FLYHAWK14
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I couldn't be bothered putting this in the resources section, as Journeys won't be studied after we're done with the HSC and I would want my notes/past assignments to be used for years, so here are my notes for Master and Commander and connections to Crossing The Red Sea by Peter Skrzynecki. By the way if you think something should be altered, or if anything you nice people on the internet find anything wrong please don't hesitate to reply with a fixed up version of it. Also if you find there should be more to be added e.g. a connection I've missed, please reply and also it would be really nice if someone could please cut down some of the links between the texts to around 500 words.
Summary
‘Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World’ is a 2003 film directed by Peter Weir and starring Russell Crowe as ‘Lucky’ Jack Aubrey with Paul Bettany as Dr. Stephen Maturin. The film’s plot is about Captain Jack Aubrey who and ‘197 souls’ aboard the ‘HMS Surprise’ whose objective is to destroy the Acheron. However the mission becomes personal for Jack as the Acheron ambushed them. A subplot of the film involves Jack’s friend Stephen desire to explore the Galapagos but Jack’s hunt and Stephen’s desire clash and creates tension between the two as Stephen accuses Jack of pursuing the Acheron to satisfy his ego.
Links to Peter Skrzynecki’s ‘Immigrant Chronicle’
The Peter Weir film: ‘Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World’ displays parallels and contrasts to Peter Skrzynecki’s poem “Crossing the Red Sea”. This is evidencedthrough the techniques used to convey the ideas about physical journeys reflected in both texts. They both centre on a sea journey with a similar context that is of a war-torn Europe, but of very different eras. Both ‘Master and Commander’ and ‘Crossing the Red Sea’ stresses how history dictates the nature of the physical journey undertaken to alien lands as a result of war. One text uses poetic imagery to tell its story and the other, the art of cinema to relive the past.
Both texts centre on a similar physical journey, in this case a sea voyage where similar challenges and experiences are encountered by the individuals who undertake them. In ‘Crossing the Red Sea’ the migrants are faced with hardships and discomfort aboard the ‘General Blatchford’ as seen in the line: ‘Many slept on deck’, it also gives a sense of overcrowding aboard the ship. This is a parallel to the claustrophobic lifestyle the sailors live in the ‘Master and Commander’. Weir captures this life through innovative camerawork that includes extreme close-ups to show the cramped environment and shots of men having to squeeze past each other with the added task of working in unison to survive also adds emphasis to their difficulty of the navy life in that era. Captain Jack doesn’t even have any privacy for whenever the soldiers are called into battle stations and his quarters have to be taken apart to use the forward s. In both of the texts, the sea has a role in the mood of the journey. In the beginning of the fourth section of the poem, the[FONT='Arial','sans-serif'] [/FONT]mood is a lot calmer. The poet personifies the sea in: “The kindness/Of the sea continued…” and its given qualities of kindness and comfort as it heals their souls. It soothes them into being able to disclose their grief and declare their sorrow. The film also gives the sea a role in the mood of the journey where different hues of blue are used in panoramic shots of the ocean to highlight negative and positive parts of the physical sea journey. Bright blue is used to signify peace and calmness while darker shades are used in times of gloom and danger. Along the physical journey depicted in both texts, we can see that the passengers carry memories of the past which also has an influence on the mood of the journey. Skrzynecki uses the technique of dialogue in: “I remember a field/Of red poppies… /Leaves similar dark stains –…”. This is used to convey a mood of nostalgia about home. This is linked to the music in the film. The use of folk songs like: “Don’t Forget Your Old Shipmates” reinforce the comradeship among the men and Christmas Concerto nostalgia for home. Through this we can see that a similar journey can lead to similar challenges and experiences.
The two texts have a similar context which influenced the nature of the physical journey undertaken by the individuals. Both texts show that it is of a European wartime context and that war was the motivation for their journey. The contrast is that ‘Master and Commander’ takes the audience back about 200 years in history when England was in its heyday of exploration and the navy was of prime importance, not only in their quest for exploration but more importantly in the war against Napoleon. This war was a very different kind from World War II. The passengers on board the General Blatchford were not soldiers or sailors, were still scared by the horrors experienced in Europe under the German occupation. They were escaping from these bad memories and sailing with hope of a new life and a new future. What is prominent in Weir’s film is that those on board were motivated by patriotism and were united as they faced prospects of and oblivion. Music and songs underline the strong feeling of patriotism. In both texts, biblical allusions are strong, as in both respective eras, the people then had a strong sense of religion. In ‘Crossing the Red Sea’, they are used as symbols of hope: “…Of another Lazarus/Who was saying a prayer…” Lazarus is a person who was given a second chance at life after Jesus brought him back from the . This is easily comparable to the migrant’s situation as many of them felt they were given another chance at life after the horrors of war. The film, on the other hand, has biblical allusions to something worth dreading. In the film, a sailor by the name of Plaice believed that Hollam, a lieutenant was ‘Jonah’ a symbol of bad luck and must be vanquished. The context of their times was such that religion was interpreted in a very literal way and sailors in particular are superstitious with a strong belief in the bible. This is because they are aware on their sea journeys that there is a good chance of happening. The migrants on the contrary have no fear that their sea journey is risky, but the paradox is that they still carry haunting memories. In essence, we see that a similar context influences the physical journey.
