8mm Forum: Master and Commander

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Topic: Master and Commander

Kevin Faulkner
Film God

Posts: 4071
From: Essex UK
Registered: Jun 2003

posted December 07, 2005 09:37 AM

Master & Commander The Far Side of the World (2003)

Starring Russell Crowe as Captain "Lucky Jack" Aubrey.

During the Napoleonic Wars, a British frigate, HMS Surprise, and a much larger French warship, the Acheron, with greater fire power, stalk each other off of the coast of South America. Russell Crowe brings great intensity to the role of Captain Jack Aubrey. Lucky Jack, as he is referred to by his crew, is well regarded by his men, who trust him implicitly, even after the first devastating battle and an apparent personal vendetta against the French captain. While the naval battle sequences are quite fantastic, the film is successful because director Weir chose to build the story to get to know the men who are locked aboard the tight quarters of a small ship and how they interact everyday. The officers and the mates are well-known by the time the final battle comes. Paul Bettany offers a strong performance as the surgeon and naturalist who balances the violence of his chosen life with the quiet demeanour of the scientist. He is the captain's friend and confidant, the two frequently playing violin and cello duets together. The horrors of the injuries from the war are frequently implied, but vividly depicted in the reactions of the characters.
© IMDB.com

With a running time of 138 mins this release is supplied on 7 very full 400ft spools. Supplied this way as each 400ft reel is equal to the original 35mm 2000 ft spools and therefore has the original leaders and tails from the 35mm origination. This is the complete and uncut theatrical version in full scope and with a very good stereo soundtrack. Printed on Kodak Polyester film stock

On screen this film has a bite to the sharpness that is very hard to achieve especially for a scope release. Some very serious grading has taken place on this release as this print has a very wide brightness range. It has certainly paid off. Some scenes are extremely dark while others are very bright yet there is still detail at both ends of the spectrum. The super 8 print still has that haunting look about it for instance in the scene at the end of the first reel where the Surprise is attacked by the French and then left sitting in the water in a very beaten, lifeless way, the camera shows the Surprise from a high angle through all the smoke and greyness after the battle. That particular shot still looks awesome on this super8 print and has the same haunting feel that it did in the cinema.

The under deck scenes which are lit by the fires and candles etc also have that nice warm feel about them and again there is plenty of detail in the darkest of areas. Overall colour balance is very good and a very close match to the original (if my memory serves me right). Sound quality is also very good. The soundtrack is very clear and has a very good sonic range. I have tried putting the sound from my GS through a Dolby processor and there is sufficient detail for good Dolby surround. My only complaint is that the print could do with a higher recording level to give a better signal to noise ratio.

For those that have the facility to Pulse Sync their machine to a DVD...then go for it. It is exactly the same cut as the Region 2 DVD release which has a really awesome 5.1 soundtrack.

Overall this is an excellent release with great colour and sound. Picture stability is also extremely good with no need for any lube to get a steady image.
Derann have to be congratulated for the superb print quality of this first rate release, a title which unlike others around makes for good repeat viewing.
I have used the word awesome a number of times but yes this print is Awesome and a must have in every collection. It shows just how good super 8 can be with the modern film emulsions available today.
If you want a film to show what’s achievable on super 8 then this is one of them [Smile]

Kev.

[ December 18, 2005, 05:06 PM: Message edited by: Kevin Faulkner ]

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GS1200 Xenon with Elmo 1.0...great combo along with a 16-CL Xenon for that super bright white light.