Hornblower: Duty

I'm a long-time Hornblower fan; I own all the books and have read them so often they're falling apart. I can almost recite the Gregory Peck movie word for word as well! but this series is far, far better and of course more 'gutsy'. I bought the boxed DVD set on its release because it's one of those classic British historical dramas I will never get tired of watching.

While a fair amount of poetic license has been taken with the novels, I still feel I haven't been in any way cheated, or that Forester's characters have been misused. The way the screenwriters melded the different books together to make a full and exciting series is truly excellent, and Ioan Gruffudd shines as Hornblower; he even fits Forester's physical description. Robert Lindsay as Sir Edmund Pellew was brilliant, as indeed were every one of the actors.

I only wish they hadn't stopped!

A terrific series, well worth a look for anyone keen on swashing their buckles.

I Video'd this and the other new Hornblower movie ("Loyalty") when they were shown on A&E in December 2003, but it wasn't until mid-February that I finally watched them. And then the following weekend, I finally saw the "Master and Commander" movie. It's too bad I watched the Hornblower movies first, because they really ruined "Master and Commander" for me. The acting is so much better in the Hornblower stories. In fact, I think about the only thing "Master and Commander" had over "Loyalty" and "Duty" were sound effects and lack of commercials. What I didn't realize is that these were just the latest (last?) two in a long series of Hornblower made-for-TV movies. Now I want to watch the whole series!

From Midshipman to Post-Captain, the fictional career in the Royal Navy of one Horatio Hornblower has been well documented by Andrew Grieve over the past few years. `Duty' is the latest in the series with our hero getting married to his landlady's daughter (Julia Sawalah) and then sailing off across the channel for some close and personal stuff with the French.

There's nothing to the story and yet somehow you are dragged in. Maybe it's Ioan Gruffud's saturnine charm as Hornie (or `Horrie' as his wife calls him). He's actually a bit of a prig but unlike most of his species acts fast and gets away with things a more hesitant man would never achieve. His facility for putting his own neck on the line strangely endears him to his crew (if my boss was that reckless I think I'd ask for a transfer to something less hazardous, like fireships). His attitude towards his new wife is peculiar; he has married her out of a sense of duty, he doesn't dislike her but he is aware she's not Admiral's wife material. Still when a character's mother-in-law is played by Barbara Flynn, a man has to take his chances.

Realism is not a big feature of this show (the French unconcernedly moving their troops around with a British ship in the bay) despite the use of what looks like a full-sized replica of the sloop `Hotspur'. In an earlier episode a few hundred British troops manage to get ashore in full view of the French on the beach without being noticed. It's also not too likely that a steward as good as Doughty would have been put on a capital charge for accidentally striking a junior officer, nor that a younger brother of Napoleon Bonaparte would wind up aboard one of His Majesty's ships (though come to think of it one did become King of Naples). But all that doesn't matter. C S Forester could tell a good yarn and the series makers have ultilised his formula to good effect. The whole thing is overflowing with chauvinism and xenophobia (even the Americans can't be trusted) and yet we cheer every time Hornie puts his sword through some unlucky foreigner.

There's plenty of good period detail without too much pedantry and Matthews the Bosun (Peter Copley and Styles (the lower deck trouble magnet played by Sean Gilder) are always entertaining. It's simple, but not mindless stuff and its US popularity is intriguing. I can't see it having much appeal to the French, though.

I watched this series years ago when i rented them from the video store. I remembered reading an interview with Gene Roddenberry wherein he explained how Horatio Hornblower was his basis for the character of James T. Kirk. That had me. The great story, well told immediately capitivated me. With HH, I could clearly see the parallel with JTK--The noble, trickster, swashbuckler. I would watch it all over again. This and Pride & Prejudice (Firth/Ehle) began my love affair and discover of BBC and anything, anyone from the UK. Great storytelling!

If you have read CS Forester's "Hornblower and the Hotspur" you are wondering where it went. While a few incidents are present here from the book, the story line has nothing to do with the book. You will be disappointed that the main themes and character of Horatio have been lost. While the series is entertaining, do not expect the TV movies to be the books. "Based on" is used in its very broad sense.

So watch the movies first. Then go read the books, they are much richer and complex. However, the character of Hornblower will be vastly different and the historic settings as well. Unfortunately, another example of taking the reputation of a book, some names and some of the incidents and then writing your own story without the depth of the original.

So, just treat them as separate works with name connections only.