Master and commander is amazing but the boarding actions is imo suffering extremely from Hollywood Syndrom. Suddenly waaaay too many guys on both sides and casualties are unbelievably high yet in the end don’t matter too much.
@@bingobongo1615 Too many guys compared to what? My limited memory tells me that these Napoleon era warships could house up to 700 men? I know the HMS Surprise in the film is depicted after a smaller vessel but it should easily hold several hundred men still.
Hornblower series does best for naval in my opinion, especially with Robert Lindsay portraying Captain Pellew. Also think Sharpe series better than the infantry movies.
I love what he says. "You could buy your rank in the army, but you couldn't buy your rank at sea. You had to know what you were doing. You had to be an expert."
@@davidcollishaw2771 Could you? I thought once you made post it was all by seniority? Your posting might be by influence, but not rank as I understood it.
@@derekbrown4227 seniority meant that eventually you would make admiral even if you never went back to sea and was an admiral of the white but merit or favour would jump you up the scale. Seniority on your post date is useless when a junior whose father is an MP has you appointed commodore. Nelson was younger than his peers.
@@leoa4c Yes. In the army soldiers would just desert which was mostly a rounding error but mutiny not only would cost a lot of troops it also takes out a very expensive ship, its cargo and the mutineers are very likely to go pirate costing you even more expensive ships and cargo. The navy was very much the part of your forces you didn't do any fuckery.
Master and Commander - cinematic masterpiece. It’s such a generally forgotten film because it came out the same year as both the 1st Pirates of the Caribbean, and the final Lord of the Rings, which both massively overshadowed it, which is a real shame (and I’m as big a LOTR fan as they come), because when it comes to the acting, cinematography, storytelling and the general historical accuracy of M&C, my god I’ve seen it probably a dozen times and each time I notice something new about it, and I somehow find myself even more in awe at how stupendous it is. Probably the most underrated film of all time.
I have seen this film at least 3x more than the op. and I STILL notice something new everytime I watch it. In my own top live action movie list, this was the movie that took #1 from The Shawshank Redemption, which had been my favorite for most of the previous decade. I had seen The Shawshank Redemption enough times to literally be able to quote at least one line from any single scene in the movie (more likely I could give more than half the dialogue for any given scene). For anything to top that is one hell of an achievement and so far only Master & Commander has done this. Along with that, Master & Commander reignited my passion for tall ships which had been waning in the years prior to its release.
Yeah the last few times I’ve watched it I felt like I got more out of it. I loved the film even when I was younger, I remember getting to watch it on someone’s big screen home theater with surround sound…man that was just too cool. My favorite these days is watching M&C with a good ration of rum :) then listening to the soundtrack for the next few days
Master an Commander is one of those gems of cinematography that will still be awe-inspiring in 50 years. It's wonderfully written, the cast is superb and the attention to detail makes my history nerd's heart sing every time I watch it. The emotions it causes are unique, it's dramatic and tragic and uplifting and carries itself with an air of dignity and duty no other movie manages to achieve. I'll never grow tired of it.
Ship building goes back in my family to the days of the Clipper Ship. I myself was a Marine Rigger in an American Shipyard for over 7 years. Your right, there is something very special about ships. I've been on a couple of the old wood frigates. The movie was on the money as far as the setting.
That year was an amazing year for cinemas. Master and Commander, LotR RotK, Pirates all in 1 year is so great. Would have been more Oscars as well if not for LotR
I dont know if it's still there but the ship they used was a retrofitted(to fit cameras a crew a little better) actual ship of the line and it's moored at the front of the maritime museum in San Diego California, not far from the USS Midway (another great visit, i highly suggest. I even served a change of command aboard that carrier as my small boy was in dry dock for pre deployment repairs) any way, if the world ever changes, i suggest a visit.
I love the movie. But of course it makes concessions to "golden plot rules" too. For instance, a single French ship almost able to win Napoleonic Wars single-handedly? 😜 I almost expected Darth Vader to appear at her helm at that moment. But on the whole, this is a movie definitely to be appreciated, especially in the times of generic pulp and political correctness frenzy...
Overjoyed to see all the love that Master and Commander is getting in the comments here. It is an outstanding film that didn't receive the recognition it deserved when it was released. IMO it stands head and shoulders above all other 'war films.' It gives us more than bloody battles and action, we're treated to genuine character depth and development. Acting, directing, score, sound, cinematography - all note perfect. Peter Weir is a genius.
Always glad to see an underrated but super competent, well-made films get its dues, but “stands head and shoulders above all other ‘war movies’” is a bit pretentious come on no need to diss other movies as just being poor imitations of this one. Master and Commander is one among many classics beloved by historians and general audiences alike.
I grew up watching master and commander. My dad loves old ships, and sailing, so looots of ship movies, of which this was his favorite. Also, Mozart. Ships and Mozart. If someone made a mozart movie portrayed by ships, it would be his dream come true
I saw it in the theatre as a teenager, was blown away. If I recall correctly, it came out at the same period as LOTR 3, which took every possible awards that year and overshadowed Master & Commander. As a French as well, I loved the caricatural representation of the sailors on the Acheron, and that French accent on the captain was something else haha.
I'm very pleased to see A LOT of love for Master and Commander in these comments. It's easily one of the best films of the century thus far. It's about as close to flawless as any film can get; I wouldn't change a frame. Technically Master and Commander could have been made by another director. But Peter Weir was really the only person equipped to make it into a masterpiece. As a director his style, sensibilities, and overall disposition fit the material perfectly.
Knowledgeable and doesn't completely take the piss out of inaccuracies like a wet blanket. When Dan says something like "It's exciting!" as a dismissal, it's still respecting the work as trying to be an artwork even if it's inaccurate. Very cool guy. Optimistic, even.
Last of the Mohicans was filmed not too far from where I live. A guy I used to work with was an Am Rev reenactor and was hired as an extra. The casting director saw the value in using background extras that were basically a group of historians that understood how soldiers of that time would behave. My coworker loved every minute of it and treasured the experience.
My 8th grade SS teacher was also an extra in it- he was/is an expert on Davy Crockett and there's a picture of him as a "pioneer" at the Davy Crockett Ranch at Euro Disney.
@@davidmaltais2912 not always a good idea. Christopher Nolan did that with Dunkirk and it wasn’t as accurate as it could’ve been elsewhere. Jesus loves you, God bless!✝✌
@@davidmaltais2912 Sometime the original area is no longer the same as it was or is no longer accessible due to ownership or other issues and a change of location is needed.
Master and Commander is not only one of the most accurate depictions of warfare in C19, it's one of the most accurate depictions of warfare period. The chaos, the noise, and utter terror of that first battle. I have seen it 20 times easily and it still give me chills. Also great story and great movie in general. Wish they could have made more since there are so many Aubrey books...
The only inaccuracy that I noticed the first time I watched it on DVD was the older Midshipman. At his age, if connected, he would have been promoted to Lieutenant and put on a shore command, shuffling papers until he left the Navy. If not connected, he would have been "encouraged" to leave the Navy! He wouldn't have been on the ship at all!
@@timengineman2nd714 I can't remember if it's in the movie or in the books, but I remember that one of Aubrey's headaches was how to handle the older midshipman once they made it back to an admirality port.
@@timengineman2nd714 The surgeon boarding the enemy vessel at the end and engaging in a halfhearted sword fight, instead of being up to his elbows in blood and guts in the sick bay seems more than a bit inaccurate to me. Also, during the big naval battle at the end, Jack and his English crew use French naval techniques (attacking mast and sails instead of attacking the hull, English style).
Master and Commander was an amazing movie. Should have won an Oscar, but timing was bad (LOTR Return of the King). Pirates of the Caribbean was a fun movie too.
Return of the King had to crush it at the Oscars that year because they had already given them such little credit for Fellowship of the Ring and the Two Towers. The Academy really just voted it as a trilogy and waited until the end to finally give it its due.
Why are americans so busy winning prices? Is that why you make movies? To win prices? It is no wonder your cinema has devolved into generic super heroes and romance drama flicks.
I think it’s kind of funny they had him analyze Pirates of the Caribbean. Would love to hear him talk about immortal cursed pirates and how common that was in the 18th century lol
Dan Snow? He's the main driving force behind the channel/started a parallel streaming platform. Been in loads of great documentaries/written some good books too
Couldn't agree more. If you have watched his 20th century battlefields. That was a cracking documentary series. Peter and Dan snow. Absolutely amazing from the pair but he really is so enthusiastic and passionate about his subject. ❤
Empire of the Seas doco is in here. He's just come back from a doco in Antartica. It's a hunch but given Napolean movie is coming out in cinemas, I think he will probably do something on Napolean.
The battle scenes on *Waterloo* involved some 17000 soldiers and cavalrymen of the Soviet Red Army. There was a joke about the film's director being in command of the 7th largest army in the world. An amazing piece of filmmaking.
@@AverageJoe483 Not allowed, and not volunteered. They were all active Red Army units... even the 2000 cavalrymen. I assume theSovs got some compensation from the studios, though.
@@AverageJoe483 Somebody can contradict me but guessing 1970 the Soviets were close enough to 1945 glory of defeating Hitler made "Waterloo" seem ideologically sound. Don't fuck with Russia or this is what happens. Lot of 1945 Red Army soldiers still alive, wanted to glory in their historical importance?
The problem is in mostly western people more then film makers. The Marvel Heroes and Pokemon media community so far is the worst. Anyway many religiously treat movies as reality and being toxic about it, convincing everyone they are right. The younger the generation the more and more idiotic it is. Through 90s, 00s and about 10 years ago I met plenty of lovely people for the most part but the newer the year the more and more toxic idiots I run into. Can't even count how many people I had to block online from 2015 onwards because we couldn't had a normal conversation about anything. They were all just spamming crap, walls of incoherent text, lies from clickbait sources and fake news, control freaks and mostly being just attention whores. Too many mentally unstable people and neglected children being stuck online.
Nope. He was analyzing Pirates of the Carribbean as a serious battle -- and not recognizing that the pirates were undead -- so could afford to "loose men" because they didn't. Clearly he never watched either The Patriot or Pirates in full. That makes the analysis trashy.
Master and Commander should have been the first of a series of films - there was plenty of source material. It was criminally underrated and under-appreciated at the time, but I'm so glad I got to see it on the big screen.
An absolutely brilliant film.A standout character in that film was the Shameless actor,David Threlfall,who played Kilick,the cook.He’s absolutely hilarious in it.😸
One thing Master and Commander does that I have never seen in any other movie, is having sound move slower than light, at the start of the movie 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 and 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.
@@theonlymadmac4771 I did not realize that. I know they had recorded historical gunfire for reference, but assumed they did some sort of movie magic to recreate the sound for the films.
Master and Commander is one of my favorite movies of all time. Not just for the historical accuracy, but for the atmosphere and mystique of a high stakes hunt on the opposite side of the planet from home.
It appears strange to a non-military person just how effective an extremely daring attack can be. One looks at the difference between the Acheron and the Surprise and thinks that Jack's pursuit is folly (as the doctor does). But war isn't just about how many guns each side has. Jack is, at heart, a guerilla...he understands how to defeat the enemy in detail (e.g. the mainmast). He's more effective with a smaller ship than he would be with a large one, because a smaller ship (and crew) is more closely linked to his mind. Another 20 or 30 cannons manned by men he doesn't know and aiming at targets he doesn't call out would not help his particular style of fighting.
that's surprising how that guy wasn't more picky in the ambush scene of The Patriot. the british soldiers make zero efforts to show credible tactics against Mel Gibson and the kids, like taking covers, charging them with bayonets, there were even some of them who suddenly change of target.... it's a shame. i guess he isn't like Brandon in the character , after all he is over-negative and the fact that Dan says this scene was fantasy is still better than nothing i think. also in the defense of the Black pearl crew in POC, thanks to a curse, they were immortal pirates, so i guess they can attack any place they wants because they now can. that was to kidnap the daughter of the governor. they wouldn't loose any men despite their small numbers although it depends of circumstances. although it wouldn't solve the question of ship repairing. otherwise, i really should take a look to Master & Commander , it's a pity i haven't seen this movie earlier in my life
Love the Waterloo movie. They had something like 15,000 Soviet troops as extras, dressed up and drilled for it. Gotta give credit where it's due that's a hell of a commitment to cinema.
