My son in law, who is greatly interested in 19th century naval history, talked me into seeing this movie in a movie theatre. I went reluctantly, came out blown away. Truly phenomenal and sadly underrated masterpiece
The speed of the operation in cutting off lord blakeney’s arm is historically accurate for the time. Back in those days without anaesthesia, surgeons were trained and prized for their quickness and efficiency during surgeries and amputations. Back then, the quicker you were, the less blood was lost, and theoretically the less pain the patient had to endure. Speed was the key to survival of the patient. Then the Hope that the patient would recover from the inevitable infection was all they could do till antibiotics were invented. Back then, best they could do was to keep it dry and maybe if lucky, the surgeon would have some honey and cloves to spread on the wound. Honey is a mild antiseptic and cloves or Szechuan pepper were used to numb the wound.
Pure sugar was used too especially in napoleonic times. Sugar absorbs water and dries out the wound keeping bacteria from getting established. Although you have to regularly remove the wet sugar and add new dry sugar. Interesting thing about honey too is its aseptic. No bacteria grows in it. They’ve found honey in Egyptian tombs and it was still good.
Was is Liston (Lister?) who took off a guys leg with such haste he removed two of his assistants fingers with it. Both assistant and patient died of infection. There's a myth that an audience member stood too close and was cut and died later too (leading to people saying it was the only surgery in history to have a 300% mortallity rate), but he just fainted.
@@EvelyntMild yes Liston is said to have had the only surgery with a 300% mortality rate. The amputee died later in the hospital of gangrene, the assistant having had his fingers cut off was infected with the same gangrene causing bacteria leading to death, the third person wasn’t cut but stood so close over the rail that Liston sliced through their clothing. The person believed the slice to have cut them and fainted from the shock. It was seemingly later found that they in fact had died from fright. Whether it’s true or not, we will never know for sure 100%. However, I can believe the patient and assistant’s deaths from the operation as true, but the audience member’s death sounds very much like an exciting forgery for the newspapers at the time.
They did use laudanum as an anesthetic (amongst other things) Maturin even mentions that "its just the laudanum speaking" so its not entirely without painkillers.. but yeah postop infections were a real danger
This film is frequently cited as a benchmark for historical filmmaking...despite the fact that it is a fictional story. The way that just about everything in this movie is accurate to the period and the setting is something I wish that more filmmakers tried for. Other than the changes that were made to the original story to switch the "bad guys" from American to French, this movie is about as close to reality as it may be possible for it to be. For another Russell Crowe movie that really captivates and does a good job with history, definitely check out Cinderella Man from 2005. It is an adaptation of the story of Jimmy Braddock, a boxer who rose to the heights of the sport during the Great Depression...and it was directed by Ron Howard. 💯✌
Thats makes sense. I knew that some positions were bought and I was wondering if some of the younger kids has a bought position. Not knowing what you are doing in the Navy would mean a lot of lives loss for sure
Also, a midshipman had to pass an exam in order to get a commission as a lieutenant. No one would risk an expensive sailing ship and it's crew to a bunch of amateurs.
You might find it interesting to know, that the wooden blocks hammered into holes, is still used in the modern Royal Navy too. Also that on most ships there is a detachment of Royal Marines (the Redcoated chaps) and that stands true today as well. Nothing like proper Tradition in the Royal Navy. Aubrey is sort of based off the legendary Thomas Cochrane, who I highly suggest you guys look up. Utter madman he was. Definitely recommend the Hornblower series (with Ioan Grufford) as a watch, not quite this level of production, but certainly a cult classic. The Sharpe of the Seas basically, plus a whole bunch of actors you'll recognise.
Oh, and the worst thing ever, is to raked during a battle. Meaning, they are side on to your bow or stern, this is because their shot can go the length of the ship and wreck everything/everyone. This is why Nelson's tactics at Trafalgar came in for criticism, because he was in a position to be raked by the French/Spanish for a long time before getting in close enough for broadsides.
The "Horatio Hornblower" series of ten novels by C. S. Forester is the granddaddy of naval adventure stories. They're great and I've re-read them all multiple times - literary comfort food. The TV series based on them, with Ioann Griffudd as Hornblower, is very good too, but only covers Hornblower's early career. The movie "Captain Horatio Hornblower" (1951) with Gregory Peck, is based on three novels in the middle of Hornblower's chronology.
This one is among my favorite epic historic movies of all times. The action is so good, but the depiction of life at sea in that time is just done masterfully and takes this movie to another level despite being so underrated. I'm glad it's getting more love from reactors like you
One of the rare cases where the movie lived up to the books. All 21 books were epic and I cried when I read the last one, knowing it would be the last. And I agree, I could watch this movie again and again.
