Nations need their heroes, sometimes with great desperation. Such was the case in the series of wars from 1792 to 1815 which were fought between Great Britain and first Revolutionary France and then the First French Empire. Britain had to finance this series of wars, because the various major continental powers it tried to ally itself with again and again against the French (and later against Napoleon I) were financially unable to support the war efforts (especially after the French would defeat the armies of these countries, march in, and change their government).
The British also fought the French army and navy face to face. But here was the problem: Up until the second period of the wars (1802 - 1815) Britain produced no field commander of real stature. The General-in-Chief of the Army was George III's favorite son, Frederick, Duke of York, who was (apparently) able but little else. He is the one in the old nursery rhyme song, "The good old Duke of York, he had 10,000 men...." Frederick never showed more than moderate abilities as a field commander, but it was smashed when his mistress, Mary Ann Clarke, was caught selling commissions in the army for a "commissions fee". Fred resigned. Mary did not go to prison (her grandson was the author of PETER IBBETSON and TRILBY, George du Maurier; her great grandson was the stage star Gerald du Maurier; her great granddaughter and biographer the author of REBECCA and JAMAICA INN and FRENCHMAN'S CREEK Daphne du Maurier - not bad for a so-called "fallen woman".).
It would not be until the appearance of those two stunningly good generals, Sir John Moore (who built up British field performance before his death at Corunna in 1809) and Arthur Wellesley (later the Duke of Wellington) {who learned military technique in India, took it to Europe, drove the French out of Spain, and defeated Napoleon at Waterloo) that the army finally got good commanders. Notably after their arrival Napoleon and the French were defeated. But for the first part of the wars 1792 - 1802 it was the Navy that really gave England her heroes. And the hero it gave was Horatio Nelson, who even today is considered England's greatest naval tactician.
When he came on the scene there were others: Richard, Lord Howe, who won the "Glorious First of June" in 1794, and Adam Duncan, who won the battle Camperdown in 1798 (following the Great Fleet Mutiny of that year - see DAMN THE DEFIANT). But Nelson had a string of them, from Cape St. Vincent (in 1797), to the stunning battle of the Nile (1798) to Copenhagen (1800) to his greatest victory Trafalgar (1805) where he was shot down in battle. In these battles he repeatedly bent or threw away the textbook regulations that had fossilized most naval officers. He also built up a group of fellow officers who continued his innovations (Cuthbert Collingwood, Thomas Hardy, Troubridge, Lord Cochrane) and pursued the French until the end of the war. These men stiffened that impregnable wooden wall that kept the French from taking Britain and ruling the world.
THAT HAMILTON WOMAN deals with the one flaw in his record as a man - an understandable one. In command of the Meditteranean Fleet in 1797 - 98, Nelson frequently docked in the allied Kingdom of Naples. The royal family was advised closely by Sir William Hamilton, the British Ambassador there. Sir William and his wife Emma held a miniature court, advising the locals and meeting celebrities. Emma Hamilton was a very beautiful woman, and Sir William married her because of that - her background was not great (one of her best jobs was working for a quack doctor in London). Emma met Nelson, and the two fell in love. Hamilton was aware of this, but as it was England's greatest hero he winked at his wife's new lover.
Eventually it became known. As Nelson was married (to a clergyman's daughter) and had a child it did not sit very well...as far as Emma went. Horatio was allowed to do whatever he wanted - he was saving the country. In fact, in 1803 he actually gave testimony for the defense of Colonel Marcus Despard, a friend who went mad and tried to overthrow the government and assassinate King George III (Despard was still found guilty and executed). Up to his heroic death, Nelson could do no wrong. But Emma was left after 1805 to go into poverty and exile in Calais, France, where she died in 1818.
This film is a rare one. It is one of the few made by Olivier and his wife Vivien Leigh, and only FIRE OVER ENGLAND merits comparison. Both give good account of themselves as the lovers, although their relationship was a bit more boisterous and noisy than this account makes it. Gladys Cooper is splendid in her one scene as Nelson's wronged wife confronting Leigh. Alan Mowbray has a rarity - a moving dying scene. Sir William was one of England's great art collectors, but the ship with his wonderful collection was wrecked when he returned home. He suffered a stroke that killed him, and that also affected his mind. Watch him request his servant shift a now non-existent painting on the wall because it's crooked. Quite unforgettable.