Can you imagine you're some Russian private sitting on base and you're told to dress like up like a Frenchman because this insane Italian producer with a grand vision got help from the Russian Army to make Waterloo into reality.
@@Tadicuslegion78 I tell you what mate, I'd much rather have been doing _that_ than being made to cross the Ukrainian border for "an exercise" while crammed in the back of a 1970s APC with flat tyres and zero rations, fuel or comms equipment... Yikes! 😬 Edit: No disrespect intended to anyone who has been affected by the current "special military operation" of course...
What I love about the film Waterloo is that this was before large-scale CGI so all you see there are genuine people (soldiers from the Soviet Red Army I believe). Favourite film definitely Master and Commander!
YES! Exactly that my friend, as well as this, in one shot, you can see the glinting of the metal on the soldier's rifles far off in the distance, something that wouldn't occur to CGI experts.
I agree on both counts. Master and Commander = masterpiece. And battle scenes depicted with real people instead of CGI will ALWAYS be the gold standard. The human mind can tell the difference between the two. That's what impressed me about Dunkirk. Sure, Nolan could have used CGI instead of thousands of extras. But there's infinitely more power in actually seeing that many people.
If you are interested in seeing something similar, I can recomden old Soviet movies War and Piece (1964). Based on Leo Tolstoy's books, it's set at the Napoleonic time as well and has plenty of battles with actual crowds and cavalry. Directed by the same guy who did Waterloo, btw
@@a_karch I also like 16th/17th century Russo-Polish war films too. (And similar. Too bad most are in Russian only as I think there is a market for English dubbed versions.0
When it comes to Pirates of the Carribean, while _normal_ pirates would most likely not attack Port Royal, or any other similarly fortified location, one must take the supernatural side of the pirate crew being undead into account in this specific scene.
Exactly! Plus, they were there for the gold medallion that Keira Knightley has. That's the whole point of the attack, it didn't matter if it was a good idea or not, it's where they had to be.
@@babybear9443 The Pearl might not even have been able to sink, as she had been risen from the depths by Davy Jones to serve Captain Jack Sparrow for 13 years so he could repay his debt.
@@ottoweininger8156considering there is no historical evidence of undead pirates, Pirates of the Caribbean still very much deserved that 3 for historical accuracy lol.
As soon as I saw Captain Jack Aubrey I knew this would be good. What a wildly underrated masterpiece Master and Commander is. Also I love that Dan calls Thomas Cochrane a dashing naval hero when in reality he was an absolute mad lad.
He lived one of those lives which if they made a movie based on his exploits the audience would think it was too far fetched. Naval Officer, mercenary, radical politician, womaniser, boozer, convicted fraudster, and known as "El Diablo" to his Spanish counterparts lol He is most definitely one of the true Georgian mad-lads!
In 13 months on a 14 gun brig Thomas Cochrane captured, sunk etc. 53 ships. Went on to scandalous time as a politician and investor before being an officer in the Chilean, Brazilian and Greek Navies and admiral in the royal (British) navy. Yikes.
@@luisduarte7917 of course we do. We learn from any source that teaches proper bearing, leadership and doctrine. If you watch how the Captain leads his men, there is much to be learned from him. Another film that are also suggested by our Command is The Caine Mutiny (with Humphrey Bogart). Not so much by example of what to do, but what not to do.
If you watch the extras about the film, you learn that they actually set up all cast crew and had them working and training together for weeks. They practiced and got used to working together. And boy did it pay out for the film. They are a real crew manning the vessel.
Well Ridley Scott is making a Napoleonic era film, hopefully if that goes well it could drum up support for another Master and Commander film. Or even better a TV show
Let's not forget Paul Bettany as a magnificent Dr Maturin, playing really great with Crowe. And please, more of Threlfall's Killick. That mumbling curmudgeon provided comic relief without feeling forced. Not to mention that Killick is just as important to the character of Aubrey as is Matutin. "Oh, drink wine on Salutin' Day." *shuffles off and shuts door*
Totally agree. Master and Commander was an outstanding movie. One of the best I've ever seen, and one of Russel Crowes best performances. Grossly underrated.
Master and Commander is one of the most underrated movies of all time. Absolutely incredible film, the acting, the cinematography, attention to detail, script, score, pacing--it's truly one of the best movies ever made, I wish more people would watch it!
Even though Master and Commander wasnt a big hit upon release, I believe it's a movie that will be seen as a timeless classic. The tension between singled-minded determination beyond the call of duty and the unbreakable bonds of friendship is a universal theme while the pacing and small character moments are all emotionally impactful. All the characters are well-defined and distinct. Plus the sailing and combat footage is unbeatable.
To this day Master and Commander stays my most favourite movie of all time! Such a masterpiece. And to this day I am heartbroken they never got to shoot a second one although all the cast was onboard for it!
The odds of any sequel being as good are close to zero. So, it's not great loss. In fact, I'm glad it stands alone as something of a masterpiece and without a second rate sequel to detract from its legacy.
Many good movies here. I'm really glad to see that Master and Commander is so on point. That film is so good on every level, especially the chemistry between Crowe and Paul Bettany.
Fun fact about the squares 'breaking' in the Waterloo movie: the squares weren't supposed to be break - the Soviet soldiers who were hired as extras for the movie actually fled in terror (in real life!) from the cavalry mock-charging them. Just goes to show - even Soviet soldiers, who knew they weren't facing a real cavalry charge, still broke in terror at the sight and sound of the horses coming towards them. Now imagine the bravery and discipline it took for the British to hold those squares - unbroken - against thousands of enemy cavalry charging in earnest.
I've heard a not disimiliar story from an re-enactor in a large early medieval battle with several hundred participants. The enemy general used a hill crest to hide the size of his forces then revealed them up close to intimidate the other side. The re-enactors panicked and withdrew inwards creating a crush in the middle where nobody could move their shields or weapons and they were simply pushed over in one swoop.
@@EmperorSigismund As a teenager I did Red Cross duty at a show jumping event, and even though there was a barrier between the first aiders and the action in the arena, sometimes a horse would pass very close, and even when not at the gallop, you got a tremendous sense of its weight and power. If I'd been in one of those squares I'd have wanted to run too, movie or no movie.
The British held those squares because they knew that at least the French would kill them quickly, whereas their own aristocratic, purchased-commission officers would torture them to death with floggings if they didn't hold…
Yeah, the training of the troops was completely different during the line tactics era. I guess, the first reflex of a modern soldier at the sight of danger is to spread out and lie low. Back then it was to keep formation and try to be as high as possible (hence the high hats) for a horse to consider you an impassable obstacle.
The Patriot 00:23 The Pirates of the Caribbean and The Curse of the Black Pearl 05:48 The Revenant 08:42 Master and Commander 11:39 Last of the Mohicans 17:47 Waterloo 24:19
I agree with Dan! “The Last of the Mohicans” is a phenomenal movie! Everything from the music score to the stellar cast to the mind blowing cinematography is of a caliber that not many movies even approach! Dans passion and energy for what he loves-history- is incredibly refreshing and inspiring!
I appreciate how he’s not just talking a giant crap on people’s favorite movies like most reviewers do, but walking through and acknowledging the good and flaws in context
Snow and his dad, Jon, are consummate broadcasting professionals. When Jon moves beyond this mortal coil, his son is well placed to become a national treasure in his stead, the Attenborough of historical broadcasting.
@Astro Jenkins It’s not the expert that ruins your movies. If the movie had something wrong to begin it was already ruined, your awareness of what’s wrong due to the expert just made you realize it was ruined. So many movies can be lazy and choose to not consult or will ignore logic and common sense. It’s their fault, not the experts.
Yeah, he realizes that sometimes you need to change out accuracy because either the movie doesn’t call on accuracy (pirates of the Caribbean) or you need some sort of action that doesn’t bore the audience to death (Patriot ambush scene, though that would be fixable by adding more guys to the ambush)
I love that after 20 years this movie still gets so much applause and adoration. One of the most underrated films I can think of. I've seen it so many times and even after all these years it still holds up. Solid story telling with an impeccable cast. I just hope that any prequel/sequel they make receive the same care and dedication the first film experienced.
Many years ago, I was an assistant curator at the USS Constitution Museum. When I saw this film, I was enthralled from the beginning. The darkness, the creaking wood of the ship, and the battle scenes were so spot on I could barely believe it. Master and Commander is on my top ten list of must-see movies. I really enjoyed your analysis of this and the other films. And I still believe that The Patriot was bunk.
I belong to a UK 9-11thC re-enactment group (Regia Anglorum). We, and other re-enactment groups actually had bulk communications from fellow re-enactors in the States apologising about The Patriot as many of them had worked as extras on the film.
@@geoffboxell9301 - Very classy of them (the American reenactors) since they couldn't know what they were getting into. The takeaway here is never trust or get involved with movie people - but everyone still falls for it.
@@dougearnest7590 So true. My Household only did it the once. Being Medieval times they insisted on somering us all in mud. Trying to educate them on period hygiene etc was a waste of time - that and charging the enemy in a loose unco-ordinated rush. Oi, yoi, yoi: schmuks
I really wish they would make more movies like Master and Commander. Just a straight up action/adventure movie with historical accuracy that shows the honor and bravery our ancestors had. I think audiences are kind of starved for it.
The worst thing is that pirates of the Caribbean came out roughly the same time and people expected more of that. And so Master and Commander didn't do as well which is such a horrible horrible shame. They planned on making more but it just didn't end up being worth it. Will forever be a shame
There's a video that explains the methodology behind Master and Commander to the point that, from the start, the crew were given shirts of varying colors and were required to sew their names on the shirts and each shirt was for the rank of someone in the movie. From that day forward, until shooting was completed, the men regarded their counterparts by name and rank and showed proper respect as if this was the military of the time. It was amazing how things came together as the shooting started. The gun crews also trained on real guns. They fired real cannon. This wasn't simulated fire or fake weapons. They really had to be able to shoot the weapons in the same timing as those of old. Just so many details in the movie that really let you see how a true ship crew operated.
The Pirates of the Caribbean was based on a Disneyland ride, after all. I wouldn't expect it to be the most historically accurate pirate film in the world, but I did enjoy the review and perspective of a historian. Very fun.
While not to disparage the fun of this movie, and I do love it. But to me the greatest part about this movie was that it made pirates cool again the way Gladiator made sword & sandal stuff cool again. For his criticisms, don't you think he missed the elephant in the room? You know, the fact that Port Royal was basically a sand bar with a maximum elevation of something like 15 feet, yet the movie shows them firing up at and down from cliffs. I have been watching Dan Snow (and his father) in documentaries for decades now. He is not an idiot and he knows a ton, so I cannot imagine him not being aware of this. I chalk it up to editing.
@@LaurentiuBadea Yeah but POTC isn't trying to be historical fiction. The Black Pearl is literally a MAGICAL ship manned by immortal zombies, so trying to nitpick the realism of something inherently unrealistic is kind of pointless. "Canon balls don't explode!" Maybe magical ones do? "A single ship couldn't take on an Armada!" Maybe a magical one can? So on and so forth.
20:24 so glad you mention the soundtrack to Last of the Mohicans. I think it is so underrated and one of the all time greats. I actually had an entrance for myself and the groomsmen at my wedding to Promentory as it has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid and watched that movie for the first time. Shout out to Master and Commander for being such a great movie also.
Totally agree. That and The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly. Love The Ecstasy of Gold. 'Treasure' which was the theme to National Treasure is also excellent.
My 3x great grandfather, Johan Petri 1786-1831, fought with Napoleon at Waterloo. Served 8 years, army of Napoleon I, participated in 1812 Russian campaign, witnessed burning of Moscow and survived the winter retreat. The French Empire's eventual defeat resulted in his loss of military pension. In 1831 several families from the southern part of the Pfalz in Germany left from Havre, France for NYC. They were led by Jacob Petri. He died aboard the ship South Carolina during the voyage from Europe to the USA when he, his wife and eight children traveled to a new life in the U.S.
He did well to survive 8 years of almost non-stop warfare and deployment on campaign. Even if he wasn't killed in action its a miracle he didn't succumb to typhoid fever, dysentery, cholera or septicemia?!!