Pullings wasn't ACTUALLY promoted. He was merely given command of the prize. Any officer who commanded a ship, of any size, was addressed as "Captain" so it was a ceremonial change of status but not of rank. Pullings was still a Lieutenant. To attain the actual rank of Captain would require review by the admiralty and could depend as much on your skill as on your families social standing. Pullings wasn't a "first lieutenant" as we would think of it today. He was the "first Lieutenant" on board (and the Captains right hand man) merely because he was asked to fill the position due to his long service and his many skills. As we saw with poor Holland, a man could be a lieutenant for a long time but never fill the position of "First Lieutenant". In fact Holland neither could have, nor would have ever been trusted with the first lieutenant position. He was probably forced into the navy by his family and wasn't all that keen on the idea to begin with..
Holland was likely a second or third son who had basically no inheritance rights to the family estate and had to go carve a place out in the world for himself and like you say probably forced there by his family to "make a man out of him". He would have be more suited to the world of finance, methinks.
@@ronweber1402 Or as a tailor or shopkeeper is the way I viewed him. Worst part is, he probably would have been a master at whatever 'land' trade he got into.
@@catherinelw9365 Although he did serve as what we would call an XO today, there was no position actually given that title. His position as First Lieutenant was training for him becoming a Captain of rank in the future. Being chosen to take a prize to port was a big green checkmark on his service record. It would get him noticed and improve his chances for promotion. Aubrey was a Captain with more than 3 years of service. You can tell that by the fact he wore an epaulette on both of his shoulders. If he had been a Captain for less than 3 years, he would have worn an epaulette on his right shoulder only.
I think Jack did a pretty similar thing in before the 1st book by, as a lieutenant, commanding and sailing the captured Généreux into Port Mahon, and it was shortly after that he was given is first official command.
The ship was sideways and smoking not because of damage but ongoing repairs : without a drydock the only way you can repair damage under the waterline is by tilting the ship to the side in a controled manner using ballast water. The smoke was most likely due to working a forge to produce metal parts or making tar to insulate the hull.
Sailing ships of that era didnt use ballast water, they didnt had watertight compartments and using water would be very dangerous for the stability of the ship (look up what happend to the Pamir, the incorrect stowed wheat acted like free floating water and caused the sinking of the ship) Sailing ships used stones or iron bars as balast.
This movie is incredible. It does not dumb it down, or shy away from period-correct terminology. The result is an authentic and genuinely unique film. I'm so happy you guys enjoyed it.
I always have to shout out the gorgeous soundtrack of this movie. I love your reactions, appreciation of history and sensitivity to human emotion and relationships. 💜
Fantastic review guys!!! To answer some questions about the food that you questioned in the movie first the food cooked in the hatch doored skillets by Killick you kept calling Pizza was actually Fried Cheese. I also found this article about the dessert that was prepared that looked like the Galapagos Islands, definitely not something gross: It is a Floating Island (or rather, in this case, a whole Floating Archipelago shaped like the Galapagos). Floating Island was a well-known English pudding dish in the 18th century; it was made by creating an "island" out of layers of light cake (or bread), jam and jelly [that's "jelly" in the British sense, i.e. Jello] and surrounding it with a "sea" of cream (which might have been beaten up with lemon juice, sherry and sugar) or thin custard. It was traditional to decorate one's Floating Island to look like a real island, with sprigs of greenery for trees, cream for snow mountains, etc. As Jack's Floating Archipelago represents the Galapagos, which are barren and brown, they have been covered with a topping of custard, icing or cream, coloured with something brown; most probably chocolate. Chocolate was not yet eaten in solid form, but it was popular as a hot drink and to make chocolate-flavoured desserts. I hope all this information helps. Keep up the great work, and I can't wait for you to get deeper into both the whole Star Trek franchise and Firefly. Both favorites of mine.
The Acheron would have probably been made out of marzipan. I've sculpted cake decorations with marzipan, and it was used frequently in baking since Medieval times. Thanks for the explanation of the dessert.
I feel like this movie really didn't get the hype that it deserved. Every single person I know who's seen it loves it (myself included), but I barely remember hearing about it when it came out, and it seems like hardly anyone knows about it. It's such a great story, with such great characters, and it's one of the most historically accurate period pieces ever. Such a great cast, great sets, great costumes, great effects, everything! It all just feels so real.
Aubrey making the ship look like a merchant ship was actually a similar tactic to what pirates and privateers of that (and earlier) times would use; they would fly the flag of the target ship, then replace it with pirate/their country of origin flag when on the target.
