{{cite podcast |host1=Ian Bradley|host2=Mike Shank|title=The Lubber's Hole Episode 32 The Surgeon's Mate (final part), Rachel McMillan |website=lubbershole.podbean.com |publisher=Podbean |date=22 November 2020 |url=https://lubbershole.podbean.com/e/episode-32-the-surgeons-mate-final-part-rachel-mcmillan/ |access-date=17 June 2024}}</ref> McMillan notes though she finds the film to be "deprived of the women who make the series so exceptional" noting the absence of book characters such as [[Diana Villiers]] and Sophie Aubrey as significant omissions in the film along with the lack of Stephen's espionage career.<ref name="McMillan"/> In a 2022 interview, artist [[Geoff Hunt (marine artist)|Geoff Hunt]] who made cover art for the Aubrey-Maturin series and is credited as an advisor on the film, noted a sense of regret that the film had tried to condense too much material from the books thus limiting the potential opportunities for sequels.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bradley |first=Ian |date=January 2, 2022 |title=Episode 86 - Letter of Marque (Final Part); Geoff Hunt {{!}} The Lubber's Hole - A Patrick O'Brian Podcast |url=https://lubbershole.podbean.com/e/episode-86-letter-of-marque-final-part-geoff-hunt/ |access-date=2024-08-26 |website=lubbershole.podbean.com |language=en}}</ref> Hunt also expressed his desire to see more of the series adapted to film, particular noting his desire to have seen the espionage plots in ''[[Treason's Harbour]]'' explored in film.

A tall ship appearing in the background of ''[[Deadpool & Wolverine]]'' in 2024 was speculated to be a reference to ''Master and Commander'', and the claim was initially backed by the film's director [[Shawn Levy]] in a press interview.<ref>{{Cite web |title='Deadpool & Wolverine' director debunks 'Master and Commander' Easter egg (exclusive) |url=https://ew.com/deadpool-and-wolverine-master-and-commander-easter-egg-debunked-titanic-exclusive-8741644 |access-date=2024-12-25 |website=EW.com |language=en}}</ref> Levy would retract his statement after consulting with the film's visual effects artists and confirming the 3D model was a generic tall ship.

In 2025, it was one of the films voted for the "Readers' Choice" edition of ''[[The New York Times]]''{{'}} list of "The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century," finishing at number 190.<ref>{{cite web |title=Readers Choose Their Top Movies of the 21st Century |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/movies/readers-movies-21st-century.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=2 July 2025}}</ref>

===Prequel===
In June 2021, it was reported that a second film is in development by [[20th Century Studios]], a [[prequel]] based on the first novel only, with [[Patrick Ness]] penning the script.<ref>{{cite web|title=20th Century Developing New ''Master And Commander'' Movie With Patrick Ness Penning the Script|url=https://deadline.com/2021/06/20th-century-master-and-commander-patrick-ness-1234769535/|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|first=Justin|last=Kroll|date=June 4, 2021|access-date=June 4, 2021|archive-date=June 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210604193830/https://deadline.com/2021/06/20th-century-master-and-commander-patrick-ness-1234769535/|url-status=live}}</ref> As of October 2024, the studio was looking for a director.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kit |first=Borys |date=October 24, 2024 |title=A Secret ''Predator'' Movie, An ''Alien'' Sequel and ''Speed 3'' on the Table: A Chat with 20th Century Studios Boss Steve Asbell |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/predator-movie-an-alien-sequel-speed-3-1236042464/ |access-date=October 24, 2024 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref>{{update inline|date=August 2023}}

== Notes ==
<references group="note"/>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
* {{cite book|author=McGregor, Tom|year=2003|title=The Making of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World|url=https://archive.org/details/makingofmasterco0000mcgr|url-access=registration|publisher=W.W. Norton|location=New York|isbn=0-393-05865-4}}
* {{cite encyclopedia |editor-last1=Tibbetts |editor-first1=John C. |editor-first2=James M.|editor-last2=Welsh |title=The Far Side of the World (Master and Commander) |encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of Novels Into Film |edition=Second |year=2005 |pages=127–129 |isbn=978-0816054497 |publisher=Facts on File}}