@@flintandball6093 Mixed bag. It was in the aftermath of a major revolution that held some promise for change from the monarchic political elitism. Then, Napoleon betrayed it with his imperial ambitions. Campaigns in Iberia and Russia showed a great deal of atrocities committed by French troops as well as being the subject to a lot themselves.
This is literally THE BEST professional ranking movies video on UA-cam that I've ever seen. A man genuinely knowing what he's talking about and that is actually really into the movie moment but not letting his own excitement get in the way of his ranking score. And movies that are actually good and not completely false and garbage. Hope to see more
18:15 I love how he notices the reflection on the water, while I have always noticed the silhouettes of the trees in front of the explosions. It is nice to have my attention brought to other beautiful cinematic aspects.
Master and Commander is truly one of the best movies ever made; the acting, cinematography, attention to detail, boy sailors fighting with and against men, script, score, pacing, so many moving parts whether mechanical or people, cinematography, editing, soundtrack 10/10 ✌👍👏
It's because the movie it's actually incredibly boring. Most people consider it a horribly slow long bore. Even as an avid reader of naval warfare of the period I can't sit through it again.
I used to watch Dan and his father on the history channel growing up. Learning about battles like Midway and Stalingrad that he narrated and presented really cemented my passion for history. Hearing him again on this video was an absolute nostalgic blast, and I’m so glad he’s still making content. You have a fan for life Mr. Snow!
Master and Commander is one of the best films ever made. I watched it last year and fell in love in the first 10 minutes. Only happened to me a couple of times and I watched thousands of films.
Watching Master and Commander in theaters was incredible.. the sound alone was unforgettable. First thing I told myself when I walked out of the theater.. Imagine this level of detail and authenticity / Hollywood blockbuster budget for a Trafalgar movie.
Well, that would have to be a totally different level of budget. In M&C there are just two small actions between two frigates. Trafalgar was a fleet action involving some 50 ships of the line. It's not jus a question of how to put it all onto the screen - CGI has evolved a bit since M&C came out. But how to tell the story of this battle without totally confusing the viewer? I mean - 50 ships. That's a lot to digest for the avarage viewer. It would end up like one of these Marvel end battles where dozens of nameless monsters throw lightning bolts at each other.
Someone once asked me what movie I thought was the best I’ve ever seen and I had to say Master and Commander, far side of the world. I think it’s one of the finest film that’s ever been made- for period accuracy, script, casting, individual performances, the sets… Just everything... that movie should have won an Oscar but as I understand Lord of the rings kind of prevented it. It is a brilliant film. I’d say at this point in time probably one of the top 50 greatest films ever made.
Most rewatches are guilty pleasures for me, but this one has a long list of prerequisites I have to fulfill before I permit myself the joy of watching it again.
Look up Thomas Cochran. It is an order of magnitude better than M&C. Because it is a whole glorious life. M&C is very good. This is the same as the story of Hugh Glass being far tougher than the Revenant. Gotta love You Tube.
The Oscars aren't everything. Heck, even an excellent, highly influential film like "Seven Samurai" didn't win the equivalent of the best picture award after the film was released in Japan.
Master & Commander is one of my favorite films. Being something of a scientist myself I love the depiction of the naturalist and Paul Bettany is nailing it, as is Russel Crowe and everyone else. Amazing cinematography, editing, soundtrack... could gush on forever! Hope they make another movie yet, plenty of stories left in that series.
Amazing how much science was done on naval vessels of the day. The amount of natural sciences plus doing things like observations of the transit of Venus, map making ECT.
Yeah man! I am a biology nerd (studied it for 3 years, sadly without finishing) and I literally got a fuzzy, warm feeling when I watched naturalist making his discoveries! Warms my heart to the day. :) At the same time I am also a military nerd and was just amazed about the fidelity of everything naval in this movie. The duality of man - there you got it... ;)
The regimental colors in the background of the parley scene is for the 42nd Regiment of Foot, the Royal Highlanders, hence the men with kilts. Fantastic attention to detail
Master and Commander is one of the most underrated movies ever. Would have loved a sequel of the same quality. Never knew it was that historically accurate as well! 👌
Master and Commander still holds up well today, it also has quite possibly the best ending scenes with Aubrey and the Doctor playing a duet while the audience watches the crew beat to quarters. Too bad there wasn't a sequel.
There is the book series if you want to keep going. It's language is a bit old english and some esoteric words used (I was looking them up), but it's entertaining.
Aubrey elevated the cannon in order to shoot at the enemy's masts. Then they aimed at the hull. The young boy commanding his crew in the battle was marvelous, and his story very compelling. I agree one of the greatest closeup battle scenes ever
The kid is my favorite character of the whole movie. He is a very young officer but he's smart enough to know the more seasoned sailors know more than he does. He's always willing to listen to them and learn from them. In exchange they respect him even though he's a kid. I would have loved to have seen a sequel where he's a more mature officer. He had the makings of a leader.
One of his critiques about the slowness of fire in the woods for The Patriot was actually addressed by Benjamin Martin in the instruction to his sons. He had preloaded 5 rifles. 3 for him one for each son. Each son took a shot and then the younger loaded for the older back to back. Martin staggered 3 separate guns and actively reloaded another before engaging in short range with a side arm and fighting hand to hand v unarmed and reloading opponents. It’s quite genius writing.
@@stevovimy Is the Patriot really a historical film or a fictional period piece though? I bet if you asked the staff behind the film they wouldn’t call it a historical film.
The patriot was based on an amalgamation of 4 characters into Mel’s. The legend of the Swamp Fox was a part of that legend which he had used for inspiration in the forests and swampland scenes.
It is really fun to see Snow's genuine love of the subject matter. I can trace my own love for history, in part, to the father-son Snow team. Their enthusiasm and joy in these topics was infectious. Thanks for the hard work and the great story telling.
@@thomasprice9256 I assumed they were father-and-son as well, but they're not as closely related as that: Dan Snow's father Peter (who used to present Newsnight) and John Snow are first cousins.
@@lauradonaghyomalley2033 Today I learned! I think I must've been misinformed by my parents in the late 90s or early 00s and never thought it needed fact-checking haha.
"Horatio Gates is a damned fool, he was very lucky to win the Battle of Saratoga" Benedict Arnold, Benjamin Lincoln, and Daniel Morgan: Of course he's lucky, WE did all the work for him, the jerk.
The one who did all the work was Tadeusz Kosciusko, by creating such an amazing defensive position that Gates couldn't lose. "The great tacticians of the campaign were hills and forests, which a young Polish engineer was skillful enough to select for my encampment." The others just added a bit more to the glory of the victory.
@@240Ldemon In essence, Ben Franklin did all the work by getting the French involved. No way in hell we win without the French navy’s blockade of Yorktown.
Well, he's awesome. Good thing he didn't omit that, cuz he was asked to judge the realism and should be nitpicking, however just nitpicking things and mentioning details that should be mentioned and being "REEEEEEEEEEE, THIS IS NOT ACCURATE, IT SHOULD BE THIS *insert Norman Davies's book here* " are totally different things
I’m so baffled by the fact that Waterloo didn’t come up in my Film classes in college. That shot at 24:23 is _exceptional_ and must have cost an absolute fortune in 1970. The opening shot of Chinatown is regarded as a masterpiece but it came out in 1974. I feel like I’ve been lied to in a weird way.
The opening shot of Chinatown is regarded as a masterpiece? Really? A guy looking at photos of his wife in coitus with another man? Somebody said that was filmmaking in its highest form? Great movie, though, and comparing it to Waterloo is simply comparing apples and oranges. Waterloo is just a war film made on a massive scale. Chinatown is a whole different creature. In terms of filmmaking on a massive scale, Waterloo doesn't hold a candle to the artistic merit of a film like, say, Lawrence of Arabia (made in 1962).
Waterloo is amazing. An entire Red Army division as extras. It followed on from Bondarchuk's War and Peace which did a similar job with Borodino, and well worth a look.
Yes, absolutely unbelievable amount of extras. What I find most fascinating, is we will never witness this again. Nowadays, it would be too expensive and we’ve got CGI anyway.
Master and Commander is a masterpiece. Just an amazing recreation of the time and I have forgotten how many times I have watched this without ever feeling I've watched it too much. Waterloo another classic and at the very top of classic War movies. Another though not on the list should have been War and Peace.
The Author has written over 20 books about Aubery and Dr. Maturin. Excellent books, great detail and makes you feel like you are living in that timeline
Only just watched Master and Commander. What a brilliant movie, can't believe I've been sleeping on it for so long. It's been sitting gathering dust in an old DVD collection that I've been idly gathering from shop discount bins for years. Think I'll be boosting it up to the rewatch pile.
See those two weevils? Which one would you choose? If I forced you to choose. If there was no other response... :) It's one of my favourite films. I absolutely adore the moments where the doctor and captain play music together. Scratch scratch scratch, never anything you can dance to. Hehe.
There are few perfect films. Master and Commander is one of them. Even fewer films I can watch over and over and they just get better with every viewing.
Master and Commander remains a highlight film for me. I’m only sad it wasn’t a sufficient success to adapt more of the books (which are excellent and which I highly recommend).
In defense of the Pirates of the Caribbean scene, it's a bunch of undead pirates in a supernatural pirate ship unafraid of mortal consequences and desperate to end their curse, and their attack on Port Royal is out of the ordinary and specifically to capture Elizabeth and get the coin back.
Yes he watched the movie but here he was asked to rate ACCURACY, if you want to blame someone, blame the producer who threw a pirate fantasy Disney movie in a history video.
Thanks to Patrick O' Brian and his wonderful books from which the scenes in the film Master and Commander were developed from. What a shame they never made another film. So much factual material in O'Brian's book to work from.
After 15 years in the British Army trundling over land in tanks, I went to sea for my next career. Thankfully, the ship's library was full of Patrick O'Brian; and so began my education! Fantastic books, and painstakingly researched.
What was particularly good about the Aubrey books was the language used. And by the end of the series, Jack Aubrey is revealed as a considerable astronomer and mathematician as well as a more than competent violinist playing his own Stradivarius. And there was us thinking that he was an intellectual dullard with too much testosterone all this time
They did a show on the making of Master and Commander. The attention to detail was incredible. Kudos to Russell Crowe and company. They made the finished movie a real gem and very real to the watcher. Also a terrific score.
Master and Commander is bloody masterpiece. Couple of (and only two) false moments, but otherwise really gets the spirit of the books. Great stuff. "One must always choose the lesser of two weevils".
Last of the Mohicans has some of the best night time photography I've ever scene. Most movies that had outdoor night scenes (especially in the 90s and earlier) either did "day for night" filming with a filter on the lens, or had floodlights shining on everything. The cinematography in Last of the Mohicans looks like nighttime, and doesn't feel like it's artificially illuminated.
i love this movie Because my ancestor came france as soldat and arrived at Quebec , 1755 , an participate at the batlle Fort William Henry in 1757 , it was le Régiment de la Reine , compagnie Damas , in this movie we see the colour of his Flag just behind Général Montcalm .
I also like the sceens in the Fort at night, they are actually dark. They did a great job recreating the effect of only candle light in the interior shots. Amazing cinematography.
When Russell Crowe is on his game, he just eats every scene. He should've been the hero character in that God awful Mummy Movie. He was the only redeeming quality in the movie
@@TeylaDex Ridley Scott will start filming a sequel to Gladiator after he's finished making the Napoleon biopic. Russell Crowe is definitely involved with it and I read somewhere that Chris Hemsworth is as well.
One more thing from this enamored fan of Master and Commander: When Blakeney, the midshipman, fires the cannon upon the enemy ship is not to sink her but to stop the Acheron to firing on the Surprise, defensive maneuver through and through.
Dan, as soon as you mentioned that losing the colours could get a soldier in trouble, I immediately thought of the scene in Sharpe’s Eagle where Simmerson got a verbal lashing from Wellington for his cowardice.
"MAJOR LENNOX ANSWERD WITH HIS LIFE!!! AS YOU SHOULD'VE DONE, IF YOU HAD ANY SENSE OF HONOUR........." Without doubt, 1 of the most epic of dressing downs.
In Master & Commander, when that kid leads the men on to the French ship is the best naval scene ever. And with Doctor Maturin coming behind him. Epic. Just epic.