Above all this movie is a brilliant study in leadership and command. Russell Crowe just rocks the role. You didn't mention it, but watch him as Bud White in LA Confidential
At the time the Midshipmen (the 'Young Gentlemen') were typically sent to see at 12 years old and would serve until promoted or washed up in shore. Some came from aristocratic backgrounds, like Lord Blakeney here (the one who loses the arm) but most were often the second sons of what passed as the 'middle class' in Georgian England, Nelson was himself the son of a Parson (a Pastor) who was hardly wealthy but who had a relative who was a ship 's Captain who agreed to take the young Horatio Nelson as a Midshipman. One of the reasons why the Royal Navy of the time became so formidable was its professionalism, in the class based society of Georgian Britain, competency at sea could earn promotion to the highest ranks. Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, Nelson's second in command at the Battle of Trafalgar was from a poor background and joined the navy as an ordinary seaman, he was very very good at his job and made it to the very top despite his birth and class. Such men were respected by the nation and the professionalism demanded at sea, which simply surviving on required huge competency was a great leveller. One of the most famous captains of the time was the future King William IV 1765-1837 who spent most of his life at sea with the Navy. He went to sea at 12 and retired as an Admiral after the Napoleonic War, he went on to become Admiral of the Fleet before taking over the throne after the death of his brother George IV. William was called the 'sailor King' and was notorious for his foul language, which of course, his career at sea had furnished him with and lack of sophistication, again, because he was a sailor. The film makers steer clear of the blight of modern movies, imposing our modern attitudes on the past. Life was tough in 1800, war was raging, people starved to death, you had to stand up for yourself and your country and with such men as Thomas Cochrane, the Scottish sailor that Jack is modeled on, the Brits carved out the largest Empire the world has ever seen by beating the tyrant Napoleon, and held onto it until 1945 and when it was motrally wounded in thenl victory against another European tyrant.
I mean, Captain Kirk had advanced technology on his side. He was less likely to kill everyone on his ship if he stopped to rescue one man. if they hadn't cut those ropes when they did, the whole ship would have sunk and everyone on board would have died. The horrible decisions ships captains had to make :(
I don't think you can really compare Captians like Kirk or Picard to a 18th century Navel officer. The whole society they are operated in is different.
And Jack and Stephen are one of the great friendships in fiction. The books are fantastic and work especially well as audio books.. Patrick O'Brian was a genius. Shame there will never be a sequal, the whole movie was extremely expensive to make and it was very much a labour of love for the crew and actors. Crowe, who is known for his love of food and the good life, was initially happy to play Jack, who is a 'portly gentleman' in the books as being portly is Crowe's natural state, he starves himself for films. Crowe and Bettany also learned to play the Violin and Cello, anyone who has played either of these instruments knows just how difficult it is to learn especially as an adult, both are considerably more difficult than the guitar and getting a vaguely acceptable noise usually takes years of practice, violins in particular
As I hear your discussions about Captain Aubrey's decision making as captain I have to point out that most of you are taking your ideas from our modern times. I the early 19th Century, life and morals were very, very different. Captain Aubrey was under orders from the King. So were all of the enlisted men. England and France were at war. Nothing mattered but to serve King and Country. Losing men in battle was just part of the game. Remember, this was the time when armies stood in long rows facing each other 50 yards apart and firing volley after volley of .50 caliber lead musket balls at each other. Wave's of men would fall to the ground dead or with mortal wounds and another row of men would simply step up and take their place. Naval ships fought the same way, as depicted so brilliantly. This was close quarters combat, even for cannon. A captain couldn't be worried about whether his orders got men killed, he couldn't weigh his tactical decisions on how many might die. If he made decisions that would guarantee none of his men would get hurt, he would never win a battle. He had to obey and execute those orders to the best of his ability. No mater how minor the skirmish, in the early 1800's, there would always be casualties and because medicine and technology was so basic, it was very common to amputate arms and legs, with no anesthesia because it hadn't been invented yet. Anesthesia was invented in the mid 1800's by a dentist. Penicillin was still more than 100 years in the future so there was very little to stop infections or disease, so cutting off arms and legs was the only way to stop it. The only real thing to deal with the agony of early surgery was to let the patient swig down strong drink and bite down on a stick. This is the world in which this movie is set. So judging Aubrey harshly because his orders got some of his men killed is out of place by at least a 100 years. That is the only real thing I have to disagree with your comments. Brilliant move, brilliant acting. If you want to watch another great Russel Crow film, what "Cinderella Man" another historical film about a real person, set during the great depression in the early 1930's.
I think you might have misunderstood our intentions. Captain Aubrey's decisions is only being compared to those of other captains in movies or other TV shows is due to earlier conversations we had in other videos. We were having a light hearted discussion on who is the better captain in movies or TV shows. This time period had to have the best men for the type of war faced. There is no denying that he is brilliant in his decisions. It also highlights why England ruled the seas. Much respects to those men who lived in those times and did the unimaginable
I'm with Ray on this movie - one of my favorites as well and I've watched it at least six times. Aubrey was a very competent and calm Captain, which kept him a good crew but discipline was still required. For a differing viewpoint, try reacting to "Mutiny On the Bounty." The original classic was made in 1935 with Clark Gable. There is a 1962 remake with Marlon Brando but to me it isn't as good as the original. The Bounty was taken by a majority of its' ships company by mutiny in 1789. The differences in captains could not be more distinct. Thanks for another great movie and reaction!