The British also fought the French army and navy face to face. But here was the problem: Up until the second period of the wars (1802 - 1815) Britain produced no field commander of real stature. The General-in-Chief of the Army was George III's favorite son, Frederick, Duke of York, who was (apparently) able but little else. He is the one in the old nursery rhyme song, "The good old Duke of York, he had 10,000 men...." Frederick never showed more than moderate abilities as a field commander, but it was smashed when his mistress, Mary Ann Clarke, was caught selling commissions in the army for a "commissions fee". Fred resigned. Mary did not go to prison (her grandson was the author of PETER IBBETSON and TRILBY, George du Maurier; her great grandson was the stage star Gerald du Maurier; her great granddaughter and biographer the author of REBECCA and JAMAICA INN and FRENCHMAN'S CREEK Daphne du Maurier - not bad for a so-called "fallen woman".).
It would not be until the appearance of those two stunningly good generals, Sir John Moore (who built up British field performance before his death at Corunna in 1809) and Arthur Wellesley (later the Duke of Wellington) {who learned military technique in India, took it to Europe, drove the French out of Spain, and defeated Napoleon at Waterloo) that the army finally got good commanders. Notably after their arrival Napoleon and the French were defeated. But for the first part of the wars 1792 - 1802 it was the Navy that really gave England her heroes. And the hero it gave was Horatio Nelson, who even today is considered England's greatest naval tactician.
When he came on the scene there were others: Richard, Lord Howe, who won the "Glorious First of June" in 1794, and Adam Duncan, who won the battle Camperdown in 1798 (following the Great Fleet Mutiny of that year - see DAMN THE DEFIANT). But Nelson had a string of them, from Cape St. Vincent (in 1797), to the stunning battle of the Nile (1798) to Copenhagen (1800) to his greatest victory Trafalgar (1805) where he was shot down in battle. In these battles he repeatedly bent or threw away the textbook regulations that had fossilized most naval officers. He also built up a group of fellow officers who continued his innovations (Cuthbert Collingwood, Thomas Hardy, Troubridge, Lord Cochrane) and pursued the French until the end of the war. These men stiffened that impregnable wooden wall that kept the French from taking Britain and ruling the world.
THAT HAMILTON WOMAN deals with the one flaw in his record as a man - an understandable one. In command of the Meditteranean Fleet in 1797 - 98, Nelson frequently docked in the allied Kingdom of Naples. The royal family was advised closely by Sir William Hamilton, the British Ambassador there. Sir William and his wife Emma held a miniature court, advising the locals and meeting celebrities. Emma Hamilton was a very beautiful woman, and Sir William married her because of that - her background was not great (one of her best jobs was working for a quack doctor in London). Emma met Nelson, and the two fell in love. Hamilton was aware of this, but as it was England's greatest hero he winked at his wife's new lover.
Eventually it became known. As Nelson was married (to a clergyman's daughter) and had a child it did not sit very well...as far as Emma went. Horatio was allowed to do whatever he wanted - he was saving the country. In fact, in 1803 he actually gave testimony for the defense of Colonel Marcus Despard, a friend who went mad and tried to overthrow the government and assassinate King George III (Despard was still found guilty and executed). Up to his heroic death, Nelson could do no wrong. But Emma was left after 1805 to go into poverty and exile in Calais, France, where she died in 1818.
This film is a rare one. It is one of the few made by Olivier and his wife Vivien Leigh, and only FIRE OVER ENGLAND merits comparison. Both give good account of themselves as the lovers, although their relationship was a bit more boisterous and noisy than this account makes it. Gladys Cooper is splendid in her one scene as Nelson's wronged wife confronting Leigh. Alan Mowbray has a rarity - a moving dying scene. Sir William was one of England's great art collectors, but the ship with his wonderful collection was wrecked when he returned home. He suffered a stroke that killed him, and that also affected his mind. Watch him request his servant shift a now non-existent painting on the wall because it's crooked. Quite unforgettable.