If you guys want more Master and Commander, read the books by Patrick O'Brian: they're the best historical fiction out there, written in a beautiful, warm, wry style totally authentic to the early 19th century, like Jane Austen for military geeks.
@@lisalynch629 lmao for real. When I recommend it to women, I always say it's really the story of two best friends over decades of war and love and loss. Jack and Sophie and Maturin and Diana, goddamn if the seafaring and exploration and warfare isn't engaging, but there's still tons of romance and homesteading.
I've read several. Too much talk, talk, talk for me. "Jane Austen for men is correct"-there is so much sighing and lovelorning. I don't read naval novels for the drama of who gets the girl.
I grew up on war movies. As a military brat it was pretty much 90% of the movies we watched. My dad would often tell me what they got right and wrong while we were watching. So when he told me Master and Commander was one of the most accurate and best war movies he'd ever seen I too had to see it. It is now one of my favorite movies and one of the most underrated I've ever seen. Based on all the comments, I'm obviously not the only one.
Finally got round to watching the "Revenant" all the way through, and what an amazing film it is, especially considering the effort the cast made, into making it!
I just watched it recently too , it’s a one of a kind movie. that bear scene is one of the most visceral and disturbing scenes I’ve seen. Don’t know if I’m gonna watch it again 😂
Wow! Never knew of the movie ‘Waterloo’…. the scale of the battle in the picture is insane! No CGI… the amount of men, horses, equipment in those shots, with all the smoke and explosions, is so impressive!
The "Fire first" reference: At the battle of Fontenoy11 May, 1745, Lord Charles Hay led a British company over a rise, using the early fog as cover, when they ran into a company of Gardes Francaises. As the companies drew up about 30 yards apart, the officers met in the middle. Introductions and salutations were offered, and not a few insults. Lord Hay asked, "..if the Gentlemen of France would care to fire first." , to which the French commander vehemently but politely replied, "We are Gardes of France, bravest of King Louis' soldiers, and we NEVER fire first!" The French stood stoically, Lord Hay ordered his men to HUZZAH, and obliged them. As a result, Lord Hay and his men enjoyed one of the few successes by the forces assembled against the French that day.
The Master and Commander audio books read by Patrick Tull are the most entertaining books I've ever listened to. I had genuine belly laughs, tears, and learned so much about so many places around the world and disciplines, you will never be the same afterwards!
Have you listened to the Simon Vance versions? I haven’t heard either (though I’ve read all the Aubrey/Maturins), but Vance is probably my favorite reader overall. (And you can tell from the Cochrane references, and Nelson’s “never mind maneuvers, go straight at them,” that the speaker has read the books too. )
As a young boy growing up in southern Ontario many years ago, it was James Fenimore Cooper and his "Last of the Mohicans" that captured my imagination. As I got older and found out that this novel was not only based in history but written during that very era, my interests turned to learning as much as I could about the history of this part of the world. Truly fascinating stuff.
@@Martin.Wilson I think it’s hard to say that the book was written in the same era given it was 70 years later. Era suggests commonality of experience and life time. Cooper was born in 1789, more than thirty years after the war he wrote about and he wrote about it in a different century.
The thing that's so frustrating about the film, beautifully made though it is, is that Cooper was a definite Anglophile, whereas the screenwriter and/or director clearly had an altogether different opinion about the British and didn't hold back from showing it, altering basically all of the British characterisations to make them entirely worse people than as originally written, not to mention including a lot of fiery revolutionary rhetoric about 20 years and a generation earlier than one would really expect to hear it, and that just isn't in the book at all, IIRC.
@@tommcewan7936 I agree. Once again, Hollywood rewrites history. In fairness, though, the movie, like the book, was a work of fiction, not a documentary.
About a year ago, some college student posted that if you wanted help sleeping, watch Master and Commander. Russell Crowe called him out for it. The funny thing is that I actually use it to help me sleep. It’s my favorite movie and I’ve watched it dozens and dozens of time. When I turn it on while in bed, it gets my mind off whatever is keeping me up and I’m usually asleep before the Surprise has been refit.
Master and Commander is superb! Very under-rated.... So authentic. I've read all the books and listened to many of the audiobooks with the excellent Patrick Tull. At Waterloo, I believe Wellington had several horses shot from underneath him.
If you enjoyed the audiobooks I recommend checking out the audiobooks of the Hornblower saga by C.S. Forester. It's naval historical fiction set during the Napoleonic wars. The series has great attention to detail and the main character, Captain Hornblower, was actually the inspiration for the Star Trek character Captain Jean-Luc Picard.
@@bigpimpinc230 I have found another series of naval fiction books from the Napoleonic era that is good. The Thomas Kydd books by Julian Stockwin are also enjoyable.
Does Master and Commander offer the most accurate depiction of early 19th Century naval warfare? Let us know what you think in the comments below 👇
Fuck yes it does
Master and commander is amazing but the boarding actions is imo suffering extremely from Hollywood Syndrom. Suddenly waaaay too many guys on both sides and casualties are unbelievably high yet in the end don’t matter too much.
I'd watch an full commentary from Dan Snow for the full length of Master and Commander. I watch it yearly, just such a great movie on all accounts.
@@bingobongo1615 Too many guys compared to what? My limited memory tells me that these Napoleon era warships could house up to 700 men? I know the HMS Surprise in the film is depicted after a smaller vessel but it should easily hold several hundred men still.
Hornblower series does best for naval in my opinion, especially with Robert Lindsay portraying Captain Pellew. Also think Sharpe series better than the infantry movies.
I love what he says. "You could buy your rank in the army, but you couldn't buy your rank at sea. You had to know what you were doing. You had to be an expert."
But was it really true?!
Often you were promoted on influence but only after you had been made post.
@@davidcollishaw2771 Could you? I thought once you made post it was all by seniority? Your posting might be by influence, but not rank as I understood it.
@@derekbrown4227 seniority meant that eventually you would make admiral even if you never went back to sea and was an admiral of the white but merit or favour would jump you up the scale.
Seniority on your post date is useless when a junior whose father is an MP has you appointed commodore.
Nelson was younger than his peers.
@@leoa4c Yes. In the army soldiers would just desert which was mostly a rounding error but mutiny not only would cost a lot of troops it also takes out a very expensive ship, its cargo and the mutineers are very likely to go pirate costing you even more expensive ships and cargo. The navy was very much the part of your forces you didn't do any fuckery.
Master and Commander - cinematic masterpiece. It’s such a generally forgotten film because it came out the same year as both the 1st Pirates of the Caribbean, and the final Lord of the Rings, which both massively overshadowed it, which is a real shame (and I’m as big a LOTR fan as they come), because when it comes to the acting, cinematography, storytelling and the general historical accuracy of M&C, my god I’ve seen it probably a dozen times and each time I notice something new about it, and I somehow find myself even more in awe at how stupendous it is. Probably the most underrated film of all time.
Its my go to film, watch ut at least once a month. A proper lads film too.
Yeah I was really hoping it would become a franchise
I have seen this film at least 3x more than the op. and I STILL notice something new everytime I watch it.
In my own top live action movie list, this was the movie that took #1 from The Shawshank Redemption, which had been my favorite for most of the previous decade. I had seen The Shawshank Redemption enough times to literally be able to quote at least one line from any single scene in the movie (more likely I could give more than half the dialogue for any given scene). For anything to top that is one hell of an achievement and so far only Master & Commander has done this.
Along with that, Master & Commander reignited my passion for tall ships which had been waning in the years prior to its release.
I absolutely love M&C. I watch the film once a month as well and is easily one of my favorite films. It's a true masterwork of a film.
Yeah the last few times I’ve watched it I felt like I got more out of it. I loved the film even when I was younger, I remember getting to watch it on someone’s big screen home theater with surround sound…man that was just too cool.
My favorite these days is watching M&C with a good ration of rum :) then listening to the soundtrack for the next few days
Master an Commander is one of those gems of cinematography that will still be awe-inspiring in 50 years. It's wonderfully written, the cast is superb and the attention to detail makes my history nerd's heart sing every time I watch it. The emotions it causes are unique, it's dramatic and tragic and uplifting and carries itself with an air of dignity and duty no other movie manages to achieve. I'll never grow tired of it.
Ship building goes back in my family to the days of the Clipper Ship. I myself was a Marine Rigger in an American Shipyard for over 7 years. Your right, there is something very special about ships. I've been on a couple of the old wood frigates. The movie was on the money as far as the setting.
That year was an amazing year for cinemas. Master and Commander, LotR RotK, Pirates all in 1 year is so great. Would have been more Oscars as well if not for LotR
And M&C used so little CGI, that it has aged incredible well. I re-watched it the other day and it still feels amazing. LoTR didn’t age that well.
I dont know if it's still there but the ship they used was a retrofitted(to fit cameras a crew a little better) actual ship of the line and it's moored at the front of the maritime museum in San Diego California, not far from the USS Midway (another great visit, i highly suggest. I even served a change of command aboard that carrier as my small boy was in dry dock for pre deployment repairs) any way, if the world ever changes, i suggest a visit.
I love the movie. But of course it makes concessions to "golden plot rules" too. For instance, a single French ship almost able to win Napoleonic Wars single-handedly? 😜 I almost expected Darth Vader to appear at her helm at that moment.
But on the whole, this is a movie definitely to be appreciated, especially in the times of generic pulp and political correctness frenzy...
Overjoyed to see all the love that Master and Commander is getting in the comments here. It is an outstanding film that didn't receive the recognition it deserved when it was released. IMO it stands head and shoulders above all other 'war films.' It gives us more than bloody battles and action, we're treated to genuine character depth and development. Acting, directing, score, sound, cinematography - all note perfect. Peter Weir is a genius.
Read the 20 books by Patrick O'Brien. They are awesome.... Master and Commander was the first.
Always glad to see an underrated but super competent, well-made films get its dues, but “stands head and shoulders above all other ‘war movies’” is a bit pretentious come on no need to diss other movies as just being poor imitations of this one. Master and Commander is one among many classics beloved by historians and general audiences alike.
I grew up watching master and commander. My dad loves old ships, and sailing, so looots of ship movies, of which this was his favorite. Also, Mozart. Ships and Mozart. If someone made a mozart movie portrayed by ships, it would be his dream come true
Good soundtrack too. Vaughn Williams is going places.
The movie was just unlucky to come out in 2003
Master And Commander is one of the most underrated naval films ever. Deserved so much more love than what it got.
If you haven't read the books: you really should. Jack & Stephen had a very interesting war!
Im ok with this. This means they likely wont rehash it like everything else, and annihilate its awesomeness
I saw it in the theatre as a teenager, was blown away. If I recall correctly, it came out at the same period as LOTR 3, which took every possible awards that year and overshadowed Master & Commander. As a French as well, I loved the caricatural representation of the sailors on the Acheron, and that French accent on the captain was something else haha.
One of the greatest movies ever.
Basics like "The Cruel Sea" are hard to beat
I'm very pleased to see A LOT of love for Master and Commander in these comments. It's easily one of the best films of the century thus far. It's about as close to flawless as any film can get; I wouldn't change a frame. Technically Master and Commander could have been made by another director. But Peter Weir was really the only person equipped to make it into a masterpiece. As a director his style, sensibilities, and overall disposition fit the material perfectly.
It's a great shame that another of his films (LOTR 3) beat M & C out of an Oscar.
Im glad it was not a success because this movie is a joke historically speaking
Knowledgeable and doesn't completely take the piss out of inaccuracies like a wet blanket.
When Dan says something like "It's exciting!" as a dismissal, it's still respecting the work as trying to be an artwork even if it's inaccurate. Very cool guy. Optimistic, even.
Last of the Mohicans was filmed not too far from where I live. A guy I used to work with was an Am Rev reenactor and was hired as an extra. The casting director saw the value in using background extras that were basically a group of historians that understood how soldiers of that time would behave. My coworker loved every minute of it and treasured the experience.
He was a lucky So-and-so! 😄😄
My 8th grade SS teacher was also an extra in it- he was/is an expert on Davy Crockett and there's a picture of him as a "pioneer" at the Davy Crockett Ranch at Euro Disney.
I was disappointed that it wasn't filmed where it actually took place in real life tbh
@@davidmaltais2912 not always a good idea. Christopher Nolan did that with Dunkirk and it wasn’t as accurate as it could’ve been elsewhere.
