Naval Historian Breaks Down 'Master and Commander' Movie | Deep Dives

Historian and naval expert, Dan Snow MBE, takes a deep dive into the historical accuracy of the one of the most acclaimed movies of all time, 'Master and Commander'.

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00:00 Intro
00:22 Surprise Ambushed by Acheron - First Battle
09:31 Naval Surgery During Napoleonic Wars
12:34 Storm at Sea
16:53 Importance of Recreation at Sea
18:39 Respect and Insubordination
22:02 Punishment in the Royal Navy
24:06 Hollom and Burial at Sea
26:24 “This Ship is England”
28:53 Surprise Attack on Acheron - Final Battle

[fettfan]

I'm so glad this movie is getting some appreciation. It was not a box office success but is easily one of the most accurate and well-written period war films of its decade.

[jonathanhill]

Somehow I feel the lack of a sequel makes this film just that much more special. Leaving you on a cliffhanger like that makes the story really stick with you, keeps it in your mind. One of my favorite films, glad to see that it is incredibly accurate.

[douglasiles]

Whenever I'm watching this movie and my wife happens to walk by, she'll say "Oh, again? What a surprise.", with emphasis on the word surprise, because she even knows the name of the ship because of me watching it so many times.

[IntrospectorGeneral]

Peter Weir, who directed and co-wrote the script for Master and Commander was renowned for his thorough planning and control of his movies, including finding talented collaborators. The visual tone is substantially due to cinematographer Russell Boyd who frequently worked with Weir over a 30 year period and won an Academy Award for this film. Sound Designer Richard King and Weir searched the Richard O'Brian novels for sound descriptions to include, found collectors with authentic cannons and recorded firing, cannonballs in flight, and striking wooden targets, and used classic sound eefects techniques to create a range of rigging sounds. The soundscape of the movie was assembled like a musical composition. King also won an Academy Award for sound editing for this movie.

[swordmonkey]

It's a very rare movie where experts can watch it and have very little to quibble about. Master and Commander is a masterpiece of detail and accuracy.

[Alex-cwrz]

One thing Master and Commander does that I have never seen in any other movie, is having sound move slower than light, as shown the French frigate is seen in the distance and you see the flashes of the cannon and then after a delay you hear the sound. It's also the only movie I've seen that has actors of the right age, how crowded the decks were and the diversity (as the navy at the time was actually very diverse), it's the only time I've heard mention the standard practice of loading more than one cannon ball in the gun at a time, having the cannons fly backwards when fired and using the correct terminology throughout the movie.

[BwInNewJersey]

As a former American Sailor I have always been amazed at how much of this movie resonates with my experience in the modern Navy. The bells, routine, morale, hierarchy, jargon, leadership, tradition its all there.

[PercivalC]

As someone who absolutely and dearly loves this film, I am always so proud and happy to see what a strong community of fellow fans this film has gathered, who share the same passions and reasons for loving this masterpiece of a movie!

[FelixstoweFoamForge]

"One must always choose the lesser of two more need be said, fantastic adaptation of a fantastic series of books.

[mikeyloveshousemusic]

Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World. One of the best films ever made, when the little blond midshipman says "Follow Me" and leads the men into battle. Epic. Simply Epic. I love that little dude.

[silmarian]

The doctor telling the midshipman he’d never seen a braver patient gets me every time

[tsims]

Even as a high schooler watching this movie, no experience with ships, I could feel the authenticity from start to end. Criminally underrated movie!

[db]

Master and Commander is still used to check the setup of surround sound systems. Filmed on real wooden ships, the rolling creaks that surround the viewer will quickly reveal a poorly placed speaker, or one that is out of phase, or improperly amplified.

[daleferrier]

Practically every frame in this film is like a painting. Not only is it fantastically true to the history, it’s also a masterclass in cinematography.

[Mr.Stricken]

My grandfather brought the dvd over for me and him to watch a year after the movie came out. He knew I loved watching the lord of the rings movies and their epic battles. He popped the dvd in the tv and said, “ now this is how it really was back then.” That pretty much kick started my admiration and fixation with history. Love yah Pap!

[Shugo]

My father served in the Royal Navy abord the HMS Chieftain during the Suez. We had the good fortune to have a home theatre and man... this film was our favourite. This was on screen just as often as Star Wars was. The surround sound experience for this film cannot be expressed in a way that would rival experiencing it. Just phenomenal. It's good to see this film get the respect it deserves. This is one of the many reasons I pursued history as a profession. It still stands as the movie I reckon may be the most historically accurate large-format film to exist to this day. Thanks for putting this video together!

[maryb]

One of my favorite movies of all time.

[Andrew-mphu]

Ooh I know this is going to be a banger of a video! Such an awesome movie. Hard to believe it’s 21 years old. Holds up better than 99% of historical period movies today.

[vars]

This film could have easily be over 6 hours long and I still would have loved every minute of it.

[CaptainCraigKWMRZ]

I've been a Merchant Marine and Underwater Archeologist since 1987.
I love this movie and feel that it portrays life in that era onboard fairly accurately.
Well done.