Of course, beautiful visuals mean little if not coupled with a gripping story and powerful performances. The Hornblower movies exquisitely deliver on both counts. The eight films chronicle the trials and triumphs of Hornblower as he rises through the ranks of the British Royal Navy without resorting to miniseries tactics. Each “episode” (lasting about 100 minutes) stands alone as a complete story independent of the other films. While it’s not necessary to see them in chronological order—or any, order, for that matter—they work together to paint an engaging portrait of a man resolute in his personal ethics against all odds. They’re not preachy by any means, but instead weave their themes within the stories in the tradition of classic filmmaking. Ioan Gruffudd (Fantastic Four) portrays Hornblower with a perfect blend mannerly reserve and swashbuckling abandon.In his recurring role as Hornblower’s mentor, Captain Pellew, Robert Lindsay (Wimbledon) delivers an outstanding performance as a gruff but tender father figure who quietly charts Hornblower’s career. In fact, there are no weak performances in the series. Supporting actors play their roles with a vigor born of love for the content.
Besides the 800 minute running time of the adventures, this DVD collection offers a wealth of bonus features, including:
• Exclusive interview with Ioan Gruffudd
• Filmmaker Commentary on Loyalty and Duty.
• 3 Bonus Programs: England's Royal Warships, Sail 2000: Aboard the Eagle, and The Making of Horatio Hornblower
• About C.S. Forester
• Nautical Terms and Definitions
• Interactive 3D Naval Cannon
• Guide to Royal Warships
• C.S. Forester Biography
• Cast and Crew Biographies
• Photo Gallery
• Interactive Menus; Scene Selection
The story of Horatio Hornblower is too rich to cover adequately in one review. I’ll be looking at the individual movies in depth over the coming weeks. In the meantime, I recommend the entire series as a rarity—an uplifting saga of valor and adventure suitable for family viewing. It never panders to any one demographic--it is, quite simply, a ripping good yarn.
Article comments
1 - Deano
As a sidenote, I understand that when filming the initial set of shows the budget was so limited, they painted the sides of the frigate different colors, so they could film it as "different ships" depending on the side they approached.
Good series!
2 - Storm
In incoreectly attribute these to "A&E". They were in fact made by ITV.