In conclusion, it can be said that Peter Weir’s film: “Master and Commander: The Far Side of The World” does connect to Peter Skrzynecki’s poem: “Crossing the Red Sea” in the ideas that a similar journey brings along similar challenges and experiences. Both texts also show how history stresses the nature of the physical journey undertaken.
Summary
‘Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World’ is a 2003 film directed by Peter Weir and starring Russell Crowe as ‘Lucky’ Jack Aubrey with Paul Bettany as Dr. Stephen Maturin. The film’s plot is about Captain Jack Aubrey who and ‘197 souls’ aboard the ‘HMS Surprise’ whose objective is to destroy the Acheron. However the mission becomes personal for Jack as the Acheron ambushed them. A subplot of the film involves Jack’s friend Stephen desire to explore the Galapagos but Jack’s hunt and Stephen’s desire clash and creates tension between the two as Stephen accuses Jack of pursuing the Acheron to satisfy his ego.
Links to Peter Skrzynecki’s ‘Immigrant Chronicle’
The Peter Weir film: ‘Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World’ displays parallels and contrasts to Peter Skrzynecki’s poem “Crossing the Red Sea”. This is evidencedthrough the techniques used to convey the ideas about physical journeys reflected in both texts. They both centre on a sea journey with a similar context that is of a war-torn Europe, but of very different eras. Both ‘Master and Commander’ and ‘Crossing the Red Sea’ stresses how history dictates the nature of the physical journey undertaken to alien lands as a result of war. One text uses poetic imagery to tell its story and the other, the art of cinema to relive the past.
Both texts centre on a similar physical journey, in this case a sea voyage where similar challenges and experiences are encountered by the individuals who undertake them. In ‘Crossing the Red Sea’ the migrants are faced with hardships and discomfort aboard the ‘General Blatchford’ as seen in the line: ‘Many slept on deck’, it also gives a sense of overcrowding aboard the ship. This is a parallel to the claustrophobic lifestyle the sailors live in the ‘Master and Commander’. Weir captures this life through innovative camerawork that includes extreme close-ups to show the cramped environment and shots of men having to squeeze past each other with the added task of working in unison to survive also adds emphasis to their difficulty of the navy life in that era. Captain Jack doesn’t even have any privacy for whenever the soldiers are called into battle stations and his quarters have to be taken apart to use the forward s. In both of the texts, the sea has a role in the mood of the journey. In the beginning of the fourth section of the poem, the[FONT='Arial','sans-serif'] [/FONT]mood is a lot calmer. The poet personifies the sea in: “The kindness/Of the sea continued…” and its given qualities of kindness and comfort as it heals their souls. It soothes them into being able to disclose their grief and declare their sorrow. The film also gives the sea a role in the mood of the journey where different hues of blue are used in panoramic shots of the ocean to highlight negative and positive parts of the physical sea journey. Bright blue is used to signify peace and calmness while darker shades are used in times of gloom and danger. Along the physical journey depicted in both texts, we can see that the passengers carry memories of the past which also has an influence on the mood of the journey. Skrzynecki uses the technique of dialogue in: “I remember a field/Of red poppies… /Leaves similar dark stains –…”. This is used to convey a mood of nostalgia about home. This is linked to the music in the film. The use of folk songs like: “Don’t Forget Your Old Shipmates” reinforce the comradeship among the men and Christmas Concerto nostalgia for home. Through this we can see that a similar journey can lead to similar challenges and experiences.
The two texts have a similar context which influenced the nature of the physical journey undertaken by the individuals. Both texts show that it is of a European wartime context and that war was the motivation for their journey. The contrast is that ‘Master and Commander’ takes the audience back about 200 years in history when England was in its heyday of exploration and the navy was of prime importance, not only in their quest for exploration but more importantly in the war against Napoleon. This war was a very different kind from World War II. The passengers on board the General Blatchford were not soldiers or sailors, were still scared by the horrors experienced in Europe under the German occupation. They were escaping from these bad memories and sailing with hope of a new life and a new future. What is prominent in Weir’s film is that those on board were motivated by patriotism and were united as they faced prospects of and oblivion. Music and songs underline the strong feeling of patriotism. In both texts, biblical allusions are strong, as in both respective eras, the people then had a strong sense of religion. In ‘Crossing the Red Sea’, they are used as symbols of hope: “…Of another Lazarus/Who was saying a prayer…” Lazarus is a person who was given a second chance at life after Jesus brought him back from the . This is easily comparable to the migrant’s situation as many of them felt they were given another chance at life after the horrors of war. The film, on the other hand, has biblical allusions to something worth dreading. In the film, a sailor by the name of Plaice believed that Hollam, a lieutenant was ‘Jonah’ a symbol of bad luck and must be vanquished. The context of their times was such that religion was interpreted in a very literal way and sailors in particular are superstitious with a strong belief in the bible. This is because they are aware on their sea journeys that there is a good chance of happening. The migrants on the contrary have no fear that their sea journey is risky, but the paradox is that they still carry haunting memories. In essence, we see that a similar context influences the physical journey.
In conclusion, it can be said that Peter Weir’s film: “Master and Commander: The Far Side of The World” does connect to Peter Skrzynecki’s poem: “Crossing the Red Sea” in the ideas that a similar journey brings along similar challenges and experiences. Both texts also show how history stresses the nature of the physical journey undertaken.
