Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
Epic, grandiose and brilliant, "Master
and Commander: The Far Side of the World" is nonetheless
marred by a smirking performance by Russell Crowe
and a new problem affecting studio releases in 2003,
piracy prevention marking.
Yes, my fantastic movie-going experience
watching this often- beautiful film was nearly destroyed
by the appearance of distinct dots throughout one
of the film's most engrossing scenes. The scene in
question features a torrential storm and its effect
leaves one featured shipmate of the crew that is our
protagonist here stranded and left for dead. But I
couldn't tell you what shipmate/actor it was because
I got incredibly distracted during the highly important
scene by the appearance (no less than six times) of
dots in light areas of the frame. These dots are now
being splayed across the frames of studio films in
the lab, by the order of the film's distributor(s)
(i.e. the "studio") in order that the print may be
"marked" so that if someone pirates it (copies it
and distributes it), the source print can be identified
and the culprit more easily tracked.
This is a new trend in the theatrical
exhibition of films and one that is about to cause
this viewer to abandon watching films at the theater
altogether. This revolting and ugly effect took me
out of what was a truly captivating scene in a wonderful
film to the point of where I completely lost track
of what was going on in the story. Because of this,
a pivotal plot point of the film totally escaped me.
This left me so angry that it took me an additional
five minutes to recover and get back into the film.
It is completely unnecessary for the studio to allow
such a thing to occur.
All this was done for a concept that
is highly questionable. Not only is piracy NOT an
issue in the United States, but many studies that
have been completed about piracy have lead to the
overwhelming conclusion that films are copied and
"stolen" at the level of the labs and the other areas
within the studio system itself. In other words, it
is not consumers who are pirating films but those
contractors/ sub-contractors and agencies who work
for the studios who are responsible. For the studios
to allow the domestic releases of their fare to be
marred for a supposed crime that simply is not taking
place (at least, not in the ridiculous numbers that
they suggest it is) is simply unacceptable.
As consumers, we must do all that we
can to change and eradicate this insipid new program
established by "Hollywood." I suggest that we write
letters, get on-line and complain at every opportunity
and, if necessary begin to boycott films that have
these marks.
As for "Master and Commander: The Far
Side of the World," it is a brilliant film, one of
the best you will see during this holiday season,
even if it takes 20 minutes to get used to Crowe's
thespianism run amuck. Go immediately to the nearest
multiplex showing the film and buy a ticket. Watch
the movie and try not to let those disturbing markings
in the film ruin the feature for you. Then, when the
film is over, go out to the lobby, get a manager,
and demand that they give you your money back since
the print was "dirty" and "marred."
Notes:
Also with Paul Bettany, who co-starred
with Crowe in "A Beautiful Mind."
Co-written and directed by Peter Weir.
Viewed in Austin in November, 2003.
