In Peter Weir's Master And Commander, Russell Crowe stars as Captain "Lucky" Jack Aubrey, renowned as a fighting captain in the British Navy. After a French ship almost sinks them in a battle, the ship's surgeon and Aubrey's closest friend Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany) cautions him about letting revenge cloud his judgement. With the HMS Surprise badly damaged and much of his crew injured, Aubrey is torn between duty and friendship as he pursues a high-stakes chase across two oceans to intercept and capture his foe, refusing to accept defeat at the hands of the French at any cost.

Nominated for Best Film and Best Director at the 2004 Oscars.