Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

Continuity mistake: When Captain Aubrey's head is bleeding after being hit during the first battle with the Acheron, we see the wound just above his eye. However, when we see him next, the wound is farther down his hairline. (00:11:50)

Continuity mistake: Jack Aubrey's hair changes in consecutive shots throughout the film. For example, when Stephen tells Jack, "Let me take a look at that brow of yours," his hair differs in the following close-up. (00:16:40)

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: When Jack is peering through the magnifying glass at the chart, we see 'Hidden Reef' and 'Dangerous Shoals', but in the previous shot those two things are shown way to the left of where he is looking. (00:18:05)

Continuity mistake: After Stephen asks, "What is the weather gauge?" the table in front of Jack is visible in the following shots. As Jack extols the virtues of the Surprise the position of the nautical dividers in the instrument box differ once Jack is done. When Jack points to the shoals in the close-up, the map's position under another pair of nautical dividers, the log, ink well stand, etc., is different than the previous shots of the table. (00:18:30 - 00:19:55)

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: While performing brain surgery on Joe Plaice, Stephen, whose sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, reaches for a spoon with his freckled hand. In the following close-up it is blatantly apparent that it is not Paul Bettany's hand lifting the spoon, not to mention the bit of sleeve (not rolled up) that is visible at the bottom of the screen at the wrist. Then in the overhead shot the table with the instruments is visible, which includes the two boxes and silver spoon. In the next close-up the dark brown box's position and the spoon's position differ (before he picks up the spoon). (00:23:50)

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

Continuity mistake: When Stephen is pressed to examine the two weevils, in the close-ups facing Jack, even after he slams his hand down on the table, the spoon in the gravy boat leans to the side, yet, in the shots facing Stephen the spoon is at the handle. (00:34:50)

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: When Lofty asks if the Acheron is like a pirate ship, in the wide shot Davies, who holds a pipe, grabs him up. In the next close-up, the pipe Davies holds is positioned completely differently in his hand. (00:43:35)

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: When Stephen comes on deck during the rounding of Cape Horn, Jack yells to him from the quarterdeck. Jack has his boat cloak on. He does not put on his boat cloak for several shots later, just after he tells Bonden to steer SSW. (00:48:30)

Continuity mistake: After Will's death, Joe looks through Will's belongings. As the shot faces Joe he unrolls the parchment and in the next close-up of the parchment, not only do the edges of it differ from the previous and following shots, the way he holds it differs as well. (00:53:55)

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

Continuity mistake: After Killick sets down the platter of the 'Galapagos Islands', Jack says, "Gentlemen, I give you our destination." In the following close-up of the platter, the stack of china is to the left of the candelabra, yet, in the next shot, as Killick hands the spoon to Jack, the candelabra is farther back and the stack of china is towards the right. (00:59:00)

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

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

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: 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 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

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.

More mistakes in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

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: When Captain Aubrey makes the toast 'To wives and sweethearts - may they never meet' he is following a custom in the Royal Navy called the toast of the day. There was a special toast for every day of the week. This one in particular was usually for Saturdays. There is a minor mistake, however: tradition dictated that the proposer (in this case, the captain) would say the first part 'to wives and sweethearts', to which the most junior officer present would reply 'may they never meet'. Here is the list that seems to be most commonly followed dates from before Trafalgar, courtesy of the Canadian Navy website: Monday - our ships at sea, Tuesday - our men, Wednesday - ourselves, because no one else is likely to both, Thursday - a bloody war or a sickly season (to ensure quicker promotion), Friday - a willing foe and sea room (The two preceding seem to be of historical interest only), Saturday - wives and sweethearts - may they never meet (reply is made by the youngest officer present) Sunday - absent friends.

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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