If you like this movie you should check out the Horatio Hornblower Series (8 TV movies). It's also a Napoleonic Age of Sail Series (originally a book series) its a coming of age story of a 17 year old who joins the Royal Navy and his adventures. (His Captain, Captain Pellew was a real person and an amazing captain in real life). Actually, Captain Picard is based on Horatio Hornblower.
I've seen the hornblower series, good stories, but they're a little dated as far as production value goes. I do like their perspective of following him throughout his career though
And if you like to game, I suggest an Indie-game called Return of the Obra Dinn, where you have to solve what happened on similar ship found adrift. Basically a detective-mystery
For some other science fiction with a captain, you may have remembered that I mentioned an undersea science fiction TV show called "SeaQuest DSV" with Captain Nathan Hale Bridger played by Roy Scheider of Jaws fame. For some more under sea TV science fiction I had also mentioned "Ocean Girl", an Australian TV show, but for more space science fiction one of my favorite shows that also comes out of Australia is "Farscape". Farscape is based on a living spaceship where somebody from Earth gets wormholed to the other side of the galaxy, and has to work on board with those aliens on board the living spaceship in a team fashion because there's no one captain on that ship. However there are captains on other spaceships that they come across that end up chasing them that are the "bad guys". All of these TV shows I think you would enjoy.
Thank you for your reaction to Master and Commander! It is in my top five favorite movies (IMHO on par with The Duelists and Lawrence of Arabia). I have read the M&C books completely through multiple times and this film perfectly captures the language, music, costumes of Nelson’s navy in the early 19th century. Love that the movie (Peter Wier and the screenwriters) recreated so many of Patrick O’Brien’s idioms and characters so perfectly. Killick, Bonden, Plaice and Pullings are ably represented. Thanks again for your reaction, it is good to hear and watch your reactions of this masterpiece. BTW - you can see the Surprise at the San Diego Maritime Museum if you would like to visit and board the ship that was used in the movie. Cheers!
@@ericj166 Well, outside of mini-series Band of Brothers, the other two are rather eclectic: Amadeus and Last of the Mohicans. What are your two other films?
I will disagree with some here who prefer the Hornblower series. I've read them both and I find the 20, (21), in the Patrick O'Brien series to be superior simply because I became waaaayyy more invested in Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin. I find them as compelling and as fully developed a pair of characters as I've ever witnessed in literature. The O'Brien series was so inspirational I've read the books 3 times. "Oh, the creatures!"
@@chernobyl68 I would recommend cracking those books post haste! Believe it or not, when Aubrey and Maturin first met they nearly had a duel. Also stupefying, I would not mess with Stephen Maturin. He would have killed Jack Aubrey.
Just to add that I find the books the best comfortable escape from the world when I'm stressed, or upset about the world in general. Being able to sale away in the company of friends to all those places, be on all those adventures. It's just so immersive it's like another life. They not only become friends to each other, but to the reader too.
The scene with the doctor performing surgery on himself is taken from a Russian doctor in the arctic. He had appendicitis and was the only doctor in a research group. He removed his own appendix. There is a picture of him in mid surgery.
Ok you guys have watched a detailed “sailing ship” movie. You need to check out “The Train” with Bur Lancaster. The suspense AND the level of detail to steam engine trains is amazing on steroids.
+1. Burt Lancaster was an ex circus acrobat and was very much the Tom Cruise of his day, doing all his own stunts. For his part in "The Train" he actually learnt how to drive a steam locomotive.
@@RKnights It's also wrong. The dodo was from Mauritius, which is in the Indian Ocean. The Galapagos Islands are in the Pacific Ocean so 15,827 kilometres or 9,834 miles apart.
Midshipmen (the boys) were almost exclusively the younger sons of well-to-do families as pops helpfully points out. Back in the day the eldest son inherited everything, so the younger sons were sent off to war to earn their fortune and family honour that way or apprenticed to a lawyer or some other prestigious profession. Boys from poorer families served below decks as powder monkeys (their term, not mine) or as servants to the junior officers. Enjoyed your reaction to one of my favourite films. Thanks guys.
It wasnt almost exclusively younger sons of well-to-do families. Unlike the british army, the RN was a way for poor families to become well-to-do families, it was just harder for them to get a post as lieutenant without connections in the higher ranks of the RN.
Just keep in mind that the Doctor is (part?) Irish and his loyalty to the Crown is questionable, given English oppression of Ireland. I haven’t read the books, but I’ve seen others mention that he was under suspicion for being a spy or actually was a spy for the Irish resistance. But his friendship and loyalty to Aubrey was strong, and he wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize the ship and it’s crew. He provided the foil to Aubrey in the debate between authoritarianism and democracy. Authoritarianism works if you have a benevolent person with strong leadership skills…if either of those elements is lacking, it’s a disaster. Democracy doesn’t work well in emergent situations…as Han Solo said, “we don’t have time to discuss this in committee!”
