Master and Commander at 20: how a film about men fighting at sea is actually a safe harbour of positive masculinity

By Matilda Hatcher, PhD Candidate, Australian National University

At 20, Peter Weir’s 2003 masterpiece Master and Commander remains a captivating historical drama – and an emblem of wholesome masculinity.

A deeply detailed film set in the British Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, Master and Commander follows Captain “Lucky” Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) and his men aboard HMS Surprise. Accompanied by the eccentric amateur naturalist Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany), the crew are hunting the French ship Acheron through the Pacific Ocean.

Its depiction of life at sea is gritty and brutal: intense battle scenes; Maturin performing surgery…

Read complete article

~	What Pennsylvania’s AI chatbot lawsuit teaches us about the psychology behind medical trust

~	Building more renewable energy sources means rethinking land use for agriculture and conservation

~	Child drownings spike during heatwaves – and it’s a serious climate justice issue

~	How businesses with ties to Jeffrey Epstein saw norms – and even share prices – suffer

~	UK Home Office to use AI age estimation on asylum seekers – how accurate is the technology?

~	Heartbreaking historical tales, unsettling scenes and shortlisted non-fiction – what to read, watch and see this week

~	How a simple blood test could help detect heart damage during breast cancer treatment

~	Three fans share their hopes and fears for the 2026 FIFA World Cup

~	Russia: Rights Group OVD-Info Designated ‘Extremist’

~	We’ve been testing therapy like it’s a pill – and some patients are paying the price