The movie was just a pale shadow of the books. Patrick O'Brian was (IMHO) the finest prose writer in the English language. I read the entire 20-1/2 books of the series every couple of years and always discover new things.
^^^^Me too Rocky...O'Brian IS the Master and Commander of the English language. Yes, the movie is but a shadow of the book, I still look forward to it's release. The greatest filmmakers in the world with unlimited budget and the finest actors, could never portray the novels because they are written with layers of nuance that can not be translated to cinema. It is why we can read, re-read and re-read them, finding something new every time. Your taste in literature says much about the man.
Last edited by flintlocke; 06/05/21.
Well this is a fine pickle we're in, should'a listened to Joe McCarthy and George Orwell I guess.
Doctor Maturin is the most nuanced character ever in literature. In the words of the Captain himself, Maturin is "a deep old file." The first movie did him no justice whatsoever - didn't even portray him physically with any accuracy. You simply must read the books to appreciate him.
I have read the entire book series several times. I could barely watch the movie, as it had very little to do with the books. Bad acting as well. On the other hand, as with the LOTR movies, there isn't any other portrayal of the subject out there.
The first one was "Hollywooded" to the point of it being unrecognizable to anyone who read the books. No way I'm going to watch a sequel to an atrocity.
Hanco, DO read the books. You'll see what we're saying.
And the sequel being "Hollywooded" is precisely what I was referring to in my first post here, i.e., black first mate and transsexual medical officer. Book it.