Captain Horatio Hornblower (2007, DVD)

Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951) is an extremely likable, but slightly musty, rendering in Technicolor film of the hero of C.S. Forester's great series of novels about the British Navy during the Napoleonic Wars (late 18th-early 19th century).

For me, its best side was easily its detailed, cast-of-thousands-style depictions of sea battles, with pounding broadsides and true-to-life portrayals of the hazards of naval warfare. Luckless sailors are crushed beneath cannon or knocked senseless by falling masts and spars. I found myself both taken aback by the chaos and also impressed by the self-contained design of ships-of-the-line, early mobile fortresses that were capable of remaining at sea for months at a time and waging war far from home.

Gregory Peck, earnest and intelligent, was an excellent choice to play Hornblower, a socially awkward and self-effacing commander who is intrepid and pugnacious when the chips are down. And I enjoyed the way in which his cleverness in maneuvering his ships was shown on the screen.

Less attractive aspects of Hornblower:

- Virginia Mayo doesn't quite cut it for me in the role of Hornblower's love interest, the Duke of Wellington's sister. A bit too much over-emoting for a high-born British lady, and there didn't seem to be enough interaction for the chemistry to really develop, a problem which I will ascribe to the script writers and director.

- An over-obvious score that displays all the cliche-ridden aspects of its time and is occasionally totally inappropriate, as when it swings into a cheery upbeat rhythm when Hornblower's ship heads into deadly battle.

- A really seriously foreshortened ending, as if the director got so wrapped up in the mega-sea battles that he forgot all about pacing, or there was another half-hour somewhere that wound up being swept out of the cutting room.

Hornblower is a good one for the kids, especially if they have read any of the novels, and a pleasant way to idle away a couple of hours. It passes quickly, especially with the telescoped ending, and Peck is always a treat to watch in action.

If you like Hornblower, you'll probably also enjoy Damn the Defiant! (1962), another Napoleonic-era sea actioner that stars Alec Guinness, and perhaps The Sea Hawk (1940), a pirate saga featuring the always-dashing Errol Flynn.