It's really two movies, somewhat awkwardly stitched together by director Raoul Walsh and a cadre of screenwriters, (inc. the novelist upon whose work the film is adapted). The first, which can be subtitled "Hornblower vs The Spaniards and The Treacherous S. Americans", is the better of the two featuring, as it does, a wonderful naval battle that at times resembles an 18th century painting (bravo to cinematographer Guy Green) and some interesting psychological tension between officers and men over issues of discipline and prize money. The second movie, which can best be described as "Hornblower vs. The French and Admiral Leighton", jettisons any such proto mutinous discord and is instead a straight on Saturday afternoon matinee kind of experience with disguises, daring getaways from captive coaches, piracy and other such Boys Real Adventure stuff. Normally, I have no problem with this swashbuckling, Errol Flynn kind of movie, but when I've been given a "Master And Commander" the first hour only to have it yanked out from under me beginning with that cheesy love scene in the ship's corridor between Greg and Virginia, it's a bit deflating. Also deflating, for other reasons, is the film 's pervasive racism toward the dark races of the Americas, seen here as perfidious and cruel, and the French who are portrayed as inept and faintly ridiculous. Give it a B minus. PS...Peck must be a good actor since at no time did I find his very American accent a credibility problem.
Review of Captain Horatio Hornblower