Jesus loves you, God bless!✝✌
@@davidmaltais2912 Sometime the original area is no longer the same as it was or is no longer accessible due to ownership or other issues and a change of location is needed.
Master and Commander is not only one of the most accurate depictions of warfare in C19, it's one of the most accurate depictions of warfare period. The chaos, the noise, and utter terror of that first battle. I have seen it 20 times easily and it still give me chills. Also great story and great movie in general. Wish they could have made more since there are so many Aubrey books...
The audio book series read by Patrick Tull changed my life, you've got to try it!
as well as last of mohicans
The only inaccuracy that I noticed the first time I watched it on DVD was the older Midshipman. At his age, if connected, he would have been promoted to Lieutenant and put on a shore command, shuffling papers until he left the Navy. If not connected, he would have been "encouraged" to leave the Navy!
He wouldn't have been on the ship at all!
@@timengineman2nd714 I can't remember if it's in the movie or in the books, but I remember that one of Aubrey's headaches was how to handle the older midshipman once they made it back to an admirality port.
@@timengineman2nd714 The surgeon boarding the enemy vessel at the end and engaging in a halfhearted sword fight, instead of being up to his elbows in blood and guts in the sick bay seems more than a bit inaccurate to me. Also, during the big naval battle at the end, Jack and his English crew use French naval techniques (attacking mast and sails instead of attacking the hull, English style).
Master and Commander was an amazing movie. Should have won an Oscar, but timing was bad (LOTR Return of the King). Pirates of the Caribbean was a fun movie too.
Damn the Return of the King🤯 horrendous timing.
Loved how much Dan was into Master & Commander...
"Oooh, he's raked him!!!" 🤣
Return of the King had to crush it at the Oscars that year because they had already given them such little credit for Fellowship of the Ring and the Two Towers. The Academy really just voted it as a trilogy and waited until the end to finally give it its due.
Why are americans so busy winning prices?
Is that why you make movies? To win prices? It is no wonder your cinema has devolved into generic super heroes and romance drama flicks.
@@joelwillems4081
Honestly thought LOTR was rubbish especially the silly ROTK with the 50 endings..
Last of the Mohicans, “best soundtrack ever.” I can’t agree more on this. The music in this movie is glorious.
I still get chills from the score at the end chase & fight scene.
Very powerful stuff. However it’s a score not a soundtrack as the tracks were composed specifically for the film
@@jamesmcv Agreed, just about the best 15 minutes of any movie to me.
Agree completely. Without that particular music, it would not have been nearly as good.
Agree. Bought the CD, back when that was a thing. Played it over and over.
I think it’s kind of funny they had him analyze Pirates of the Caribbean. Would love to hear him talk about immortal cursed pirates and how common that was in the 18th century lol
Yea, you don’t need to worry about casualties when your men can’t die.
I just left a comment about that exact same thing lol
@@reyrodriguez3476 Yeah but you got 2 upvotes and he got 117 (counting mine). Such is life.
They attacked Port Royal because of the gold coin after all.
17th century
We gotta have this guy back for more of this. These 30 minutes went by in a blink of an eye cause he is so entertaining and into what he is saying!
Exactly my thoughts
Dan Snow? He's the main driving force behind the channel/started a parallel streaming platform. Been in loads of great documentaries/written some good books too
Couldn't agree more. If you have watched his 20th century battlefields. That was a cracking documentary series. Peter and Dan snow. Absolutely amazing from the pair but he really is so enthusiastic and passionate about his subject. ❤
@@challenger2031 Agreed, plus he and his father did a previous series, Battlefield Britain which ranged from 66ad to 1940.
Empire of the Seas doco is in here. He's just come back from a doco in Antartica. It's a hunch but given Napolean movie is coming out in cinemas, I think he will probably do something on Napolean.
The battle scenes on *Waterloo* involved some 17000 soldiers and cavalrymen of the Soviet Red Army. There was a joke about the film's director being in command of the 7th largest army in the world.
An amazing piece of filmmaking.
Wow , that’s interesting ! So the Soviets allowed their soldiers to volunteer gif the film ?? Serious question .
@@AverageJoe483 Not allowed, and not volunteered. They were all active Red Army units... even the 2000 cavalrymen. I assume theSovs got some compensation from the studios, though.
Even more amazing that this is pre CGI so what you see is happening in real time.... no one would do that these days
@@AverageJoe483 Somebody can contradict me but guessing 1970 the Soviets were close enough to 1945 glory of defeating Hitler made "Waterloo" seem ideologically sound. Don't fuck with Russia or this is what happens. Lot of 1945 Red Army soldiers still alive, wanted to glory in their historical importance?
@@gibberconfirm166 interesting thought ! Sounds reasonable - Operation Barbarossa certainly was the undoing of Germany .
I like this guy. He can recognize when a movie is just trying to be fun. Not everything has to be a documentary.
Hes top drawer, his father is great broadcaster too.
The problem is in mostly western people more then film makers. The Marvel Heroes and Pokemon media community so far is the worst.
Anyway many religiously treat movies as reality and being toxic about it, convincing everyone they are right.
The younger the generation the more and more idiotic it is.
Through 90s, 00s and about 10 years ago I met plenty of lovely people for the most part but the newer the year the more and more toxic idiots I run into. Can't even count how many people I had to block online from 2015 onwards because we couldn't had a normal conversation about anything.
They were all just spamming crap, walls of incoherent text, lies from clickbait sources and fake news, control freaks and mostly being just attention whores.
Too many mentally unstable people and neglected children being stuck online.
@Vegvisir92 But he’s not a historian, he is a Tv presenter
@Vegvisir92 BBC - Enough Said !
Nope. He was analyzing Pirates of the Carribbean as a serious battle -- and not recognizing that the pirates were undead -- so could afford to "loose men" because they didn't. Clearly he never watched either The Patriot or Pirates in full. That makes the analysis trashy.
Master and Commander should have been the first of a series of films - there was plenty of source material. It was criminally underrated and under-appreciated at the time, but I'm so glad I got to see it on the big screen.
Absolutely much like Sharpe
Read the book! The movie was but a fraction of the story.
They made a series of Capt. Hornblower a good series but on a TV budget.
Would love to see more M&C.
They made a series of Capt. Hornblower a good series but on a TV budget.
Would love to see more M&C.
They made a series of Capt. Hornblower a good series but on a TV budget.
Would love to see more M&C.
Master and Commander is one of the greatest films ever and I seriously regret not seeing it in theaters.
Agree! I loved it.
An absolutely brilliant film.A standout character in that film was the Shameless actor,David Threlfall,who played Kilick,the cook.He’s absolutely hilarious in it.😸
I am so glad I saw it in the theater. Brilliant!!!!
as well as Last of Mahicans and Revenant
@RollinRat I bought all the books as hard copies and bound them like they do in a library and read them every 5 or 6 years or so
One thing Master and Commander does that I have never seen in any other movie, is having sound move slower than light, at the start of the movie 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 and 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.
Exactly such a great and realistic movie
And the sound effects they generated for the cannons were haunting
@@glenchapman3899 no wonder. They took historical cannons, fired them and recorded the sounds
@@theonlymadmac4771 I did not realize that. I know they had recorded historical gunfire for reference, but assumed they did some sort of movie magic to recreate the sound for the films.
If the crews were diverse, does that mean the Royal Navy was woke? Should we tweet about this?
Master and Commander is one of my favorite movies of all time. Not just for the historical accuracy, but for the atmosphere and mystique of a high stakes hunt on the opposite side of the planet from home.
Indeed. Red October was pretty sweet with subs (any inaccuracies aside), but it's all the better with sailing ships.
It appears strange to a non-military person just how effective an extremely daring attack can be. One looks at the difference between the Acheron and the Surprise and thinks that Jack's pursuit is folly (as the doctor does). But war isn't just about how many guns each side has. Jack is, at heart, a guerilla...he understands how to defeat the enemy in detail (e.g. the mainmast). He's more effective with a smaller ship than he would be with a large one, because a smaller ship (and crew) is more closely linked to his mind. Another 20 or 30 cannons manned by men he doesn't know and aiming at targets he doesn't call out would not help his particular style of fighting.
that's surprising how that guy wasn't more picky in the ambush scene of The Patriot. the british soldiers make zero efforts to show credible tactics against Mel Gibson and the kids, like taking covers, charging them with bayonets, there were even some of them who suddenly change of target.... it's a shame. i guess he isn't like Brandon in the character , after all he is over-negative and the fact that Dan says this scene was fantasy is still better than nothing i think.
also in the defense of the Black pearl crew in POC, thanks to a curse, they were immortal pirates, so i guess they can attack any place they wants because they now can. that was to kidnap the daughter of the governor. they wouldn't loose any men despite their small numbers although it depends of circumstances. although it wouldn't solve the question of ship repairing.
otherwise, i really should take a look to Master & Commander , it's a pity i haven't seen this movie earlier in my life
He is right about the Last of the Mohicans, that soundtrack is legit the best one of any historical film ever made.
Love the Waterloo movie. They had something like 15,000 Soviet troops as extras, dressed up and drilled for it. Gotta give credit where it's due that's a hell of a commitment to cinema.
Can you imagine you're some Russian private sitting on base and you're told to dress like up like a Frenchman because this insane Italian producer with a grand vision got help from the Russian Army to make Waterloo into reality.
It was said during the filming, the director had the 6th largest army in the world! its the entire soviet red army in it.
@@Tadicuslegion78
I tell you what mate, I'd much rather have been doing _that_ than being made to cross the Ukrainian border for "an exercise" while crammed in the back of a 1970s APC with flat tyres and zero rations, fuel or comms equipment... Yikes! 😬
Edit: No disrespect intended to anyone who has been affected by the current "special military operation" of course...
@@brodozer2515 the soviets provided 15000 infantry and 2000 cavalry. 17000 men is a tiny fraction of the millions that were in the red army
@@brodozer2515 it was not the entire Red Army what a ridiculous claim
What I love about the film Waterloo is that this was before large-scale CGI so all you see there are genuine people (soldiers from the Soviet Red Army I believe). Favourite film definitely Master and Commander!
YES! Exactly that my friend, as well as this, in one shot, you can see the glinting of the metal on the soldier's rifles far off in the distance, something that wouldn't occur to CGI experts.
We will probably never see a movie with that level of real people again. CGI today is still obvious to me which is a shame
@@AlexG-xl1cc I guarantee that modern CGI is not obvious to you in modern movies, you just don't know how much CGI is actually used.
@@Idiomatick Exactly. Bad CGI is obvious. Good CGI is invisible.
I agree on both counts. Master and Commander = masterpiece. And battle scenes depicted with real people instead of CGI will ALWAYS be the gold standard. The human mind can tell the difference between the two. That's what impressed me about Dunkirk. Sure, Nolan could have used CGI instead of thousands of extras. But there's infinitely more power in actually seeing that many people.
Keep in mind that in "Waterloo" there is zero CGI. Those shots are ALL DONE WITH LIVING EXTRAS! It's a fantastic endeavor in cinematic history.
Same reason A Bridge Too Far's paratrooper drop awes me every single time.
I can’t believe they convinced the soviets to lend them 17,000 soldiers for like 4 months of training and filming. Absolute madness
That's amazing!
If you are interested in seeing something similar, I can recomden old Soviet movies War and Piece (1964). Based on Leo Tolstoy's books, it's set at the Napoleonic time as well and has plenty of battles with actual crowds and cavalry. Directed by the same guy who did Waterloo, btw
@@a_karch I also like 16th/17th century Russo-Polish war films too. (And similar. Too bad most are in Russian only as I think there is a market for English dubbed versions.0
When it comes to Pirates of the Carribean, while _normal_ pirates would most likely not attack Port Royal, or any other similarly fortified location, one must take the supernatural side of the pirate crew being undead into account in this specific scene.
You're right, i didn't think about that 🤪
Exactly! Plus, they were there for the gold medallion that Keira Knightley has. That's the whole point of the attack, it didn't matter if it was a good idea or not, it's where they had to be.
@@babybear9443 The Pearl might not even have been able to sink, as she had been risen from the depths by Davy Jones to serve Captain Jack Sparrow for 13 years so he could repay his debt.
Yes, you're right. It deserves at least a 6 for historical realism.