Having read all the books, I can tell you that Dr Maturin was loyal to the Crown, in fact he was a top spy for the admiralty, and also had Catalan and Irish sympathies emanating from his colourful past.
@@ericj166 thank you for the clarification! The series is on my reading bucket list. These were notions I had inferred from others’ commentary, but it now makes more sense.
Not only was Maturin Irish/Catalan, he was also Roman Catholic. His main reason for acting as an intelligence agent for the Admiralty was his hatred of Bonaparte. He considered Napoleon's policies to be far worse than the British Crown.
Its all about the source material. Patrick O'Brian wrote over 20 Aubrey-Maturin books - this is two of them (hence the long title). Historically incredibly accurate, the language, society and life within the wooden walls. The books were set in The War of 1812, and the "enemy" was the American heavy frigate USS Norfolk... but can't risk annoying an American audience - so they set it back to 1805. O'Brian is supposed to have based Lucky Jack on the real life Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald - who had an incredible career! The Royal Navy made it reputation by actions like this, taking on heavier ships and winning is what made them masters of the sea.
The titel of the movie is taken from two books, the story is taken from serval books and the books cover the whole era of the napoleonic wars, with the first book starting in 1800 and last ended in the 1820s, not just the war of 1812. The USS Norfolk also wasnt a heavy frigatte, it was just a little bigger than the Surprise.
The captain character is based on a real historical figure, Lord Thomas Cochrane , and his life is incredible. If it wasn’t because his actions were recorded not just by English accounts but also by French, Spanish and other countries he served, you will think it was all fiction because they were amazing.
Hey if this is in your top 10, and you keep talking about best captains, I can't recommend enough the TV series Black Sails. It acts as a prequel to the classic Treasure Island, and blends fictional pirates with real ones. Great production, great stories, 4 seasons, you will not regret it.
Black Sails is incredible! They had a solid vision from beginning to end. They don't waste words or show you things for nothing. There were things from the first season that were called back to in the third. Inspired writing, superb acting and what I consider the most surprising twist in any TV show ever.
In the book, the enemy ship wasn’t French. It was American. The studio decided American audiences wouldn’t like it, so they changed it to French. The actual “phantom ship” was the USS Constitution, aka “Old Ironsides”.
In the book, the ship is USS Norfolk. She was adapted from the real-life story of the USS Essex which went to the pacific to prey on British whalers, but was captured by HMS Phoebe.
It’s easy to see how the British gained an empire. They had young boys who were trained to grow up fast, take on adult responsibilities, and lead men. Boys who behaved like men, rather than men who behave like high school boys these days.
BTW this is where Dr. McCoy "Bones" on Star Trek got his nickname ... they used to call the doctors on ships "sawbones" because they amputated so many wounded patients.
Russell Crowe likes his life in Australia, his ranch, owning a rugby team, music, and his kids. Just not a Hollywood guy, but amazing actor. His first breakout movie was Romper Stomper, then Sharon Stone brought him over to do The Quick and the Dead, and there you go. And the best captain is of course Captain Jack Sparrow.
I have read only the first book in the Aubrey and Maturin series. My dad has travelled to other states to meet up with other fans of the books and have dinners comprised solely of things they would have eaten on that ship. He was very pleased with this film. Glad to see it getting recognition.
Just so you know, lads . . . Admiralty Orders were there to be followed to the best of any officer's ability. The Royal Navy's mandate was basically not to run away from any fight, no matter the size of any enemy against it. Running away from one, even retreating could be seen or interpreted as an act of cowardice. To which some captains and officers would be shot for it - I think maybe even 1 admiral was as well for some kind of similar failure. So it was never an easy life at sea back in the days of the old wooden hulls . . .
No, it wasnt "no matter the size of any enemy", the RN wasnt stupid. Attacking a fleet of 1st rate ship of the line in a 5th rate frigatte and losing it, instead of running away and save the ship, would cost a captain also his post and carreer.
Did you note that when the mail package was being handed down off the Brazilian coast the Midshipman said "Obligado" which is more usual Portuguese, the language spoken in Brazil, not "Gracias" which is more common in Spanish that is spoken in the rest of South America. It is that attention to detail and all the others that make this film excellent.
British naval captains had to be aggressive. It was decided that having the strongest navy in the world was vital to Britain's survival, especially after the rise of Napoleon. Therefore, a culture of aggression was instilled in the naval officers. One notorious incident reflects this culture. Admiral Byng was judged not to have sufficiently engaged with the French navy at the battle of Minorca and was shot on his own quarterdeck as a result. This made captains more afraid of not engaging with the enemy than engaging with them. It also made the British navy the most feared in the world. As a French writer once said: "The English shoot their captains to encourage the others."
