I have a dilemma. The new movie Master and Commander (also known as “the movie with the longest URL ever”) opens in theatres today. Reviewers and non-reviewer reviewers, like Charles Krauthammer, say it is an epic sea battle and one of the most faithful depictions of actual life and work on an 18th-century British man-o-war made. I want to see this movie.
Here’s my problem. The movie is based on the series of books by Patrick O’Brian (see the links below for more info) and I’m in the middle of reading the second book of the series. The movie is based on the 10th book. I hate knowing what’s going to happen in a book before I read it. I even avoid reading the back cover blurb as much as possible (which makes buying books by an unknown author pretty difficult as you might imagine.) Now, by the time I get around to reading the 10th book in the series, the movie will be long gone from the theatres. Yet I love seeing movies on the big screen rather than the TV, especially the epic ones.
Now you see my dilemma. Should I see the movie now or watch it on DVD? I leaning toward seeing it on the big screen. My only hope is that it actually doesn’t follow the book closely. that way it won’t ruin the book for me. Oh, the tough decisions we must make every day.
Thanks for the advice, Tom. By the way, did you see that they modelled the French warship on the USS Constitution? That was in the Herald the other day.
And, on another note, did you find Post Captain to be a bit plodding in pacing? It seems to jump from one thing to another without much organization, until they finally get to sea in the Polychrest.