@@ottoweininger8156considering there is no historical evidence of undead pirates, Pirates of the Caribbean still very much deserved that 3 for historical accuracy lol.
As soon as I saw Captain Jack Aubrey I knew this would be good. What a wildly underrated masterpiece Master and Commander is. Also I love that Dan calls Thomas Cochrane a dashing naval hero when in reality he was an absolute mad lad.
He lived one of those lives which if they made a movie based on his exploits the audience would think it was too far fetched.
Naval Officer, mercenary, radical politician, womaniser, boozer, convicted fraudster, and known as "El Diablo" to his Spanish counterparts lol
He is most definitely one of the true Georgian mad-lads!
@@residentelect Yea, that dude was crazy. I read quite as much as I could have about him and holy crap.
In 13 months on a 14 gun brig Thomas Cochrane captured, sunk etc. 53 ships. Went on to scandalous time as a politician and investor before being an officer in the Chilean, Brazilian and Greek Navies and admiral in the royal (British) navy. Yikes.
I think Cochrane liberated most of south America
Dashing naval hero = absolute mad lad
In the modern US Navy, Master and Commander is a movie recommended by our Command. It teaches quite a bit about leadership and Military Bearing.
ok this is so cool
I believe that
the USA has 300 years old! You guys need to learn from Hollywood 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@luisduarte7917 of course we do. We learn from any source that teaches proper bearing, leadership and doctrine. If you watch how the Captain leads his men, there is much to be learned from him. Another film that are also suggested by our Command is The Caine Mutiny (with Humphrey Bogart). Not so much by example of what to do, but what not to do.
that's great to hear.
If you watch the extras about the film, you learn that they actually set up all cast crew and had them working and training together for weeks. They practiced and got used to working together. And boy did it pay out for the film. They are a real crew manning the vessel.
If ever there was a film that demanded a sequel, it was Master and Commander, Russell Crowe superb as Captain Aubrey.
Well Ridley Scott is making a Napoleonic era film, hopefully if that goes well it could drum up support for another Master and Commander film. Or even better a TV show
Let's not forget Paul Bettany as a magnificent Dr Maturin, playing really great with Crowe.
And please, more of Threlfall's Killick. That mumbling curmudgeon provided comic relief without feeling forced. Not to mention that Killick is just as important to the character of Aubrey as is Matutin.
"Oh, drink wine on Salutin' Day." *shuffles off and shuts door*
Totally agree. Master and Commander was an outstanding movie. One of the best I've ever seen, and one of Russel Crowes best performances. Grossly underrated.
Master and Commander is one of the most underrated movies of all time. Absolutely incredible film, the acting, the cinematography, attention to detail, script, score, pacing--it's truly one of the best movies ever made, I wish more people would watch it!
Even though Master and Commander wasnt a big hit upon release, I believe it's a movie that will be seen as a timeless classic. The tension between singled-minded determination beyond the call of duty and the unbreakable bonds of friendship is a universal theme while the pacing and small character moments are all emotionally impactful. All the characters are well-defined and distinct. Plus the sailing and combat footage is unbeatable.
My grandpa took me to this movie and got pissed off on how violent it was lol
It’s already extremely beloved. There’s even been studies on why men in particular love it so much.
To this day Master and Commander stays my most favourite movie of all time!
Such a masterpiece. And to this day I am heartbroken they never got to shoot a second one although all the cast was onboard for it!
Same here. Retrospectivley I reckon they out the best best of 3 novels into a great movie.
I'm pissed that ITV quit on Hornblower.
The odds of any sequel being as good are close to zero. So, it's not great loss. In fact, I'm glad it stands alone as something of a masterpiece and without a second rate sequel to detract from its legacy.
Many good movies here. I'm really glad to see that Master and Commander is so on point. That film is so good on every level, especially the chemistry between Crowe and Paul Bettany.
Fun fact about the squares 'breaking' in the Waterloo movie: the squares weren't supposed to be break - the Soviet soldiers who were hired as extras for the movie actually fled in terror (in real life!) from the cavalry mock-charging them.
Just goes to show - even Soviet soldiers, who knew they weren't facing a real cavalry charge, still broke in terror at the sight and sound of the horses coming towards them.
Now imagine the bravery and discipline it took for the British to hold those squares - unbroken - against thousands of enemy cavalry charging in earnest.
I've heard a not disimiliar story from an re-enactor in a large early medieval battle with several hundred participants. The enemy general used a hill crest to hide the size of his forces then revealed them up close to intimidate the other side. The re-enactors panicked and withdrew inwards creating a crush in the middle where nobody could move their shields or weapons and they were simply pushed over in one swoop.
@@EmperorSigismund As a teenager I did Red Cross duty at a show jumping event, and even though there was a barrier between the first aiders and the action in the arena, sometimes a horse would pass very close, and even when not at the gallop, you got a tremendous sense of its weight and power.
If I'd been in one of those squares I'd have wanted to run too, movie or no movie.
They were not bronies
The British held those squares because they knew that at least the French would kill them quickly, whereas their own aristocratic, purchased-commission officers would torture them to death with floggings if they didn't hold…
Yeah, the training of the troops was completely different during the line tactics era. I guess, the first reflex of a modern soldier at the sight of danger is to spread out and lie low. Back then it was to keep formation and try to be as high as possible (hence the high hats) for a horse to consider you an impassable obstacle.
"Getting his Daniel Day Lewis on" had me. Last of the Mohicans is such a good movie.
The Patriot 00:23
The Pirates of the Caribbean and The Curse of the Black Pearl 05:48
The Revenant 08:42
Master and Commander 11:39
Last of the Mohicans 17:47
Waterloo 24:19
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl*
@@SalvableRuin you knew what they meant, and you never look cool being a grammar troll.
I agree with Dan! “The Last of the Mohicans” is a phenomenal movie! Everything from the music score to the stellar cast to the mind blowing cinematography is of a caliber that not many movies even approach! Dans passion and energy for what he loves-history- is incredibly refreshing and inspiring!
I appreciate how he’s not just talking a giant crap on people’s favorite movies like most reviewers do, but walking through and acknowledging the good and flaws in context
He also picked very good movies to analyse.
Snow and his dad, Jon, are consummate broadcasting professionals. When Jon moves beyond this mortal coil, his son is well placed to become a national treasure in his stead, the Attenborough of historical broadcasting.
@Astro Jenkins It’s not the expert that ruins your movies. If the movie had something wrong to begin it was already ruined, your awareness of what’s wrong due to the expert just made you realize it was ruined. So many movies can be lazy and choose to not consult or will ignore logic and common sense. It’s their fault, not the experts.
Yeah, he realizes that sometimes you need to change out accuracy because either the movie doesn’t call on accuracy (pirates of the Caribbean) or you need some sort of action that doesn’t bore the audience to death (Patriot ambush scene, though that would be fixable by adding more guys to the ambush)
Hes not evaluating the movie on its storytelling and technical merits. Its purely historical accuracy.
I like that he mentions Last of the Mohicans soundtrack and how great it was. The title theme is incredible, still.
I put that movie on before Netflix and chill was a thing. Mohican soundtrack and chill worked way more than it should've lmfao.
Lol that's good to know. I'm a married man but sometimes you gotta encourage the wifey a bit haha
This was fun to watch. The port royal battle didn't take into account that the pirates are undead. :)
haha yeah think it's kinda weird the scene where cursed undead immortal pirates attack a port isn't realistic.. hmm i sure thought it would be ;)
Yeah, hard to worry about your losses when none of you can die 😆
And the goal was specifically to re-gain the cursed gold coin.
I kept saying that lol. I was like "okay but the pirates are undead. They're undead. *They're undead*!"
@@cheshirccat Yes, but we're they correct undead for the period? 😀
I love that after 20 years this movie still gets so much applause and adoration. One of the most underrated films I can think of. I've seen it so many times and even after all these years it still holds up.
Solid story telling with an impeccable cast. I just hope that any prequel/sequel they make receive the same care and dedication the first film experienced.
Many years ago, I was an assistant curator at the USS Constitution Museum. When I saw this film, I was enthralled from the beginning. The darkness, the creaking wood of the ship, and the battle scenes were so spot on I could barely believe it. Master and Commander is on my top ten list of must-see movies. I really enjoyed your analysis of this and the other films. And I still believe that The Patriot was bunk.
I belong to a UK 9-11thC re-enactment group (Regia Anglorum). We, and other re-enactment groups actually had bulk communications from fellow re-enactors in the States apologising about The Patriot as many of them had worked as extras on the film.
@@geoffboxell9301 - Very classy of them (the American reenactors) since they couldn't know what they were getting into. The takeaway here is never trust or get involved with movie people - but everyone still falls for it.
@@dougearnest7590 So true. My Household only did it the once. Being Medieval times they insisted on somering us all in mud. Trying to educate them on period hygiene etc was a waste of time - that and charging the enemy in a loose unco-ordinated rush. Oi, yoi, yoi: schmuks
Kk ok 😊☺️ 😊☺️ 😊☺️ 😊😊
Kk😊😊
“Best soundtrack ever.” So true. I have listened to it tens of thousands of times and I still love it.
I really wish they would make more movies like Master and Commander. Just a straight up action/adventure movie with historical accuracy that shows the honor and bravery our ancestors had. I think audiences are kind of starved for it.
The worst thing is that pirates of the Caribbean came out roughly the same time and people expected more of that. And so Master and Commander didn't do as well which is such a horrible horrible shame. They planned on making more but it just didn't end up being worth it. Will forever be a shame
I just re-read "Treasure Island" by Stevenson. Give it a try. I'd forgotten how good it was.
Long John Silver was a psychopath ...
Honor and bravery? More like remind everyone that man was always his worst enemy and more cruel and brutal than the worst beast.
@@Benefacez Yes, please make yet another tedious movie about that again.
@@Benefacezzzzzzzzzz
There's a video that explains the methodology behind Master and Commander to the point that, from the start, the crew were given shirts of varying colors and were required to sew their names on the shirts and each shirt was for the rank of someone in the movie. From that day forward, until shooting was completed, the men regarded their counterparts by name and rank and showed proper respect as if this was the military of the time. It was amazing how things came together as the shooting started. The gun crews also trained on real guns. They fired real cannon. This wasn't simulated fire or fake weapons. They really had to be able to shoot the weapons in the same timing as those of old. Just so many details in the movie that really let you see how a true ship crew operated.
The Pirates of the Caribbean was based on a Disneyland ride, after all. I wouldn't expect it to be the most historically accurate pirate film in the world, but I did enjoy the review and perspective of a historian. Very fun.
They're also all undead zombies, so they could attack anywhere with no risk to themselves.
They had a specific reason to attack just that town: the last of the coins they were looking for was there and magically called for them.
It would be very boring if he'd have said "I can't criticize this, it's only a movie" for every scene in the video.
While not to disparage the fun of this movie, and I do love it. But to me the greatest part about this movie was that it made pirates cool again the way Gladiator made sword & sandal stuff cool again.
For his criticisms, don't you think he missed the elephant in the room? You know, the fact that Port Royal was basically a sand bar with a maximum elevation of something like 15 feet, yet the movie shows them firing up at and down from cliffs. I have been watching Dan Snow (and his father) in documentaries for decades now. He is not an idiot and he knows a ton, so I cannot imagine him not being aware of this. I chalk it up to editing.
@@LaurentiuBadea Yeah but POTC isn't trying to be historical fiction. The Black Pearl is literally a MAGICAL ship manned by immortal zombies, so trying to nitpick the realism of something inherently unrealistic is kind of pointless. "Canon balls don't explode!" Maybe magical ones do? "A single ship couldn't take on an Armada!" Maybe a magical one can? So on and so forth.
Master and Commander was one of the best depictions, and it is very underrated movie.
Master and commander is one of my favorite movies. I watch it at least once a year 😊 thank you for sharing all those details relating to its accuracy.
20:24 so glad you mention the soundtrack to Last of the Mohicans. I think it is so underrated and one of the all time greats. I actually had an entrance for myself and the groomsmen at my wedding to Promentory as it has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid and watched that movie for the first time. Shout out to Master and Commander for being such a great movie also.
Agreed, Sloter16--amazing soundtrack! I became a huge fan of Clannad as a result.