Admiral Byng wasnt shot on his own quarterdeck. His flagship was HMS Ramillies, at the time he was executed he didnt had a ship anymore and the execution took place on HMS Monarch after a political trial
The rudder is used for steering. No Motor. Wind is their motor. They used the multiple sails to power the ship forward by raising, lowering and turning particular sail they could increase or decrease their speed.
Arrgh! Better to be Royal Navy rather than pirate ... because you can attack other ships legally ;-) A ship taken as a prize, part of the money from the sale went to the captain, and part to the crew (this was the only bonus a sailor got). The modern steel warship, USS Olympia (Battle of Manila Bay 1898) still had hammocks for the ordinary seamen. Only one sailor died in the battle, from heat exhaustion, stoking the coal fired boilers. Ships boys were as young as 12, they still had them at 16 as late as 1939, then eliminated, because of the sinking of the HMS Royal Oak.
Dude, Paul Bettany was also in A Beautiful Mind. He plays one of the imagenary characters that Russel Crowe keeps interracting with. First officer Pullings is also in the MCU. He plays Jarvis, Howard Stark's driver in Captain America Civil War. He also plays Jarvis in the Agent Carter tv series.
8:27 The loss of the rudder is more akin to the loss of the steering. The loss of the sails would be a more accurate comparison to the loss of the motor.
In the novel, the adversary was the American USS Constitution during 1812, but someone thought it wouldn't sell well, so they changed it to the French.
Jack doesn't have the power to promote Tom Pullings - only a commodore or admiral can do that. He is still a lieutenant, but in command of a ship is given the courtesy title of "captain".
A captain could sponsor a battlefield promotion of an officer to Captain, which could be made a permanent commission by a commodore or admiral if he agreed with the circumstances of the officer promoted.
@@Beuwen_The_Dragon That's right. A ship's captain could give one of his officers an "acting" promotion (though not from lieutenant to commander or captain), and this was often confirmed and made permanent by the commanding admiral. However, in this particular case Tom would have kept his rank as lieutenant but because he was in command of a ship he would be addressed by the courtesy title of "captain" .
This was my first view of your channel, and it was a winner. The whole 'old master teaches the young pupils' vibe is really enjoyable. And if half the crew hasn't seen 'Cinderella Man', I love to see you do it. Thanks also for glossing Max Perkis, the young actor who played the one -armed child lieutenant. He gave one of my favorite supporting performances of all time as Octavian, in the HBO series 'Rome'. For one season I thought Rome was as good as Game of Thrones, but it lost its way in season 2 and never had a 3rd, so I don't think it merits a request. Perkis was too old to play the role by second season, and that didn't help. Last I heard he had decided not to continue acting when he got to college, which made me sad, but I respect his choice. Keep it coming...I'll be here.
I am glad you like our reactions. I enjoy watching tv or movies with the guys especially stuff they have never seen or heard of before. its a fun experience.
I second the request to watch Cinderella Man. No one ever reacts to it, and it’s such a great film, based on a true story. Anything with Russell Crowe back then was great.
@@maggieshevelew7579 Thanks for your comment, Maggie. I also think this movie is a grossly underrated love story. If someone asked me to define 'romantic chemistry', I'd tell them to watch Crowe and Renee Zellwiger in this film. And given that Braddock and his wife spent a devoted lifetime together, it's an even happier thought. Add Paul Giamati's supporting effort as Joe Gould...brilliant! Be well. Cheers!
@@NblennyI would say the same thing. I think I hesitate to say it because I think many guys may think it’s a “chick flick”. But absolutely! In fact, it’s a man’s love for his whole family. Probably my favorite Russell Crowe film, with some of his best acting.
LOL...I thought I was done commenting, but then Alex had to call out Wimbledon...I too have a soft spot for that movie. Paul Bettany is not the ONLY good thing about the movie, but he is truly the standout in it...and he gives an incredibly charming performance. I am also a HUGE Bettany fan going back at least to his portrayal of Geoffrey Chaucer in A Knight's Tale with Heath Ledger and others. A couple of other really good Bettany performances that you should check out are Firewall with Harrison Ford from 2006, and Legion from 2010 which costars Dennis Quaid among others. 😁😁
I remember getting an "A" on a review I wrote for this movie in AP Spanish. Definitely a movie that will last the test of time. Also, that wasn't a lobotomy. It was a trephany. The doctor was drilling a hole in his skull because otherwise, the bleeding inside of it would crush the brain.
Great reaction. I agree that Russell Crowe is an amazing actor. In addition to this movie and Gladiator, one of his best roles is “Cinderella Man”, the true story of boxer James J. Braddock set during the Great Depression. And another film that was never given enough attention is “3:10 To Yuma” from 2007, a western (remake) co-starring Christian Bale.
