Hornblower, movies seven and eight
Apr. 14th, 2026 11:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
osprey_archerAlas, alas, the sad day has arrived: I have finished the last of the Hornblower movies. What joy is there in the world when there are no more Hornblowers to watch? Simply the joy of rewatching them, perhaps, and convincing my friends to watch them too. (Have already suborned one friend to The Cause.)
Since seven and eight are the last of the series, this review obviously contains many .
As you may recall, Archie Kennedy died a heroic, tragic, deeply romantic death (saving Hornblower’s life!) at the end of the sixth movie. Lt. Bush at last has the opportunity to step into his rightful place in the sun… but the filmmakers don’t make much of the opportunity to float the good ship Bush/Hornblower.
At least, that was my feeling, although when I shared it withlittlerhymes, I was informed that Paul McGann (certified hottie) (actor playing Bush) is shippable with everyone. This is of course true, but I still feel the filmmakers missed a lot of opportunities here.
For instance, there’s a scene where Hornblower burns his hand badly (putting out the fuse on a shell that’s about to explode using his own two hands), and Bush never gets to tenderly bathe it or even gaze with loving horror at the wound. He just scolds Hornblower for not writing about his own heroism in his dispatch home, and Hornblower is like “Heroism! Pah! I was terrified!”
(Book!Hornblower thinks the same thing but would never in a million years admit it out loud. Movie!Hornblower was clearly hugged at least three times as a child and therefore is capable of expressing feelings on occasion.)
Bush of course informs Hornblower that doing a thing even though you are afraid is the ESSENCE of heroism, but still. No bathing of the wound, or gentle soothing cradling of the wounded hand. No hurt/comfort in either direction! Filmmakers PLEASE. This was your last chance for Hornblower to buy Bush some fruit.
Movie seven is the movie where the filmmakers introduce Maria, played by Julia Sawalha who is doing her best in the thankless task of, well, being Maria. Hornblower, short on money, pawns his sword; Maria, in love with Hornblower, buys the sword and gives it back to him. “She likes you,” Bush tells Hornblower.
Hornblower, an idiot: Maria and I are friends! Friends buy each other’s treasured possessions out of hock. That’s normal friendship, right?
Bush, also Hornblower’s friend, who has no intention of buying Hornblower’s greatcoat out of hock for him, struggles not to roll his eyes.
(This is however followed by the shippiest scene Hornblower and Bush get: Hornblower gets a ship and asks Bush to be his lieutenant, and when Bush says yes Hornblower is all, “I was afraid you would say no!” Bush: “I was afraid you wouldn’t ask!”)
The film mercifully spares us Hornblower proposing out of sheer panic: he does in fact make the choice to propose, although mostly because he wants to help Maria, whose family is struggling with money woes. At one point they end up in debtors’ prison (she really couldn’t afford that sword!), and Hornblower gives them the money to get out. Next time he returns to shore, they’re back in their home, but still struggling. He offers money to help out.
Maria, in tears: There’s a word for women who accept money from men.
Hornblower, a brilliant strategist, also the stupidest man in the fleet: That word is friend!
Eventually (Maria’s mother more or less thumps him on the head) Hornblower grasps that the only respectable way he can help Maria is to marry her. And, well, she is the closest thing he has to family… the only person alive who cares if he lives or dies…
(Book!Bush wails in protest. Movie!Bush may or may not be hurt by this sentiment. However, Sir Edward Pellew protests vigorously: I see you as a son, Hornblower! That’s why my name comes second in the credits!)
So Hornblower decides to propose. By the beginning of the next movie he has cold feet, throws up twice on his wedding morning (bad eggs!, he insists), and asks Bush if perhaps this choice wasn’t a little too impetuous. Bush points out (a) Hornblower’s impetuous choices usually turn out well, and (b) it’s not too late to back out. Hornblower looks at him like he’s run mad. Of COURSE it’s too late to back out.
Whenever Hornblower is with Maria, he is visibly pining for his ship. Maria asks if he might still be around for Christmas and Hornblower is like “Good God I hope not.” HORNBLOWER PLEASE. Book!Hornblower would never. Book!Hornblower has grave reservations about the marriage but tries to act the good husband in the way he tries to act the good captain, as if playing a part in a play.
Now obviously there are limitations to this strategy, but seeing movie!Hornblower make it glaringly obvious that he considers the marriage a mistake because it divides his sense of duty between his ship (his true love) and his wife (who in this analogy becomes an illicit mistress?) also makes it glaringly obvious that there are benefits to hypocrisy. Sir, please at least PRETEND that you’d like to be home for Christmas.
Now I realize that in a film it’s necessary to externalize the conflict which in the book is internal, which is probably why they made this choice, but also damn. Maybe externalize this at someone who isn’t Maria, Hornblower!
However, by the end of the film he has seen the error in his ways, in part because Sir Edward Pellew has told him that his wife, just like his ship, is also his duty. (I realize this sounds bad, but Hornblower feels a burningly passionate love for his duty, so by the transitive property, if he feels Maria is his duty he will also feel a burningly passionate love for her.) He is in fact home for the holidays, and he promises to be a better husband. Maria tells him that soon she won’t be his only tie on land, because soon he will be… a father!
AND CURTAIN.
