In Master and Commander, O'Brian has the crew singing a chantey about Jack Aubrey, and his love affair with Admiral Hart's wife. Dear Jack is a flaming heterosexual, which is a good thing, because, as O'Brian also explains, sodomy was a capital offense in the Royal Navy.
O'Brian's sailors will eat anything, including alabtrosses. They don't read Coleridge.
"Master and Commander The Far Side Of The World" was a movie. I approach a movie made from one of my favorite books with extreme caution. I remember the Bakshi Lord of the Rings. But it is obvious that Russel Crowe loved the books too. I wondered how people who didn't know them would react.
Stephen is an introspective soul. O'Brian tells us what he's thinking, and that is what makes him truly interesting. But people like that don't work well in movies. I was glad that they did Stephen as well as they did. I was afraid he would come off as some foolish caricature.
The ending was deliciously O'Brian. The action heating up when you least expect it. I'm re reading the books now. Dear Jack, dear Stephen it is nice to see you again.