If you wonder why the British Empire became the size and power of its day the Royal Navy was the reason and this film shows how that was brought about, the men, the ships, the technology of the day, the admiralty and its structures, the team work and leadership on board each and every ship many of the seamen were not English but this life was far better than an alternative on land for so many paid, fed, and a chance of splitting the prize if captured vessels where everyone got a cut.
The movie is an amalgamation of several of the books. The title is a mash up of two. Master and Commander the first book, and Far Side of the World several books in. The plot is Far Side of the World's. However the Privateer is American, because that book takes place during the war of 1812. The element were the enemy ship is is bigger comes from Master and Commander. In the first book Aubrey gets his first command, HMS Sophie, a brig. He then takes on a Spanish ship. Many of the little moments in the film are derived from other books. Maturin removing the bullet from his abdomen, the repairing of Joe Plaice's skull fracture, and Blakeney losing his arm. Which they changed the character's name from Reade. You are right, it's not pizza. It's toasted cheese. Aubrey and Maturin often snack on toasted cheese, and coffee.
I did some quick reading, and the dish that Ray kept calling pizza appears to have been Welsh rarebit...basically toasted cheese. Ok...it was Bach's Cello #1, props to getting the composer...and that Galapagos dessert was pudding, but it was a traditional cooked kind of pudding and not the kind of creamy but uncooked Jello pudding most of us are used to today. And only because it came up..."Crazy Ivan" is an actual maneuver that Soviet submarine Captains performed in order to check and see if anyone was hiding in their sonar blind spot, or "baffles". It entered popular knowledge mostly via the 1984 Tom Clancy novel, The Hunt for Red October...and later on through the 1990 film adaptation of the same name. Also, a note about historical accuracy...there are a few things they got wrong in the film. One is the usage of flint gunlocks on the French ship...which the French did not use very much at all until after the time period of the film. During the Napoleonic Wars at sea of this time, the fact that the British had adopted flintlocks on all their cannons actually gave them a significant advantage in firing accuracy over the French and Spanish. One other nation that DID use flint gunlocks at that time was the USA...which is almost certainly why they are shown on the French frigate, since the book had the enemy ship as American, but the movie just changed that to French. Funny thing though...since the Acheron is portrayed as an elite commerce raiding ship, it is historically possible that the French could have outfitted it with flint gunlocks and specially trained the crew in how to use them...it is just not all that likely. ✌💯😁
They not only changed the nation of the ship, they also changed the size of the ship, and in the book they saw the enemy ship only twice, the first time when they were in Brazil for repairs (hit by a lightning, not battle damage) and the second time as a wreck on a reef. Also, the french did capture british ships, some ships were even captured and recaptured serval times during the napoleonic wars, and they didnt throw the guns over bord when they had flint locks, they keept them on board and used them.
I read all of the books - they're great! There is so much information in them, you feel like the reader could sail the ship. The events of this movie is actually made up from several of the books as well as taken liberties with the books. I love this movie and have watched it many, many times.
The historical accuracy is incredible; right from the start, showing the sailors’ hammocks … each sailor had 18”width, with adjacent rows being on alternate watches (shifts) so they would be unoccupied during sleep, affording enough room on each side of your hammock to accomodate your girth and the rolling of the ship. The only inaccurate thing was the Captain yelling “Down!” during the incoming cannonade - in the book, Captain Aubrey actually says that getting low is the WORST thing you can do, because cannonballs do the most damage via splintered wood exploding everywhere and the wood is all at or below waist level. Standing, you could lose a leg, but hunker down and you could lose your head…
While it is true most of the wood was at waist height, the fact is splinters will fly in all directions. And you must remember, they are taking a full broadside of 22 guns at the bow, all the way to the stern. By getting low, you at least have a chance of the shot being deflected by the Bow or passing overhead. If all men had been standing, more would have likely been killed or incapacitated than if they had taken the hit to broadside.
Everybody thinks that the French Doctor was really the captain but this is not true. After the battle it would have taken months for them to repair both ships for sail and in that time the doctor died of fever. Aubrey decided to rendezvous with the Acheron because they had all the wounded but had no doctor. This is why he went back to playing his violin after giving orders to turn around rather than preparing to battle a ship that may have been taken over again.
No, it is quite clear that the man impersonating the French ‘doctor” Dineiv was the Captain. The ships wouldn’t have been set still for months, merely long enough to ensure they were seaworthy and ready to sail. At most a week. They beat to quarters because there was a *chance* the French captain would rouse the imprisoned crew and try to retake the ship, but not a guarantee. Aubrey couldn’t take the chance of the Captain getting Paroled as a common seaman when taken to port, so he ordered the ship to turn around, so he could escort the Acheron to port and properly parole the French Captain, as Nations tended to pay higher Paroles for the return of their Captains than the common crew. And since British Ship’s captains were paid a healthy Pryze sum for Capturing Ships and Officers. so not only would Aubrey have taken a huge pay cut, but would also be risking returning the incredibly experienced French captain to the French for far less than he was worth.
