Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World mistake picture

Revealing mistake: After a close-up of the drawing of one-armed Lord Nelson, Killick opens the lid of the steaming food for Jack in a close-up, just before Killick says, "Oh, here we go again. Scrape, scrape, screech, screech." Later, after Pullings takes command of Acheron, Jack tunes up his violin and Killick says, "Here we go again," in another close-up of the steaming food for Jack. Every detail of the food shown in both close-ups is exactly the same - obviously shot at the same time. (00:26:25 - 02:05:20)

Super Grover

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World mistake picture

Revealing mistake: The Acheron fires many devastating blows on the Surprise and the effect is visible in close-ups and a wide shot. However, after Mr. Mowett yells, "Relieving-tackles on the tiller! You men collect the wounded!" there is another wide shot of the Acheron in the foreground and Surprise in the distance. In this shot Surprise has NO damage whatsoever! (00:11:00)

Super Grover

Factual error: After Stephen Maturin comes back with a small portion of findings from the Galapagos Islands, he presents a stick insect to Captain Aubrey, but stick insects (Phasmids) don't exist in the Galapagos Islands. (01:41:20)

Factual error: At the end of the film, Aubrey sends the de-masted prize Acheron to Valparaiso, Chile, for repairs. Valparaiso is 3,000 miles from the Galapagos Islands, and, in 1805, was a tiny village without appropriate port facilities to dock or repair anything as large as a frigate. Valparaiso did not become a major port until after Chilean Independence from Spain (1810). Guayaquil (in modern Ecuador) would have been a more appropriate choice, being about 750 miles from the Galapagos, and being a major port in 1805. The choice between the two ports was moot, anyway, since both municipalities were Spanish territory in 1805, and thus were allied with the French, and hostile to the British.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World mistake picture

Continuity mistake: When Stephen removes the bullet, the rope's knot on the pillow, to the right of Stephen's head, appears, disappears and reappears. (01:31:55)

Super Grover

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World mistake picture

Continuity mistake: As Stephen holds the diary, in the shot facing him he begins to flip the page with his right hand, yet, in the next close-up of the diary he flips the page with his left hand. The actual pages he flips and the way he holds the diary differs in this and following shots as well. (01:34:25)

Super Grover

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World mistake picture

Continuity mistake: While Jack and the rest speak about Lord Nelson, the plate of bread on the table is visible when the wide shots face Stephen. The following two close-ups show the plate of bread on the table, as Stephen looks at the weevils and the bread is positioned very differently in these shots. As Jack slams his hand down on the table, the bread is positioned as in the previous wide shots. (00:32:45 - 00:34:25)

Super Grover

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World mistake picture

Continuity mistake: While Stephen performs Blakeney's amputation, the string on the hinge of Stephen's eyeglasses changes in consecutive shots. (00:21:45)

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: As Killick trims the wax on the candle, in the close-up his hand is wet. However, in the next wide shot as he says, "He's been at it again..." his hand is dry. (00:54:20)

Super Grover

Factual error: In the brief shot of the Surprise underway after entering the Pacific, seen from dead astern and from above, the ship is leaving a respectable wake but is not heeling with the wind at all and the sails are hanging slack as though completely becalmed.

Audio problem: After releasing the whaler prisoners aboard Acheron, Mr. Hogg shouts, "Now do your worst!" though his mouth clearly does not say that. (01:56:25)

Super Grover

Audio problem: While doing repairs on Surprise, Jack says, "Repair won't do here. I need those replaced," but his lips don't move when his voice says, "..replaced." Then as he says, "Ask Mr. Lamb what he has in stock," his mouth actually says something else. (00:22:55)

Super Grover

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World mistake picture

Continuity mistake: In the tent before and during the removal of Stephen's bullet, the ropes at the top of the tent behind Jack differ in the close-ups and wide shots. (01:30:40)

Super Grover

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World mistake picture

Continuity mistake: As Higgins studies the medical diagrams while sitting next to Stephen, when he turns the page he gasps and covers his mouth. The diagrams on the page in the close-up differ from the ones in the wide shot as Higgins still has his hand over is mouth. (01:27:50)

Super Grover

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World mistake picture

Continuity mistake: As Higgins removes the piece of cloth from the bullet and compares it to the shirt, the blood on his hands and the way he holds the shirt differs in the close-up and wide shots. (01:32:50)

Super Grover

Audio problem: Jack tells Pullings that he will take the next watch. Pullings says, "Aye, sir. Mr. Mowett, Mr. Allen, calmly now. You know his orders," however he does not say the latter half of that sentence, he says something else. (00:42:55)

Super Grover

Audio problem: After the Acheron attack on the Surprise, below deck Jack, Stephen and some others discuss the situation. When Mr. Allen says, "Triple-shotted at 200 yards, and our guns had no effect," his mouth is actually saying, "...at 500 yards..." (00:18:20)

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: There are two tight close-ups of the words "hold fast," which are tattooed on Joe Plaice's fingers; When "Engaged enemy frigate at six bells," is said as Joe speaks, and as Stephen performs the brain surgery on Joe. The letters noticeably differ in the two shots, particularly the l, d, f, and t.

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: On Galapagos, as Stephen is being carried to the tent, after Jack utters the excuse of needing to stretch his legs, Mowett's position differs greatly in the two consecutive wide shots. (01:29:55)

Super Grover

Capt. Jack Aubrey: England is under threat of invasion, and though we be on the far side of the world, this ship is our home. This ship *is* England.

More quotes from Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

Trivia: The book, from which the film is based, was actually set during the "War of 1812" between Britain and America, and in the book the Acheron is an American made vessel used by America. By contrast, in the film the Acheron is an American made ship used by the French, who are the nemesis of Britain in this film.

More trivia for Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

Question: Will someone explain to me navigation. I have never heard of "Sou Sou West" or "Sou East by East."

Answer: There are four major directions (North, South, East and West), four minor (North East, south east, south west and north west) and 16 sub directions. Among these are South South West and South east by East. South South West is between South West and South and South East by East is between south east and east.

SexyIrishLeprechaun

More questions & answers from Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

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