Peter Weir has directed a number of good films, including “Picnic at Hanging Rock,” “Gallipoli,” “Dead Poet’s Society,” and “The Truman Show,” and I think “Master and Commander” is his best yet. The movie was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, but it won only two Oscars: Sound Editing and Cinematography.
“Master and Commander” is a visually stunning film, and the look of it will stay with me forever. It captures a time and place in a way that few movies have. Set against the vastness of the ocean, Aubrey’s ship looks tiny, yet Weir makes us realize how it projects British power thousands of miles away from the homeland. I find myself completely enthralled when Aubrey prepares his men for battle by telling them, “England is under threat of invasion. And though we be on the far side of the world, this ship is our home. This ship … is England.”
On April 20, 2004, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment[/link] released three DVD versions of “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.” There are two separate single-disc versions, one in anamorphic widescreen (2.40:1), the other in pan & scan (1.33:1). The single-disc versions contain only the movie itself with choice of English 5.1 DTS, English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, or Spanish Dolby Surround. Optional subtitles in either English or Spanish are also provided. The third DVD version is a two-disc Collector’s Giftpack, and I have listed details of that version on the below.
Features of the Collector’s Giftpack:
- Two-Disc Set
- Anamorphic Widescreen (2.40:1)
- English 5.1 DTS
- English 5.1 Dolby Digital
- French 5.1 Dolby Digital
- Spanish Dolby Surround
- English Subtitles
- Spanish Subtitles
- Deleted Scenes (6)
- Making-Of Documentary: The Hundred Days (68 min.)
- Documentary: In the Wake of O’Brian (19 min.)
- Featurette: Cinematic Phasmids (30 min.)
- Featurette: On Sound Design (18 min.)
- Interactive Cannon Demonstration
- Featurette: HBO First Look (25 min.)
- Multi-Camera Shooting of Battle Sequences
- Still Galleries (4)
- 28-Page Booklet and Maps
DVD Release Date: April 20, 2004
