Hornblower: Mutiny (2001)

Hornblower and his comrades come under the command of a revered but obviously mentally unstable captain and eventually must mutiny.

Director:

Andrew Grieve

Writers:

T.R. Bowen (screenplay), C.S. Forester (books)

Stars:

Ioan Gruffudd, Robert Lindsay, David Warner

Nominated for 7 Primetime Emmys. Another 6 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Ioan Gruffudd	...	Lieutenant Horatio Hornblower
Robert Lindsay	...	Commodore Sir Edward Pellew
David Warner	...	Captain James Sawyer
Nicholas Jones	...	Lieutenant Buckland
Paul McGann	...	Lieutenant Bush
Jamie Bamber	...	Lieutenant Archie Kennedy
Philip Glenister	...	Gunner Hobbs
Paul Copley	...	Matthews
Sean Gilder	...	Styles
David Rintoul	...	Dr. Clive
Terence Corrigan	...	Midshipman Wellard
Gilly Gilchrist	...	Randall
Paul Brightwell	...	Sergeant Whiting
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Moses Rockman	...	Bowman

Storyline

Sir Edward Pellew visits Horatio Hornblower who is jail in Jamaica awaiting his trial on a charge of making a mutiny. His problems began six months earlier when he was appointed Third Lieutenant aboard the HMS Renown under the famous Captain James Sawyer. It soon becomes apparent to several of the officers, including Horatio's friend Archie Kennedy who is aboard ship as Fourth Lieutenant that the Captain is suffering from madness of some sort. He is cruel and sees conspiracies everywhere. Both Horatio and Midshipman Welland prove to be the particular objects of his wrath. The situation is not helped by an inexperience First Lieutenant who does not command the Captain's respect and a newly arrived Second Lieutenant who doesn't seem ready to challenge the Captain in any way.

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Plot Keywords:

mutiny | conspiracy | horatio hornblower | fifth part | royal navy | 

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Taglines:

He's Back!

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | War

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Details

Official Sites:

A&E Television Networks

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 April 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Horatio Hornblower: The Mutiny

Filming Locations:

South Devon, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

A&E Network,Meridian Broadcasting,United Film and Television Productions

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Both Ioan Gruffudd and David Warner starred in Titanic (1997).

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Goofs

When Captain Sawyer orders Grog at high noon, he shouts "We'll splice the Main Brace!" which draws a cheer from his crew. In the modern age, the phrase "Splice the Main Brace" is a celebratory call before a drink; however, during the age of sail under its original meaning, the phrase was an order to undertake one of the most difficult tasks on-board ship involving splicing the principal line controlling the rotation of the main sail. The task was long and arduous and critically important for the safety of the ship. Thus, when Captain Sawyer gave this order, his crew would have been looking at hours of work ahead of them with no reason to cheer.

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Quotes

[last lines]
Cmmdre. Sir Edward Pellew: So you believe the Captain's behaviour was due to him falling down the hold.
3rd Lt. Horatio Hornblower: That's what seemed to push him over the edge.
Cmmdre. Sir Edward Pellew: That's an interesting choice of words, Mr. Hornblower.
[walks towards Hornblower]
Cmmdre. Sir Edward Pellew: How did the Captain come to fall?

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Connections

Followed by Horatio Hornblower: Retribution (2001)

User Reviews

Another excellent period piece

This is another beautiful example how A&E Networks knows exactly how to make a proper period movie. A top notch script, excellent sets and brilliant cast members make this one of the most polished television movies made in recent years. Star Ioan Gruffudd shines in the lead role, showing true lead star quality. I'm certain that he is on his way to bigger projects in his career. Coupled with established actor David Warner and well-known face Paul McGann (nice to see him doing more television after his abruptly cut-short turn in "Doctor Who"), the cast flow through the excellent script with everything they've got, not just acting the parts but expressing the feeling of the story.

Let's hope that this movie (and it's sequel "Retribution") are not the last we see of the Lydia and her crew. A&E could show other television networks exactly how to make a truly entertaining TV movie, something that seems lost to everyone else.