The courage to do the impossible lies in the hearts of men.|Nov. 14, 2003|United States|138 Min.|PG-13
Genre: Adventure;Drama;War
Description: During the Napoleonic Wars, Captain Jack Aubrey of HMS Surprise is tasked with intercepting the Acheron, a powerful French privateer. After an ambush off the coast of Brazil, the Surprise suffers heavy damage while the Acheron remains unscathed. Aubrey avoids further pursuit by towing the Surprise into a fog bank. Despite the officers’ advice to abandon the chase, Aubrey insists on continuing, determined to prevent the Acheron from attacking the British whaling fleet.
The crew faces further hardship when Midshipman Blakeney loses his arm due to battle injuries. Later, the Acheron ambushes the Surprise once more, but Aubrey cleverly evades them by using a decoy raft and ship’s lamps.
The Surprise rounds Cape Horn and heads to the Galápagos Islands, where Aubrey believes the Acheron will target the whaling fleet. The ship’s surgeon, Stephen Maturin, is eager to explore the islands’ unique wildlife, but their plans are interrupted when they discover survivors from a destroyed whaling ship. Aubrey quickly resumes the chase, disappointing Maturin’s hopes for exploration.
As the Surprise becomes becalmed, the crew grows restless, and superstition spreads. Unpopular Midshipman Hollom is labeled a “Jonah” by the sailors, blamed for their misfortune. After an altercation with a crew member, Hollom tragically commits suicide. Aubrey holds a memorial service, and when the wind finally returns, the Surprise continues its pursuit of the Acheron.
Cast director: Peter Weir
Cast actor: Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, James D’Arcy, Edward Woodall, Chris Larkin, Max Pirkis, Lee Ingleby, Billy Boyd, Joseph Morgan, Richard McCabe
Original name: Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World