Thats total silly, even with all masts shot down, the ship would be ready to sail within a few hours, they would just rig a spar as mast, and the Acheron lost only one mast. The ships parted one max two days after the battle and did the cosmetic repairs on the way. Jack definitly didnt turn around because he was worried about the wounded FRENCH sailors dont have a doctor, he send Mr Higgins with them, Maturins assitant. Also Jack let prepare to battle, thats what "beat to quarters" mean, he go back to play violin because it takes hours to reach the Archeron again wich already at the horizon.
Ancient times? Let me put that in perspective, if I may: World War One was just over a hundred years ago. In my life, I have known many veterans of that war. The Napoleonic Wars were a hundred years before that, and those men that I knew, knew veterans of that conflict in their own youth. That's only two degrees of separation. It's not that long ago at all.
There are more than 25 books in the Aubrey/Maturin series following them from Post Captain to Admiral. Aubrey was always more successful at sea than he was onshore.
Ships even under sail were slow. The difference of 10 knots vs 5 knots in speed, was life or death. Naval architecture is still a thing done with models in giant water tanks. Weather gauge ... upwind ... so has freedom of action. Natural science then, meant getting out in nature! Next naval movie? Greyhound starring Tom Hanks ;-) Capt Blye's leadership on the Bounty, was questionable, but what happened afterward was boss, he came into his own. One shouldn't underestimate the desire of the crewmen for those native women, and how that destroyed discipline.
russell crowe's character, jack aubrey, is inspired by a real english sea captain named thomas cochrane. read about him. he was the craziest son of a bitch to ever sail the seven seas.
A competent surgeon in the army or navy could amputate an arm, a hand, a leg, in under 5 minutes. The skin, blood vessels, and muscles had to be cut through until the main bone(s) was reached. An assistant would hold the mass of skin, vessels, muscles out of the way, pulling toward the part to be removed, so the surgeon could then saw the bone(s). Each blood vessel leading back into the body would be sewn shut, a flap of skin on the stump would be sew across it to make a neat "package." The worst problem wasn't the surgery, it was the huge potential for infection, since antibiotics were not invented yet. Paul Bettany's character, Stephen Maturin, is not only the ship's physician/surgeon, he's a naturalist AND an agent for British Naval Intelligence (not portrayed in this movie). Maybe, in the larger world of the 20.5 novels, the more intriguing character. Stephen's wound from the Marine's gunshot was more in the chest, as Maturin asked for his rib to be raised so the probe could get to the lead ball; the piece of fabric retrieved could have caused more trouble than the ball. The flag for the disguised "Surprise" (now the "Syren") was the Brazilian flag (green diamond shape on a white field), which leads me to my major question about the film: the French captain yells, "English whaler"; there's no sign that Jack's ship is English!
The young boy who plays Lord Blakeney is excellent as Octavian in HBO's Rome - a must see! Lieutenant Pullings wasn't being directly promoted - command of a ship makes you a Captain as a title, rather than a rank. Still, bringing back a prize ship and the good news for the Gazette won't hurt his chances of promotion at all.
Rome is an amazing programme. Also, BBC's 'I, Claudius' is also excellent and is like a sequel, as it covers Octavian's reign as emperor, and his successors.
@@Sinewmire If you want delve further look up Wold Newton. Philip Jose Farmer gives us a theory of how all the pulp heroes are inter-related from this one incident.
The doctor on a ship was a guest, paid personally by the captain, and was not an official member of the Royal Navy, so the fact that the officers salute him and call him "sir" is supreme evidence of the respect they all have for him based on his merits.
This is not correct. Naval surgeons were assigned to ships and paid well actually. A typical rated Naval surgeon would be paid 14 pounds a month and if they had 6+yrs exp could be paid anywhere between 25 and 50. Not to mention they get treated for every 100 std that they treated. Plus they also claimed a share of any prize, I believe the same share as an officer. Now in the books Stephen Maturin was Jacks friend but he was still paid by the Admiralty
@Roheryn100 but in the first book, Aubrey met him at some unofficial meeting (its been awhile) and invited him to join them. He was not a naval official.... godamit, I really don't want to get sucked back into a fucking 20 book series
In the movie it’s a French crew sailing an American built ship but in the books it’s an American ship and crew. I think they changed it for the movie because of course us Americans can never be the bad guys 😂
To be fair, the film came out in 2003, and American Audiences were still riding high on the ‘F##k you world, MURICA!” Post 9/11 period. It’s unfortunate, but it likely would have suffered more at the box office if the ‘baddies” were Yanks… Luckily, they changed the baddies to villains Americans and Brits can agree on.. The French. ^.-.^👍🏼
There is a terrific documentary on RU-vid if the making of this movie. It was remarkably and finely done. I recommend it. Thanks for covering this great nautical film and for being a fan of the Patrick O'Brien books !