"The Gael" especially good played by Jenny O'Connor. Listen to it, don't watch it, at least not when your wife's around.
@@jraeharrington Me too, big fan, one on my fav movies of all time.
Totally agree. That and The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly. Love The Ecstasy of Gold. 'Treasure' which was the theme to National Treasure is also excellent.
underrated? That's like every dad's favorite ost ever until Gladiator came out
My 3x great grandfather, Johan Petri 1786-1831, fought with Napoleon at Waterloo. Served 8 years, army of Napoleon I, participated in 1812 Russian campaign, witnessed burning of Moscow and survived the winter retreat.
The French Empire's eventual defeat resulted in his loss of military pension.
In 1831 several families from the southern part of the Pfalz in Germany left from Havre, France for NYC. They were led by Jacob Petri. He died aboard the ship South Carolina during the voyage from Europe to the USA when he, his wife and eight children traveled to a new life in the U.S.
Wow, he's seen some tough days.
Its cool you know your familys history so far back, make sure to remember it
He did well to survive 8 years of almost non-stop warfare and deployment on campaign.
Even if he wasn't killed in action its a miracle he didn't succumb to typhoid fever, dysentery, cholera or septicemia?!!
Being of French descent I would love to know if I had flint fighting under Napoleon.
@@flintandball6093 Mixed bag. It was in the aftermath of a major revolution that held some promise for change from the monarchic political elitism. Then, Napoleon betrayed it with his imperial ambitions. Campaigns in Iberia and Russia showed a great deal of atrocities committed by French troops as well as being the subject to a lot themselves.
This is literally THE BEST professional ranking movies video on UA-cam that I've ever seen. A man genuinely knowing what he's talking about and that is actually really into the movie moment but not letting his own excitement get in the way of his ranking score. And movies that are actually good and not completely false and garbage. Hope to see more
he did goof when he mentioned explosive cannon balls not being a thing in the 1700s
they were in use as far back at the 1400s. (15th century)
18:15 I love how he notices the reflection on the water, while I have always noticed the silhouettes of the trees in front of the explosions. It is nice to have my attention brought to other beautiful cinematic aspects.
it's a SHAME master and commander never got the recognition at the time... imagine the amazing movies we could've had..
Master and Commander is truly one of the best movies ever made; the acting, cinematography, attention to detail, boy sailors fighting with and against men, script, score, pacing, so many moving parts whether mechanical or people, cinematography, editing, soundtrack
10/10 ✌👍👏
Peter Weir has made a lot of movies, Gallipoli, dead poet society, the Truman show...
I'm the biggest LOTR fan there is but it's a shame that a movie this good was eclipsed by Return of the King
It's because the movie it's actually incredibly boring. Most people consider it a horribly slow long bore. Even as an avid reader of naval warfare of the period I can't sit through it again.
I used to watch Dan and his father on the history channel growing up. Learning about battles like Midway and Stalingrad that he narrated and presented really cemented my passion for history. Hearing him again on this video was an absolute nostalgic blast, and I’m so glad he’s still making content. You have a fan for life Mr. Snow!
20th century battlefields. They're all on youtube
Neither of the two are historians though
@@seanmoran2743 Dan Snow has a degree in Modern History from the University of Oxford.
Master and Commander is one of the best films ever made. I watched it last year and fell in love in the first 10 minutes. Only happened to me a couple of times and I watched thousands of films.
Watching Master and Commander in theaters was incredible.. the sound alone was unforgettable. First thing I told myself when I walked out of the theater.. Imagine this level of detail and authenticity / Hollywood blockbuster budget for a Trafalgar movie.
Well, that would have to be a totally different level of budget. In M&C there are just two small actions between two frigates. Trafalgar was a fleet action involving some 50 ships of the line. It's not jus a question of how to put it all onto the screen - CGI has evolved a bit since M&C came out. But how to tell the story of this battle without totally confusing the viewer? I mean - 50 ships. That's a lot to digest for the avarage viewer. It would end up like one of these Marvel end battles where dozens of nameless monsters throw lightning bolts at each other.
Someone once asked me what movie I thought was the best I’ve ever seen and I had to say Master and Commander, far side of the world. I think it’s one of the finest film that’s ever been made- for period accuracy, script, casting, individual performances, the sets… Just everything... that movie should have won an Oscar but as I understand Lord of the rings kind of prevented it. It is a brilliant film. I’d say at this point in time probably one of the top 50 greatest films ever made.
With you all the way.
Most rewatches are guilty pleasures for me, but this one has a long list of prerequisites I have to fulfill before I permit myself the joy of watching it again.
Look up Thomas Cochran. It is an order of magnitude better than M&C. Because it is a whole glorious life. M&C is very good. This is the same as the story of Hugh Glass being far tougher than the Revenant. Gotta love You Tube.
The Oscars aren't everything. Heck, even an excellent, highly influential film like "Seven Samurai" didn't win the equivalent of the best picture award after the film was released in Japan.
last of mohicans too
Master & Commander is one of my favorite films. Being something of a scientist myself I love the depiction of the naturalist and Paul Bettany is nailing it, as is Russel Crowe and everyone else. Amazing cinematography, editing, soundtrack... could gush on forever! Hope they make another movie yet, plenty of stories left in that series.
Amazing how much science was done on naval vessels of the day. The amount of natural sciences plus doing things like observations of the transit of Venus, map making ECT.
Yeah man!
I am a biology nerd (studied it for 3 years, sadly without finishing) and I literally got a fuzzy, warm feeling when I watched naturalist making his discoveries! Warms my heart to the day. :)
At the same time I am also a military nerd and was just amazed about the fidelity of everything naval in this movie.
The duality of man - there you got it... ;)
Okay Willem Dafoe 😭😭 haha I’m just joking I had to say it
@@cloudzlemarais I came here to find this comment or do it myself lol
@@thomaskositzki9424 would you say you're something of a fighting naturalist?
The regimental colors in the background of the parley scene is for the 42nd Regiment of Foot, the Royal Highlanders, hence the men with kilts. Fantastic attention to detail
Master and Commander is one of the most underrated movies ever. Would have loved a sequel of the same quality. Never knew it was that historically accurate as well! 👌
Master and Commander still holds up well today, it also has quite possibly the best ending scenes with Aubrey and the Doctor playing a duet while the audience watches the crew beat to quarters. Too bad there wasn't a sequel.
there will be another installment, if not a movie, at least a series, can't remember right now.
@@juancalderon8818 fr? with the same cast?
There is the book series if you want to keep going. It's language is a bit old english and some esoteric words used (I was looking them up), but it's entertaining.
Agree, would like a Hornblower series too. Peck was very good in the one movie but think a series could be done today as well.
Amen
Aubrey elevated the cannon in order to shoot at the enemy's masts. Then they aimed at the hull. The young boy commanding his crew in the battle was marvelous, and his story very compelling. I agree one of the greatest closeup battle scenes ever
Yeah. The whole point is that they were trying to knock out the mast so they could rake them from the rear. That was literally the plan.
The kid is my favorite character of the whole movie. He is a very young officer but he's smart enough to know the more seasoned sailors know more than he does. He's always willing to listen to them and learn from them. In exchange they respect him even though he's a kid. I would have loved to have seen a sequel where he's a more mature officer. He had the makings of a leader.
He played Octavian in the HBO series “Rome,” a very complex character.
@@lorisewsstuff1607 Yes, young Blakeney - fantastic charact and Max Pirkis gave a stellar performance.
The best bit of this?? Waterloo. That's honestly one of my favorite war movies of all time, and SO many people overlook it because it's older.
And no CGI, which to my mind, makes it all the more impressive.
Amazing visuals and battle sequences but the actual narrative isn't a patch on, say, Zulu.
One of his critiques about the slowness of fire in the woods for The Patriot was actually addressed by Benjamin Martin in the instruction to his sons. He had preloaded 5 rifles. 3 for him one for each son. Each son took a shot and then the younger loaded for the older back to back. Martin staggered 3 separate guns and actively reloaded another before engaging in short range with a side arm and fighting hand to hand v unarmed and reloading opponents. It’s quite genius writing.
The patriot and braveheart are two of the worst 'historical' films ever to grace the screen.
@@stevovimy Is the Patriot really a historical film or a fictional period piece though? I bet if you asked the staff behind the film they wouldn’t call it a historical film.
@@pepperelliott What do you think Mel Gibson would say? His hatred for the English fuels both films, yet they're fantasy.
@@stevovimysounds like you are British.
The patriot was based on an amalgamation of 4 characters into Mel’s. The legend of the Swamp Fox was a part of that legend which he had used for inspiration in the forests and swampland scenes.
It is really fun to see Snow's genuine love of the subject matter.
I can trace my own love for history, in part, to the father-son Snow team. Their enthusiasm and joy in these topics was infectious.
Thanks for the hard work and the great story telling.
John + Dan, both national treasures. Another great British father+son duo are linguist and academic David Crystal + author and thespian Ben Crystal.
@@thomasprice9256 I assumed they were father-and-son as well, but they're not as closely related as that: Dan Snow's father Peter (who used to present Newsnight) and John Snow are first cousins.
@@lauradonaghyomalley2033 Today I learned! I think I must've been misinformed by my parents in the late 90s or early 00s and never thought it needed fact-checking haha.
"Horatio Gates is a damned fool, he was very lucky to win the Battle of Saratoga"
Benedict Arnold, Benjamin Lincoln, and Daniel Morgan: Of course he's lucky, WE did all the work for him, the jerk.
The one who did all the work was Tadeusz Kosciusko, by creating such an amazing defensive position that Gates couldn't lose.
"The great tacticians of the campaign were hills and forests, which a young Polish engineer was skillful enough to select for my encampment."
The others just added a bit more to the glory of the victory.
@@240Ldemon In essence, Ben Franklin did all the work by getting the French involved. No way in hell we win without the French navy’s blockade of Yorktown.
“Artillerymen should be wearing blue jackets…but I’m not a stickler” I love this guy.
Well, he's awesome. Good thing he didn't omit that, cuz he was asked to judge the realism and should be nitpicking, however just nitpicking things and mentioning details that should be mentioned and being "REEEEEEEEEEE, THIS IS NOT ACCURATE, IT SHOULD BE THIS *insert Norman Davies's book here* " are totally different things
Not so in the RN you probably need to look that up.
@@ardshielcomplex8917 RN?
I’m so baffled by the fact that Waterloo didn’t come up in my Film classes in college. That shot at 24:23 is _exceptional_ and must have cost an absolute fortune in 1970.
The opening shot of Chinatown is regarded as a masterpiece but it came out in 1974.
I feel like I’ve been lied to in a weird way.
The opening shot of Chinatown is regarded as a masterpiece? Really? A guy looking at photos of his wife in coitus with another man? Somebody said that was filmmaking in its highest form? Great movie, though, and comparing it to Waterloo is simply comparing apples and oranges. Waterloo is just a war film made on a massive scale. Chinatown is a whole different creature. In terms of filmmaking on a massive scale, Waterloo doesn't hold a candle to the artistic merit of a film like, say, Lawrence of Arabia (made in 1962).
Waterloo is amazing. An entire Red Army division as extras. It followed on from Bondarchuk's War and Peace which did a similar job with Borodino, and well worth a look.
Yes, absolutely unbelievable amount of extras. What I find most fascinating, is we will never witness this again. Nowadays, it would be too expensive and we’ve got CGI anyway.
War and peace and qaterloo the two greatest napoleonic films ever made either tens of thousands of extras on screen, thousands of horses etc
Master and Commander is a masterpiece. Just an amazing recreation of the time and I have forgotten how many times I have watched this without ever feeling I've watched it too much. Waterloo another classic and at the very top of classic War movies. Another though not on the list should have been War and Peace.
The Author has written over 20 books about Aubery and Dr. Maturin. Excellent books, great detail and makes you feel like you are living in that timeline
@@ILubBLOfficial Yes, written by Leo Tolstoy. The film is another masterpiece on an epic scale.
@@ILubBLOfficial Patrick O'Brian is the Author. I got all of his books. Fricking awesome!!
@@ILubBLOfficial Ah yes, the 1968 by Sergei Bondarchuk.
Only just watched Master and Commander. What a brilliant movie, can't believe I've been sleeping on it for so long. It's been sitting gathering dust in an old DVD collection that I've been idly gathering from shop discount bins for years. Think I'll be boosting it up to the rewatch pile.
