HornBlower
"Horatio Hornblower: The Duel" presents a colorful, action-packed version of the 1950 novel by C.S. Forester. Young Hornblower (Ioan Gruffudd) enters the British Navy on the eve of the Napoleonic Wars. A smooth-faced son of privilege, he is soon tested by the sadistic bully officer Simpson (Dorian Healy) and then by the guns of the French fleet. The action flies along as swiftly as a cannonball as Hornblower rises from new kid on board to naval hero.
It's January 1793, and 17-year-old Horatio Hornblower (Gruffudd) reports for duty as a
midshipman on the British ship Justinian. The fleet is idle, just waiting around for something to happen - the
revolution in France, Britain's traditional enemy, holds the promise of some action on the horizon. Young, upright,
inexperienced, and prone to seasickness even on the stationary ship, poor Horatio immediately becomes the new favorite
whipping boy of senior midshipman Jack Simpson (the David Warner-esque Dorian Healy), a nasty piece of work if
ever there was one. Things get worse when Horatio - or "Snotty," as Simpson calls him - inadvertently
shows up the rest of the midshipmen by demonstrating his superior brainpower in front of the captain (ya just wanna
hug Horatio as he cringes, realizing that the captain's effusive praise is only gonna garner him a beating later).
Horatio endures Simpson's abuse stoically, until Simpson accuses Horatio of cheating at cards in front of an officer
of another ship. This is too much - Horatio demands satisfaction, and challenges Simpson to a duel.
A twist of events ensures that the duel appeases neither Horatio nor Simpson, who in fact grows ever more resolute
in his irrational hatred of the younger man. Fortunately, Britain declares war with France, and Horatio and most
of the rest of the crew of Justinian are transferred to the frigate Indefatigable. Out from under the thumb of
Simpson, who remains on Justinian, Horatio blossoms, ironically as the new officer in charge of Simpson's undisciplined
and rowdy sailors. Through battle and his first command (of a captured French schooner), this teenage greenhorn
earns the respect and loyalty of the enlisted seamen, most twice his age and older, with trust, honest praise,
and the kind of cleverness that saves all their lives in a pinch. By the time Simpson reappears on the scene, as
he inevitably must, Horatio is no longer the rookie, no longer a boy - he's confident, sure of himself. When Simpson
picks up right where he left off, Horatio gets mad as hell - he's not gonna take it anymore.
And there are those bad characters played with such relish by the guest stars. As Jack Simpson, Dorian Healy was evil incarnate and you were almost sorry to see him get his comeuppance.
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If Hornblower was technically difficult for special effects, it was sometimes hell for
the crew. Denis Lawson, who appears in the second episode, needed Valium after filming in a force nine gale and
a heavy swell. Dorian Healy, who plays Jack Simpson, Hornblower's tormentor, had to dive headfirst into jellyfish
the size of footballs, and every time someone was tipped over the side, the wardrobe department had to cope with
shrinking costumes. Even when the location moved to Portugal, conditions didn't ease up. The sea was so rough,
there was 70% seasickness among the cast and crew.
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