== Further reading ==
*{{Cite magazine |title=At Sea with Peter Weir |url=https://www.dga.org/Craft/DGAQ/All-Articles/0503-Fall-2005/Shot-to-Remember-Master-and-Commander.aspx |date=Fall 2005 |access-date=2023-03-11 |magazine=DGA Quarterly |publisher=Directors Guild of America |language=en}}
*{{Cite book |url=https://www.bloomsburycollections.com/book/reframing-9-11-film-popular-culture-and-the-war-on-terror |title=Reframing 9/11: Film, Popular Culture and the "War on Terror" |date=2010 |publisher=The Continuum International Publishing Group Inc |isbn=978-1-62892-828-0 |editor-last=Birkenstein |editor-first=Jeff |doi=10.5040/9781628928280.ch-006 |editor-last2=Froula |editor-first2=Anna |editor-last3=Randell |editor-first3=Karen}}
*{{cite book |last=Chapman |first=James |title='This Ship is England': History, Politics and National Identity in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) |date=2007 |work=The New Film History: Sources, Methods, Approaches |pages=55–68 |editor-last=Chapman |editor-first=James |place=London |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan UK |language=en |doi=10.1007/9780230206229_5 |isbn=978-0-230-20622-9 |editor2-last=Glancy |editor2-first=Mark |editor3-last=Harper |editor3-first=Sue}}
*{{cite journal |last=Golden |first=Gerald |title=The Physician at the Movies: Master and Commander |journal=The Pharos |publisher=Alpha Omega Alpha-Honor Medical Society |volume=68 |issue=1 |year=2005 |page=51|pmid=15792082 }}
*{{cite journal |last=Lozano Sánchez |first=Francisco S. |title=Master and Commander: Cirugía y cirujanos |journal=Revista de Medicina y Cine |date=2016 |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=12–20 |url=https://revistas.usal.es/cinco/index.php/medicina_y_cine/article/view/14260}}
*{{cite journal |last=Strong |first=Jeremy |date=2015 |title=Time, Tide and Narrative: Adapting Chronology in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World |journal=Coriolis|volume=5 |issue=2 |pages=1–19 |issn=2163-8381 |url=https://repository.uwl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1346/}}
*{{cite journal |last=Reynaud |first=Daniel |title=Authenticating the Imaginary: Cloaking with history the characters of O'Brian's fiction and Weir's film |journal=Journal of History and Cultures |volume=7 |date=2017 |pages=1–9 |issn=2051-221X |url=https://historyandcultures.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/reynaud-authenticating.pdf }}<!-- alternate URL https://historyandcultures.com/issue-7-january-2017/ -->

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons category}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150415012706/http://www.agbfinebooks.com/Publications/Movie/Master%20and%20Commander.htm A Literary Companion to the Film] which explores the film's connections to the Aubrey Maturin series
* {{IMDb title|0311113}}
* {{Mojo title|masterandcommander}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|master_and_commander_the_far_side_of_the_world}}
* {{Metacritic film}}
* {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030801184009/http://www.masterandcommanderthefarsideoftheworld.com/home.html |date=August 1, 2003 |title=''Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World'' }}
*[https://www.basedonatruestorypodcast.com/181-master-and-commander-the-far-side-of-the-world-with-gordon-laco/ ''Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World with Gordon Laco''] – podcast with a historical consultant attached to ''Master and Commander''

{{Peter Weir}}
{{Patrick O'Brian}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for ''Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World''
|list1 =
{{Academy Award Best Sound Editing}}
{{London Film Critics Circle Award for Film of the Year}}
}}

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[[Category:Aubrey–Maturin series]]
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