BlazeLime Strong and Moving!

ChampDavSlim The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

Tyreece Hulme One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

Taha Avalos The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

lasttimeisaw Alexander Korda's historical drama pivots on and beautifies the real-life adulterous romance between Emma Hamilton (Leigh), a courtesan-turned-wife-of-British-ambassador and British Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson (Olivier) during the dawn of the Napoleonic war in the beginning of 19th century. First and foremost, it is a star vehicle unflinchingly banks on Leigh and Olivier, the then newlyweds' prestige, then gauging by its release date, it also functions as a patriotic war propaganda urging USA to join the ongoing WWII against the Axis. (which soon would be precipitated by Japan's stealth raid on Pearl Harbor) However, after watching this sketchy account of the scandalous relationship against a very broad historic outline which Korda and his screenwriters have devised, one's natural leaning would tend to be rather ambiguous, Horatio is an out-and-out national hero (Olivier gives a very measured, even somewhat stiff performance which doesn't consonant with his reputation), who devotes his life to fight for the right cause and accrues many victories for his fatherland, which costs him an eye, an arm and eventually his life. Yet, in the end of the day, his country downright fails him, too moralistic to pay due care to Emma, the woman he truly loves, after his untimely demise, not to mention, it is "that woman" who plays a critical role not once but twice (according to the movie's story-line), when Nelson and the Great Britain desperately need aids from Naples, she proves to be much more tactful than her then husband Sir William Hamilton (Mowbray), the British ambassador to Naples. Thus, why would anyone be spurred by this account into laying down one's life in the face of that one's country cannot even promise to safeguard the ones he or she loves ? So, the war propaganda train has gone off-rail, but as a showpiece, Vivien Leigh is utterly ravishing in this tailor-made character, which boils down to her actions, reactions, line-delivery, miens and gestures, are all highlighted with subdued close-ups exude a dainty aura of divinity and desirability, and the story is almost exclusively told through her eye's-view, a young woman unwittingly sold by her dissolute lover to enter a marriage (under which circumstance she caves in) where she is regarded as a precious art collection by her well-off husband, impeccable, forever young but with no love, and for once, the husband, is not a man possessed by the green-eyed monster when Emma finds passion and attraction in another man, an apotheosis of virtues, he can suavely dole out constructive advice to her but never stands in their way. Emma is not a grasping soul, mirrored by the happy-go-lucky temperament of her mother (a jolly and welcomingly earthy Sara Allgood), she isn't craving for William's fortune because she knows she doesn't deserve it, but there is no way Horatio can marry her because Lady Nelson (an animosity-simmering Gladys Cooper) refuses to relinquish her title and gives her blessing to the love birds. At any rate, Emma and Horatio spend their last days together in modest comforts, until he is summoned for the famous Battle of Trafalgar, and for the first time (also the last time), we are steered to the epic sea battle scenery, understandably jerry-built in its studio-bound model conjuring, nevertheless an impressive feat in the eyes of its original audience. As ineffable as Ms. Leigh is, the film itself doesn't pan out as a classical stunner, impeded by its innately episodic narrative, a rash flashback frame and a lackluster co-star, it is best to be served as a scrumptious feast to ogle Ms. Leigh's glamor and glory in her acme, and taking into account of her rather scanty filmography, it might as well sneaks into that must-see list for film lovers all over the world.

Catharina_Sweden I loved this movie - although it was over two hours long, it was so interesting all the time that it did not feel long at all. The only thing wrong was that they had omitted both Lady Hamilton's first daughter that she had already at 16, and also the second daughter with Nelson, who died as an infant. Except for this, I think this was an exhaustive and faithful rendering of Lady Hamilton's life. Oh, what a roller-coaster that life was! It is difficult to know if one should envy, pity or despise her... maybe a little of everything..? The actors were very good all round. Vivien Leigh even looked like the Emma Hamilton of the portraits! Slim, petite and exquisitely beautiful. Laurence Olivier as Lord Nelson was excellent as always.I like it that the movie also gave a fine picture of the culture and the times in these upper-class circles, in Britain and on the continent. And Lord Nelson's career and victories are of course a piece of British and European history.

bobsgrock Perhaps the two greatest stars of British cinema, Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier, come together for the third and final time in Alexander Korda's extravagant period piece drama depicting the tragic romance between Lady Emma Hamilton and Lord Horatio Nelson. Married at the time, they certainly had chemistry, though it is not as apparent as you might think. Indeed, the entire tone of the film is quite subtle; most of the great scenes involve simple dialogue and soft music in the background. With such charismatic actors and a strong story to support, that is all that's needed.Many would say Leigh outshines her husband in this role and it's hard to disagree with that. In every scene, she shows what a brilliant and engaging actress she was before personal troubles brought her career to an abrupt ending. Whether black and white or color, Leigh always looks stunning and commands all her scenes. Olivier is always strong as the heroic Lord Nelson, leader of the British fleet that was constantly at war with Napoleon's French navy. However, the story concerns itself more with the relationship between these two strong-willed, determined people.One of the aspects so interesting is the way in which the affair is conducted. Despite the obvious resistance from their respective spouses, neither Lady Hamilton nor Nelson do anything rash or outrageous. They continue their own ways of life and seemingly accept the cards they've been dealt. It shows the manner of the times; there is no attempt to create a better life for themselves together at the expense of those who helped them make it. Honor and loyalty remain, yet at the center is a blossoming and passionate romance that seems to be the antithesis of society. Also, with Olivier and Leigh, they create sympathy for characters that shouldn't receive it.The question to ask is what does a film like this attempt to do? For starters, it establishes a well-defined tone throughout the story and draws us in completely. For the entire running time, the film never lags and is always engaging and interesting. Certainly Korda wasn't expecting to make any kind of great masterpiece. Yet perhaps he did. Supposedly this was Winston Churchill's favorite film and was seen at the time of its release as war propaganda against Germany. However you look at it, it is clearly a timeless love story thanks in no small part to its timeless actors.

Nog First of all, the film is too long by about 35 minutes. Given the star quality of Olivier and Leigh at the time, that's probably deliberate. Never mind that we see several scenes that cover the same self-conflicted feelings again and again. Some scenes are embarrassingly overwrought, and one can only blame the director. Leigh especially thinks more is more, and seems never to have heard of nuance. The battle scenes are typical of British film of the era, with models standing in for real ships. Granted, the film was made during wartime, but even before the war British production values were meager -- the reason Hitchcock packed up for America. There is a death scene that goes on way too long, which dips the film further down into its melodramatic depths. As the film returns from the protracted flashback, it abruptly ends, with no explanation of what had happened to That Hamilton Woman after the recollections.The patriotic message is repeated often enough to help establish the film as encouragement for the British to hang in there during these war years of the 1940's. I found myself wondering if the treatment of the Italians as uncultured fools was based on Italy's alliance with Germany, or merely a fairly typical English attitude of superiority that defined (at least) the 1930's (mirrored in my recent reading of Agatha Christie's novels, which rather blatantly sneer at Italians and other foreigners).I was rather surprised that this film was deserving of the Criterion Collection treatment. But then again, they seem to think Douglas Sirk is a genius, too.