Horatio Hornblower: Collector's Edition – DVD Review

DVD Reviews, Reviews

Available at Amazon.com

In this so-called “post postmodern” era where movies typically feature reluctant, or even anti, heroes it’s refreshing to find a set of movies about a good, decent, man who performs heroic acts because they are the right thing to do. Horatio Hornblower is an old-fashioned character, to be sure, but he holds a timeless charm and perhaps can teach us a few badly needed lessons in honor, duty, and integrity.

The eight movies in this collection follow Hornblower’s career from midshipman to captain during the Napoleonic Wars. Hornblower faces French and Spanish warships, insane captains, traitors to the crown, plague, and everything else the world throws at him. But through his courage, ingenuity, and ability to inspire his men, he always comes out on top. What sets Hornblower apart from other heroic characters is his love for crew and country, and his willingness to do anything to protect them both.

In a time when the word “patriot” is thrown about with little to no regard for its actual meaning, Horatio Hornblower shows us what a true patriot actually is. He’s not a mindless lapdog for the crown or his superiors. He respects the chain of command and the ideals of his country, but he also respects his own innate sense of right and wrong, and when the two come in conflict, Hornblower has enough faith in himself to act on his feelings. More importantly, though, is his ability to accept the consequences of his actions. Unlike today where most people break the rules for a cause and expect to not be held accountable for their actions because “it was the right thing to do,” Hornblower understands who he is and where he is and respects that—his honor and duty demand him to do no less. And if that means that if his actions may save England or his men, but go against his orders, he would proudly go to the gallows because ultimately he believes in the system even though it can be imperfect.

A great deal of the success of this series has to do with the man who plays Hornblower, Ioan Gruffud. Gruffud brings an open, eager, and honest feel to the role, at times making Hornblower seem innocent and naïve, and at others a courageous and brilliant tactician. Moreover, he’s got a natural charm that almost leaps off the screen. His portrayal of Hornblower seems so natural that it’s like he’s not acting at all, which is even more impressive given his performances in King Arthur and the Fantastic Four movies. Gruffud is definitely an actor to watch, and is probably the best reason to watch these movies. His Horatio Hornblower is a fully-realized character that you can’t help but root for.

A good deal of his appeal is due to his bravery. Hornblower displays a courage that’s just as rare today as it was then, and this becomes the root of some of greatest triumphs and tragedies. Just as it is today, greatness was not always appreciated during the 1800s. Some gravitate towards Hornblower’s natural charm, while others despise him because of what they perceive as blatant ambition or because his greatness makes their inadequacies even more apparent. Because of this, many of Hornblower’s most difficult battles are no fought against the French, but against his own crew—sometimes even his superior officers.

This series is just good old fashioned fun, but that’s not to say that there aren’t problems. For a series set during a war, the pacing is surprisingly relaxed, and often there are two or three plotlines running at once, making this feel more like a TV show or a mini-series than a set of standalone movies. Certainly, there are worse problems for a movie to have, but I had to get through the first two disks before I got comfortable with the pacing.But that’s a minor point and doesn’t change the fact that this is highly enjoyable series that should appeal to just about anyone.

These movies were produced by A&E, and while the visual and audio quality may not hold up to ones created for the silver screen, they are done quite well. The specifications are vague, but the visual was presented in full screen and the audio in Dolby Digital Stereo. There were no problems with either the audio or video.

Disk One

About C.S. Forester

Disk Two

Nautical Terms

Disk Three

Behind the Scenes (running time: 21:34)

Disk Four

England’s Royal Warships (running time: 45:21)

3D Cannon

Sail 2000 (running time: 46:31)

Disk Six

About C.S. Forester

Classes of Ships

Disk Seven

Commentary Track

Biographies

Photo Gallery

Closed Captioning

Disk Eight

Commentary Track

Horatio on Horatio: An Interview With Ioan Gruffud (running time: 18:56)

Photo Gallery

Closed Captioning


This was a real treat to watch and a fine tribute to a great literary character. Recommended.

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A&E presents Horatio Hornblower Collector’s Edition. Starring Ioan Gruffud, Robert Lindsay, David Warner, Nicholas Jones, and Paul McGann. Running time: 800 minutes. Rated NR. Released on DVD: September 23, 2008. Available at Amazon.com.