Perfectly fine, but did not reach the glorious heights of Hornblower bridal carrying a starving Kennedy through the rain to demand medical attention from the Spanish authorities holding them captive.
Since seven and eight are the last of the series, this review obviously contains many .
As you may recall, Archie Kennedy died a heroic, tragic, deeply romantic death (saving Hornblower’s life!) at the end of the sixth movie. Lt. Bush at last has the opportunity to step into his rightful place in the sun… but the filmmakers don’t make much of the opportunity to float the good ship Bush/Hornblower.
At least, that was my feeling, although when I shared it with
littlerhymes, I was informed that Paul McGann (certified hottie) (actor playing Bush) is shippable with everyone. This is of course true, but I still feel the filmmakers missed a lot of opportunities here.For instance, there’s a scene where Hornblower burns his hand badly (putting out the fuse on a shell that’s about to explode using his own two hands), and Bush never gets to tenderly bathe it or even gaze with loving horror at the wound. He just scolds Hornblower for not writing about his own heroism in his dispatch home, and Hornblower is like “Heroism! Pah! I was terrified!”
(Book!Hornblower thinks the same thing but would never in a million years admit it out loud. Movie!Hornblower was clearly hugged at least three times as a child and therefore is capable of expressing feelings on occasion.)
Bush of course informs Hornblower that doing a thing even though you are afraid is the ESSENCE of heroism, but still. No bathing of the wound, or gentle soothing cradling of the wounded hand. No hurt/comfort in either direction! Filmmakers PLEASE. This was your last chance for Hornblower to buy Bush some fruit.
Movie seven is the movie where the filmmakers introduce Maria, played by Julia Sawalha who is doing her best in the thankless task of, well, being Maria. Hornblower, short on money, pawns his sword; Maria, in love with Hornblower, buys the sword and gives it back to him. “She likes you,” Bush tells Hornblower.
Hornblower, an idiot: Maria and I are friends! Friends buy each other’s treasured possessions out of hock. That’s normal friendship, right?
Bush, also Hornblower’s friend, who has no intention of buying Hornblower’s greatcoat out of hock for him, struggles not to roll his eyes.
(This is however followed by the shippiest scene Hornblower and Bush get: Hornblower gets a ship and asks Bush to be his lieutenant, and when Bush says yes Hornblower is all, “I was afraid you would say no!” Bush: “I was afraid you wouldn’t ask!”)
The film mercifully spares us Hornblower proposing out of sheer panic: he does in fact make the choice to propose, although mostly because he wants to help Maria, whose family is struggling with money woes. At one point they end up in debtors’ prison (she really couldn’t afford that sword!), and Hornblower gives them the money to get out. Next time he returns to shore, they’re back in their home, but still struggling. He offers money to help out.
Maria, in tears: There’s a word for women who accept money from men.
Hornblower, a brilliant strategist, also the stupidest man in the fleet: That word is friend!
Eventually (Maria’s mother more or less thumps him on the head) Hornblower grasps that the only respectable way he can help Maria is to marry her. And, well, she is the closest thing he has to family… the only person alive who cares if he lives or dies…
(Book!Bush wails in protest. Movie!Bush may or may not be hurt by this sentiment. However, Sir Edward Pellew protests vigorously: I see you as a son, Hornblower! That’s why my name comes second in the credits!)
So Hornblower decides to propose. By the beginning of the next movie he has cold feet, throws up twice on his wedding morning (bad eggs!, he insists), and asks Bush if perhaps this choice wasn’t a little too impetuous. Bush points out (a) Hornblower’s impetuous choices usually turn out well, and (b) it’s not too late to back out. Hornblower looks at him like he’s run mad. Of COURSE it’s too late to back out.
Whenever Hornblower is with Maria, he is visibly pining for his ship. Maria asks if he might still be around for Christmas and Hornblower is like “Good God I hope not.” HORNBLOWER PLEASE. Book!Hornblower would never. Book!Hornblower has grave reservations about the marriage but tries to act the good husband in the way he tries to act the good captain, as if playing a part in a play.
Now obviously there are limitations to this strategy, but seeing movie!Hornblower make it glaringly obvious that he considers the marriage a mistake because it divides his sense of duty between his ship (his true love) and his wife (who in this analogy becomes an illicit mistress?) also makes it glaringly obvious that there are benefits to hypocrisy. Sir, please at least PRETEND that you’d like to be home for Christmas.
Now I realize that in a film it’s necessary to externalize the conflict which in the book is internal, which is probably why they made this choice, but also damn. Maybe externalize this at someone who isn’t Maria, Hornblower!
However, by the end of the film he has seen the error in his ways, in part because Sir Edward Pellew has told him that his wife, just like his ship, is also his duty. (I realize this sounds bad, but Hornblower feels a burningly passionate love for his duty, so by the transitive property, if he feels Maria is his duty he will also feel a burningly passionate love for her.) He is in fact home for the holidays, and he promises to be a better husband. Maria tells him that soon she won’t be his only tie on land, because soon he will be… a father!
AND CURTAIN.
Perfectly fine, but did not reach the glorious heights of Hornblower bridal carrying a starving Kennedy through the rain to demand medical attention from the Spanish authorities holding them captive.
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Date: 2026-04-14 06:50 pm (UTC)