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remember the faces, because you will be Rejskind: I reviewed the original DVD But in fact there’s more. The film’s
seeing them again.
vision of this superb film in UHF No. 72, second Oscar was for cinematography,
The performances are remarkable. but the new Blu-ray release is worth a and of course the higher definition of
Aside from Montand, Jean-Louis Trin- second visit.
Blu-ray enhances it too. The images are
tignant is brilliant as the juge d’instruction The full title is Master and Com- not notably razor-sharp, because there
(the investigating prosecutor) who mander: the Far Side of the World, and is a lot of fog, and some scenes are set in
gradually unravels the plot. Greek it is based on just one of a series of the dimly-lit bowels of the ship. However
actress Irene Pappas, as the wife of the popular cult novels by Patrick O’Brian. what the images lack in sharp delineation
murdered politician, gets little dialog, The film was so highly praised when it they gain in nuances, and the differences
but watch How her in the the silent scene electronic when was released, eight version years ago, that works
it was are considerable. A rolling patch of fog in
she is left alone in the hotel room her widely assumed it would be but the first the foreground, which looks just fine on
late husband We had don’t occupied. mean this version, because of O’Brian’s you already novels know to be how transported it works. to It’s the a PDF, DVD, turns out to have several layers
The and film you is based open it on with the Adobe almost reader, the etc. screen. Hasn’t happened.
on the Blu-ray disc, and indeed I found
unreadable novel But we by also Vassili have Vassilikos, a paid electronic Which version, is which really too is complete, bad, because without it’s a banners myself like wondering how it was done. The
also titled this Z, inspired one, or articles by the 1963 in fluent murder gibberish. great story, and it was made into a terrific result, with a large, high-quality screen,
of Gregoris That Lambrakis. one, because Since it the is complete, film film has by to director be ordered Peter with Weir. a credit Some card. fans To is open an engrossing experience few films can
does not it, explicitly you also mention have to download Greece (it a plugin of the for novels your copy were of displeased Adobe Reader because or Acrobat. match.
was actually You’ll shot receive in Algeria), a user name Costa- and password Weir took to allow considerable you to download liberties with your the full copy I stand of by my earlier review, however.
Gavras has the magazine. taken liberties You’ll need with the the same story. user The name French and password privateer Acheron, the first time for you The open DVD version, now available at a
chronology, the magazine and particularly on your with computer, the but instance, only the occupies first time. a central After role that, in it works the bargain like any price, is about as good as DVD
ending. But other of PDF. course Shakespeare did film, but isn’t in the novel at all. can get. If your home theatre system
this too, and For the details, inventions visit are our used Electronic in Edition The “master page. To and buy commander” an issue or subscribe, is includes visit Blu-ray, however, don’t miss
the pursuit MagZee.
of a greater dramatic truth. Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe), captain this quality re-release.
Z caused much unease in political of the British navy ship Surprise. Ste- It will tide us over until, perhaps,
circles when it was first released, and phen Maturin (Paul Bettany) is the another of the novels arrives on the
perhaps for that reason it did not get ship doctor, and he and Aubrey are old screen.
the credit it deserved. It did glean the friends. During rare off-duty time, they
Oscar for best foreign film, but not the even pull out their instruments (the
best picture award for which it was also cello and the violin) and play a little
nominated. I was then convinced that, Bach. However Aubrey is very much
half a century later, Z would be studied the military man, while Maturin is an
by students of film frame by frame. It amateur naturalist. When the Surprise
still may be, though I suspect that some sails near the Galapagos islands, you can
close to the centres of power wish the well imagine that fighting is not the first
film would simply disappear.
thing on his mind.
Their nemesis, in the film but not in
the novel, is the Acheron, a French privateer,
whose guns have a much longer
reach. Thus outmatched, the Surprise
will survive only through the military
tactics of its master and commander.
The film earned one of its two Oscars
for sound editing, and the multi-dimensional
soundtrack is a wonder. In a scene
near the start of the film, we see the flash
of a cannon from the fog-enshrouded How the West Was Won (Blu-ray)
corsair ship, and the cannonball goes All-star cast
through the listening room, with a MGM 8392903497
realistic splintering of wood. Excellent Rejskind: As our home theatre screens
though it was on the original DVD, grow ever larger commercial movie
it has even more depth and realism in screens are shrinking. Even IMAX is no
the Blu-ray release. The rear channels longer a guarantee of screen real estate,
are used extensively to make us feel as since some new “IMAX” cinemas have
though we are really aboard a wooden screens scarcely bigger than those of a
Master and Commander (Blu-ray) ship, with the creaking of its hull and multiplex, equipped with digital projec-
Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany
the solid footsteps on the upper deck. tors not wildly unlike one you might
20th Century Fox 2243554
It’s worth picking up if only for that. have at home. And so we look back with
74 ULTRA HIGH FIDELITY Magazine