It also has some of the best sound design of any movie.
See those two weevils? Which one would you choose? If I forced you to choose. If there was no other response...
:)
It's one of my favourite films. I absolutely adore the moments where the doctor and captain play music together. Scratch scratch scratch, never anything you can dance to. Hehe.
Ahhh yes. The sound of the cannonballs is terrifying. Doppler effect and sound coming well after flash at the beginning long range engagement.
It’s one of the best movies ever made and cinema history.
I've watched it many times, and I've read the first five or six books. Tremendously entertaining and educational. Have you seen Star Trek II?
There are few perfect films. Master and Commander is one of them. Even fewer films I can watch over and over and they just get better with every viewing.
Master and Commander remains a highlight film for me. I’m only sad it wasn’t a sufficient success to adapt more of the books (which are excellent and which I highly recommend).
In defense of the Pirates of the Caribbean scene, it's a bunch of undead pirates in a supernatural pirate ship unafraid of mortal consequences and desperate to end their curse, and their attack on Port Royal is out of the ordinary and specifically to capture Elizabeth and get the coin back.
Dan really didn't watched the movie
Yes, but that doesn't make their roundshot explosive.
Yes he watched the movie but here he was asked to rate ACCURACY, if you want to blame someone, blame the producer who threw a pirate fantasy Disney movie in a history video.
Thanks to Patrick O' Brian and his wonderful books from which the scenes in the film Master and Commander were developed from. What a shame they never made another film. So much factual material in O'Brian's book to work from.
After 15 years in the British Army trundling over land in tanks, I went to sea for my next career. Thankfully, the ship's library was full of Patrick O'Brian; and so began my education! Fantastic books, and painstakingly researched.
What was particularly good about the Aubrey books was the language used. And by the end of the series, Jack Aubrey is revealed as a considerable astronomer and mathematician as well as a more than competent violinist playing his own Stradivarius. And there was us thinking that he was an intellectual dullard with too much testosterone all this time
I believe they're currently developing a sequel
@@crankthatsoldierboy399 No. No way. Don't play with my emotions like that!
That scene at Waterloo blew my mind. The scale of everything.
They did a show on the making of Master and Commander. The attention to detail was incredible. Kudos to Russell Crowe and company. They made the finished movie a real gem and very real to the watcher. Also a terrific score.
Master and Commander is bloody masterpiece. Couple of (and only two) false moments, but otherwise really gets the spirit of the books. Great stuff. "One must always choose the lesser of two weevils".
"Lesser of 2 weevels" still gives me the giggles!
I think of that joke probably every other week of my life.
My joke. Glad somebody liked it!
I love how enthusiastic Dan is when he says "Ooh, he's raked him!" 14:43
Horatio Hornblower and Gettysburg both have great historical battle scenes, it would be cool to see a reaction to them if it hasn't been done already.
Last of the Mohicans has some of the best night time photography I've ever scene. Most movies that had outdoor night scenes (especially in the 90s and earlier) either did "day for night" filming with a filter on the lens, or had floodlights shining on everything. The cinematography in Last of the Mohicans looks like nighttime, and doesn't feel like it's artificially illuminated.
Yeah, like the nighttime surfing scene in Kathryn Bigelow's Point Break (1991). It's so painfully obvious that is was filmed by day.
i love this movie Because my ancestor came france as soldat and arrived at Quebec , 1755 , an participate at the batlle Fort William Henry in 1757 , it was le Régiment de la Reine , compagnie Damas , in this movie we see the colour of his Flag just behind Général Montcalm .
I also like the sceens in the Fort at night, they are actually dark. They did a great job recreating the effect of only candle light in the interior shots.
Amazing cinematography.
Mel Gibson has another historian autismo movie in the pipeline. He just sold some personal property to help fund the project.
@@alonelypenguin5229 is he filming it at night?
When Russell Crowe is on his game, he just eats every scene. He should've been the hero character in that God awful Mummy Movie. He was the only redeeming quality in the movie
I was about to be upset over this Brendan Fraser slander, completely forgetting the 2017 "remake" starring Tom Cruise
Me wanting to get dominated by the Mummy in the movie was the best part.
I'm still wondering how Ridley Scott is going to shoehorn Crowe into the Gladiator sequel.
@@justonecornetto80 the WHAT?
@@TeylaDex Ridley Scott will start filming a sequel to Gladiator after he's finished making the Napoleon biopic.
Russell Crowe is definitely involved with it and I read somewhere that Chris Hemsworth is as well.
One more thing from this enamored fan of Master and Commander: When Blakeney, the midshipman, fires the cannon upon the enemy ship is not to sink her but to stop the Acheron to firing on the Surprise, defensive maneuver through and through.
100%, I think if the reviewer understood that he'd have awarded a 10
Using grape. Exactly as Victory did with her 68lb carronades when she broke through the French Line at Trafalgar.
Dan, as soon as you mentioned that losing the colours could get a soldier in trouble, I immediately thought of the scene in Sharpe’s Eagle where Simmerson got a verbal lashing from Wellington for his cowardice.
Hate that guy
The whole Sharpe's series was phenomenal.
And a man who loses the king's colours...
@@MostlyPennyCat ...loses the King's friendship.
Had to do it.
"MAJOR LENNOX ANSWERD WITH HIS LIFE!!! AS YOU SHOULD'VE DONE, IF YOU HAD ANY SENSE OF HONOUR........."
Without doubt, 1 of the most epic of dressing downs.
In Master & Commander, when that kid leads the men on to the French ship is the best naval scene ever. And with Doctor Maturin coming behind him. Epic. Just epic.
I love watching experts critiquing movie scenes - but I’ve never been more impressed with a play by play commentary. This was super cool!
If you guys want more Master and Commander, read the books by Patrick O'Brian: they're the best historical fiction out there, written in a beautiful, warm, wry style totally authentic to the early 19th century, like Jane Austen for military geeks.
Reread them all 3times,always said they were Jane Austen for men
@@lisalynch629 lmao for real. When I recommend it to women, I always say it's really the story of two best friends over decades of war and love and loss. Jack and Sophie and Maturin and Diana, goddamn if the seafaring and exploration and warfare isn't engaging, but there's still tons of romance and homesteading.
@@lisalynch629 Jane Austen is Jane Austen for men.
Sadly they only translated half of them to swedish =/
I've read several. Too much talk, talk, talk for me. "Jane Austen for men is correct"-there is so much sighing and lovelorning. I don't read naval novels for the drama of who gets the girl.
I grew up on war movies. As a military brat it was pretty much 90% of the movies we watched. My dad would often tell me what they got right and wrong while we were watching. So when he told me Master and Commander was one of the most accurate and best war movies he'd ever seen I too had to see it. It is now one of my favorite movies and one of the most underrated I've ever seen. Based on all the comments, I'm obviously not the only one.
Finally got round to watching the "Revenant" all the way through, and what an amazing film it is, especially considering the effort the cast made, into making it!
I just watched it recently too , it’s a one of a kind movie. that bear scene is one of the most visceral and disturbing scenes I’ve seen. Don’t know if I’m gonna watch it again 😂
Wow! Never knew of the movie ‘Waterloo’…. the scale of the battle in the picture is insane! No CGI… the amount of men, horses, equipment in those shots, with all the smoke and explosions, is so impressive!
The "Fire first" reference: At the battle of Fontenoy11 May, 1745, Lord Charles Hay led a British company over a rise, using the early fog as cover, when they ran into a company of Gardes Francaises. As the companies drew up about 30 yards apart, the officers met in the middle. Introductions and salutations were offered, and not a few insults. Lord Hay asked, "..if the Gentlemen of France would care to fire first." , to which the French commander vehemently but politely replied, "We are Gardes of France, bravest of King Louis' soldiers, and we NEVER fire first!" The French stood stoically, Lord Hay ordered his men to HUZZAH, and obliged them. As a result, Lord Hay and his men enjoyed one of the few successes by the forces assembled against the French that day.
Cool....well put.
...and then proceeded to get defeated
@@lsq7833 Yeah, that's why it was one of the FEW successes enjoyed that day by the forces assembled against the French.....
@@richardbradley2335 Thank you.
@@lsq7833 Who won the war
So much knowledge in that head. A real pleasure to hear him talk.
The Master and Commander audio books read by Patrick Tull are the most entertaining books I've ever listened to. I had genuine belly laughs, tears, and learned so much about so many places around the world and disciplines, you will never be the same afterwards!
Have you listened to the Simon Vance versions? I haven’t heard either (though I’ve read all the Aubrey/Maturins), but Vance is probably my favorite reader overall.
(And you can tell from the Cochrane references, and Nelson’s “never mind maneuvers, go straight at them,” that the speaker has read the books too. )
As a young boy growing up in southern Ontario many years ago, it was James Fenimore Cooper and his "Last of the Mohicans" that captured my imagination. As I got older and found out that this novel was not only based in history but written during that very era, my interests turned to learning as much as I could about the history of this part of the world. Truly fascinating stuff.
Sorry to be annoying but last of the Mohicans was written in the 1820s and the events were 70 years before
@@MarlboroughBlenheim1 So, exactly how long does an era last? 1820 was still the Pre-Confederation era in Canada, and for some years after that.
@@Martin.Wilson I think it’s hard to say that the book was written in the same era given it was 70 years later. Era suggests commonality of experience and life time. Cooper was born in 1789, more than thirty years after the war he wrote about and he wrote about it in a different century.
The thing that's so frustrating about the film, beautifully made though it is, is that Cooper was a definite Anglophile, whereas the screenwriter and/or director clearly had an altogether different opinion about the British and didn't hold back from showing it, altering basically all of the British characterisations to make them entirely worse people than as originally written, not to mention including a lot of fiery revolutionary rhetoric about 20 years and a generation earlier than one would really expect to hear it, and that just isn't in the book at all, IIRC.
@@tommcewan7936 I agree. Once again, Hollywood rewrites history. In fairness, though, the movie, like the book, was a work of fiction, not a documentary.
About a year ago, some college student posted that if you wanted help sleeping, watch Master and Commander. Russell Crowe called him out for it. The funny thing is that I actually use it to help me sleep. It’s my favorite movie and I’ve watched it dozens and dozens of time. When I turn it on while in bed, it gets my mind off whatever is keeping me up and I’m usually asleep before the Surprise has been refit.
Same, i get absorbed and my mind goes blank.
Master and Commander is superb! Very under-rated.... So authentic. I've read all the books and listened to many of the audiobooks with the excellent Patrick Tull. At Waterloo, I believe Wellington had several horses shot from underneath him.
No, Copenhagen (Wellingtons horse) survived Waterloo and died years later back in England on Wellingtons private estate. Wellington loved that horse.
If you enjoyed the audiobooks I recommend checking out the audiobooks of the Hornblower saga by C.S. Forester. It's naval historical fiction set during the Napoleonic wars. The series has great attention to detail and the main character, Captain Hornblower, was actually the inspiration for the Star Trek character Captain Jean-Luc Picard.
@@bigpimpinc230 I have found another series of naval fiction books from the Napoleonic era that is good. The Thomas Kydd books by Julian Stockwin are also enjoyable.
@@Johnboysmudge Ahhh, thanks....
@@tommonk7651 no worries 👍🏻😊
Kudos to Mr. Snow for his lively, articulate, and inadvertently educational narrative.
I watch lots of these expert rates, and this by far has been my favorite
This is by far my favorite “expert reacts to -“ Please do more of these!
"This pirate movie is implausible."
--cursed pirate ship is manned by immortal sailors who turn into zombies in the moonlight.
Their number, their cannons and their ship would have been real and no manner of immortality would change the ability of those.
@@lavrentivs9891 Yeah, the ship could still be destroyed...
@@Shade01982 The ship is as undead as the crew.
@Colin Moore We've seen the ship get damaged on several occasions. Supernatural? Sure. Invincible? There's nothing indicating that.
@@Shade01982 Didnt the ship come out of the water a few times? The ship is just as supernatural, as it was given to Jack by Davy Jones.
I must agree, sir. The Last of the Mohicans soundtrack is stupendous.
It’s one of the greatest ever and has been ripped off endlessly.
It is so freaking majestic and emanates the wonder of the American frontier