This is one of those rare movies. It is well made, well written, well acted, has great cinematography, and crafted with mastery. Despite all this, it is just not an enjoyable film for me to watch.

I remember not particularly liking it all that well the first time. But when the group voted it as the movie of the evening, I decided to give it another try. Maybe I hadn't had much fun watching it before because of my mood, or the fact that I was tired then, or some random fluke of perception. After all, the academy, renowned critics, and the praise of friends can't all be wrong, right?

Well, I gotta call it as I see it. If anything, my personal reaction this time was even more averse. The viewing experience is just so.... joyless. I had to fight to keep my mind from wandering.

The most predominant recurring thought in my head was, "God, I'm glad that isn't my life." Please, make it stop, make it stop! Unlike a brutal tragedy, which keeps you transfixed on the horrid fate of the characters, this one just drags you on and on through the endless slog of their unfortunate situation.

If I ever find myself in a similar predicament in such a place, may I be the first to through myself overboard.

But again, this is not an indictment on the quality of the movie. The fact that I did not find most of the characters particularly appealing does not mean the actors did a bad job. It's just that the whole environment was just so... bleah.

My respect for the captain transformed into a certain contempt when he refused to end the crew and doctor's misery (not to mention mine) by refusing to stop on the Galapogos Islands, and going on to perpetuate a barbaric system of abuse by ordering a crewman flogged for the petty offense of failing to salute a superior as he passed. My contempt then morphed into a sick resignation when it became clear that his reasons for doing so were valid.

Then I just wanted the damn thing to end again, despite how artfully it was made.

Oh well. It's over now. I could go into more detail, but I'd like to rejoin the people around me in the real world.

But this time, I have learned my lesson with certainty. Watching this movie is an act of masochism that I do not intend to commit again.