Russell Crowe recently took to Twitter to defend against claims that the epic war-drama Master and Commander is boring. Directed by Peter Weir, Master And Commander was released in 2003 and received significant box office success and a medley of awards nominations. Adapted from three novels by Patrick O’Brien, the film is set in during the Napoleonic Wars and follows Captain Jack Aubrey (Russel Crowe) aboard the H.M.S. Surprise who is ordered to track down and capture a French vessel off the South American coast. Although they are unwavering in their desire to complete the mission, “Lucky Jack” and his crew face an onslaught of perilous obstacles throughout the journey.
Although Russell Crowe’s performance in Master and Commander is noteworthy, he is better known for his iconic role as Maximus in the 2000’s epic Gladiator. Recently, Crowe stars in the 2020 thriller/action film Unhinged, which has received mixed reviews for not taking full advantage of its premise. However, Crowe’s rigorous performance is generally critically admired. Like the rumors of a Gladiator 2, plans for a Master and Commander sequel and even franchise were floated, but they never came to fruition.
Musician Ian McNabb recently criticized Master and Commander for being dull on Twitter, and Russell Crowe defended against the claim. Although praising Crowe’s acting in other films, McNabb recommends the film as a solution for insomnia, suggesting the movie is painfully slow. Crowe countered that the film is an “adult movie” and is an epic tale produced by the talented director Peter Weir and cinematographer Russell Boyd.
The attack on Master and Commander clearly struck a chord with Crowe. Countless fans have risen to his defense, agreeing that the film is a riveting story amid a vibrant world. Although one could argue the film’s pacing slow, there seems to be a variety of reasons Crowe came to the defense of Master and Commander so quickly. One could be that Peter Weir is one of the most underrated directors in Hollywood and didn’t receive the Oscar for the film. Or, there are possibly unknown factors about the film’s legacy that Crowe is concerned with that brought such an intense reaction to the claims that the film is boring. Regardless, Crowe’s response appears justified as many view Master and Commander as an iconic epic that deserves more attention.
In his tweet, Crowe states, “this is the problem with kids these days,” even though McNabb is 60 years old. Crowe could be suggesting that McNabb is childish by not being able to endure a film for more than 10 minutes before taking to the internet with seething criticism. However, if Crowe is unaware of McNabb’s age, then suggesting that only adults appreciate quality filmmaking discredits many film students and young cinephiles who admire his film. Maybe through this Twitter drama, Master and Commander can find its way back into the spotlight and finally get some much-deserved recognition for Crowe.
Source: Russell Crowe