That Hamilton Woman

As a 90's kid raised on low-brow dumb comedy and straight-to-video horror, I'm not sure if I can ever be the demographic for this 40's melodramatic war/romance. However, since I am also not a pre-Pearl Harbor, American isolationist, this propaganda picture may not have its desired effects either, since I entered the movie already not cool with Hitler, I mean Napoleon, I mean adultery. Yeah, booo adultery! That's what the real message of the movie was, right? Don't run off with one-armed sailors.

Propoganda disguised as historical romance. The portrayal of Nelson battling the tyranny of Napoleon is clearly meant to stir British audiences. No wonder it was Churchill's favorite. And that's the only point of distinction. The romance in this movie is awfully tepid, even more surprising when you consider that Leigh and Olivier were married at the time. There's no spark, they really don't seem all that interested in each other. The movie is generally well-done but it just has no oomph to it.

A cinematic monument to English emotional reserve, the English sense of duty and English hypocrisy. The rousing rendition of 'Hearts of Oak' as the British fleet goes into the Battle of Trafalgar, as well as the reception of the 'England expects' message by the crews ought to inspire all of us Britons to reimagine the world of the postwar consensus, when we all pulled together. Bravo!

Handsomely mounted and beautifully acted account of the love affair between Horatio Nelson and Emma Hamilton. Churchill famously loved this film - overlong with sometimes florid dialogue, but always watchable.

An impressive and supremely elegant production, but nothing more than militaristic duty-stirring masquerading as a forbidden love melodrama. Wartime propaganda. If only it were actually as rich as it looks.

"That Hamilton Woman gains much from Leigh's playfulness and placid beauty." - Bill Weber

Very good.

Laurence Olivier & Vivien Leigh's finest hour together.