Corrected entry: Near the end of the film when the crew are playing cricket on the island the camera pans out to show the batsman in front of three stumps. However cricket didn't start to be played with three stumps until at least 50 years after the film is set. At the time of the movie time people only played with two. (01:33:40)
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
1 correction since 9 Jan '17, 00:00
Directed by: Peter Weir
Starring: Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, James D'Arcy
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)
Capt. Jack Aubrey: To wives and sweethearts - may they never meet.
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.
Question: Can anyone tell me about the strange flag (sort of a blue lozenge in a white field) the Surprise flies in her disguise as a whaler?
Chosen answer: The flag is a signal flag, and is probably meant to signal that the ship is a whaler or engaged in fishing operations. Such flags were part of an international code, which, with some modification, is still in use today. (The flag is similar to the modern-day "Foxtrot".)
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Correction: This entry is completely wrong. Three stumps had been in use for a long time and became official in 1775 and not more than fifty years after 1805 as stated.