The aspect of 'Master & Commander...' that I liked more than anything else was its well-balanced depiction of life at sea during the Napoleonic wars, at the beginning of the Nineteenth Century. The actual instances of conflict only accounted for perhaps a fifth of the film's running time, with the rest of the story focussed upon the day-to-day life of the ship's running: from improvised medical surgeries, to the exploration of the Galapagos Islands, to music and merry-making, to the friendships and interactions of the men on-baord, and even, importantly, to the saying of prayers for the loss of life whilst on voyage. This last point being an important one, because, as much as many media-moguls, revisionist historians and Hollywood producers would want us to believe, that was simply how life was throughout our history - people naturally turned to God for help, and thus the country prospered. This inclusion of the fuller picture also serves well in heightening the dramatic tension that builds up to the instances of conflict that do arise; and in what fear-inducing detail they are depicted too. Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany revive their 'Beautiful Mind' partnership, and their on-screen comradeship is a credit to the casting of this film. My one complaint is that not more was seen of these sea-farers' lives outside of their life on-board; some inter-cut depictions of their life on land, particularly with their families, I think might have added an extra dimension to the film and given it a little more depth. Still, this is a commendable production well worth watching.