"Master and Commander"; Is It Naval History?

[darrels joy]

Master and Commander"; Is It Naval History?

By Brian S. Chi, Naval Historical Center Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Historians, curators and museum
education experts from the Naval Historical Center (NHC) and
Naval Historical Foundation (NHF) recently had the opportunity
to view Fox's newest movie, "Master and Commander: The Far
Side of the World," starring at a special 20th Century Fox and
Navy screening in Arlington, Va.

Twentieth Century Fox is hopeful that the film, which stars
Russell Crowe, will be a blockbuster.

Many NHC and NHF members wondered if the movie would
be historically accurate or pure Hollywood, and have any lessons
for modern Sailors.

"Master and Commander," based on British author Patrick
O'Brian's set of 19th-century naval novels, follows Royal Navy
Capt. Jack Aubrey (Crowe) and the crew of his ship HMS
Surprize as they sail out to see the richness and strangeness of
life on the far side of the world, against the backdrop of the
Napoleonic Wars.

The movie was well received by the NHC members of the
audience who deemed it, in general, very historically accurate.

"I was impressed by 'Master and Commander.' I think it was
the best portrayal of life in a warship during the Age of Sail that
has been produced in Hollywood. The language, the uniforms,
the rigging of the ship, the customs of the Royal Navy of that
period, the portrayal of the captain by Russell Crowe, all seemed
quite authentic to me," said Dr. William S. Dudley, director of
NHC.

Dudley is a recognized authority on early 19th century naval
warfare, and edited the first two volumes of the Centers "The
Naval War of 1812: A Documentary History."

"It colorfully evokes life aboard a warship in the age of sail," said
Dr. Michael Crawford. Head of the Center's Early History
Branch, which studies this period, Crawford is the editor of the
third volume of "The Naval War of 1812: A Documentary
History."

Another Early History Branch historian, Christine Hughes, said,
"I liked the movie. I thought it gave a fairly accurate depiction of
naval life of the period."

Karen Hill, Navy Museum educator, has a unique insight on
19th-century sailing having recently spent two weeks on the U.S.
Brig Niagara on the Great Lakes, where the crew ran the ship as
if during the War of 1812.

"The Niagara is a brig, so she is smaller and designed differently
than the ship used in 'Master and Commander', but all of the
commands that I heard in the film with regard to her sailing and
handling were the same that I heard, repeatedly," Hill said.

It was so well done that NHC senior historian Dr. Edward J.
Marolda said, "One can see, hear, and almost smell what it must
have been like for England's Jack Tars in the wooden sailing
ships of the Nelsonian Age."

"I was impressed with the depiction of the combat scenes: the
crew moving to and fighting at their battle stations, the working
of guns below decks, the damage to ship and personnel from
shot and shell, the care of the wounded and the repair of the ship
after battle," said Early History Branch historian Charles
Brodine.

"Master and Commander also did a fine job of illustrating how
disguise and deception could be employed with effect in the age
of sail," said Brodine. "Warships could and would change their
appearance in order to fool the enemy, whether to make
captures or elude battle. Numerous American captains used such
'ruses de guerre' with great effect in the War of 1812."

All of this leads to the question of what, if anything was
historically inaccurate about the film?

Hughes felt, "that Aubrey (Crowe's character) took more risks
than was realistic for someone with an inferior vessel. Attempting
a battle during a raging storm is a case in point."

"In general, the least accurate aspect is the concept that a French
privateer would be built in Boston along the lines of one of our
44-gun frigates. Generally, privateers were not as well built as a
U.S. Navy 44," said Dudley.

Though everyone enjoyed the battle scenes, "there would have
been much more screaming and moaning by wounded men
during battle," said Crawford. In addition, "the flogging scene
was unconvincing. The cat-o-nine-tails seemed to raise welts no
bigger than a schoolmaster's switch would have caused, rather
than tearing skin from the miscreant's back."

"There was a good depiction of relations among officers; but the
'foremast men are two-dimensional (a criticism made of Patrick
O'Brian's novels, as well)," Crawford continued. "The image of
the common seamen as childlike, simple and superstitious reflects
the way officers of the age may have viewed them, but is not a
realistic portrayal."

Watching a scene where Aubrey trains his men to fire the canons
more quickly, Brodine pointed out that, "in far distant seas, away
from sure sources of supply, this would have been a needless
expenditure of a very precious commodity--powder and shot."

Many of the experts thought that there were lessons in the movie
from the 19th century for modern Sailors.

"The daily routine, watch standing, bells, boatswain's piping have
not changed over the decades. The movie also affirmed that
damage control, medical, and gunnery training and execution was
as vital back then as it is now," said Dr. Dave Winkler, an NHC
assigned Naval Reservist and NHF historian. "Of course,
leadership and good discipline is a constant over time. Finally,
over the centuries the seas have not changed. Today's Navy
ships operate in the same harsh environments as Jack Aubrey's
'Surprize' did -- something every Sailor can attest too."

"I think the most important lesson for modern Sailors is the
importance of teamwork. The crew of the 19th century was very
dependent on their fellow Sailors," stated Hughes.

"The movie reminded me that the Sailors of our Navy face the
same deadly perils at sea today as they did almost 200 years
ago," said Marolda.

The final NHC consensus was that "Master and Commander" is
naval history, with a little "Hollywood" thrown in.

For related news, visit the Naval Historical Center Navy
NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/navhist.

[revwardoc]

An accurate Hollywood war movie?! Amazing! I know what I'll be doing tonight (then I'll go see the movie)! Too bad "The Patriot" couldn't have been done with similar importance to accuracy.

[grasshopper]

ooooooooooo I can hardly wait! I am going to see this movie tonite with a friend!

[MORTARDUDE]

I have read several reviews and comments about this. One went into great detail about all the small things "that were done right". This is generally where expensive historical action movies fall short ( see other posts on here about "The Patriot"...). I will see if I can find the articles and post them here. Also from what I read, this movie is total fiction ( there are a set of novels 10 or more.. ), but based on events that may have happened, what ever that means....Anyway, it gets 4 stars in the places I was reading..should be good !!

Larry

[grasshopper]

I went and saw the movie Saturday night.
I thorougly enjoyed it. It was well worth the $9.00 to see it.
A wee bit slow in only a few parts, this is a very long movie! Still, it didn't seem all that long. I thought that Aubry was a very tenacious and caring person. Other than that.. I wouldn't say what it is about. Sure would like to read the books that this movie came from though!
Susan
(roasting & toasting in balmy Saskatchewan: Temp is 36F and people are running around in shorts! lol We must be a hardy bunch,eh???)

[Desdichado]

Originally posted by darrel's joy

"In general, the least accurate aspect is the concept that a French privateer would be built in Boston along the lines of one of our 44-gun frigates. Generally, privateers were not as well built as a U.S. Navy 44," said Dudley.

The movie seems to have taken elements of different Aubrey novels and rolled them all into one story. In the book, the ship was an American 44-gun frigate. I guess it was deemed inappropriate to make a movie where Americans are the hunted and not the hunter- so they changed it to a French ship. I just love when history gets re-written so as not to offend anyone.

Grasshopper, the first two books "Master and Commander" (a completely different story from the film) and "Post Captain" are first class literature. The remainder of the series, while entertaining, are merely books. I read them all years ago, and enjoyed them, but the first two especially can stand alone and I would rank them among the finest novels written.

Mortardude, when writing the battle scenes, O'Brian used real engagements and merely changed the location and the participants.