MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD (RUSSELL IN SOUTH AFRICA

Based on the series of books by Patrick O’Brian and directed by Peter Weir (Dead Poets Society, The Truman Show), Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World follows the fate of the crew of the HMS Surprise – a British Naval ship on a frantic search for their adversary, the French Man O’ War Acheron during the Napoleonic war. Academy Award(r) winner Russell Crowe (Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind) stars as Captain “Lucky” Jack Aubrey, renowned as a fighting captain in the British Navy. The charismatic Captain rouses the patriotism of the crew while wrestling with issues of honour, pride, duty, sacrifice and loyalty. With the true passion he holds for his vocation, he consistently employs ingenious tactics to engage his prey – a much larger and better-equipped French ship. After the French ship almost sinks them in an early battle, the ship’s surgeon and Aubrey’s closest friend Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany – The Heart of Me, A Knight’s Tale) cautions him about letting revenge cloud his judgement. With the HMS Surprise badly damaged and much of his crew injured, Aubrey is torn between duty and friendship as he pursues a high-stakes chase across two oceans to intercept and capture his foe, refusing to accept defeat at the hands of the French at any cost. It’s a mission that can make his reputation – or destroy Lucky Jack and his crew. In the course of the Surprise’s epic journey, the crew travel the world – from the coast of Brazil to the storm-tossed waters of Cape Horn, south through ice and snow to the far side of the world and across to the remote shores of The Galapagos Islands. A true camaraderie develops between the men with the help of rum, music and the regaling of tall tales! Nominated for 10 Oscars including Best Picture. Age Restriction: PG L