• That Hamilton Woman

8/10/17 (Thurs), DVD

An historical drama by Alexander Korda about the scandalous affair between Emma Hamilton and Lord Nelson, played by the real-life scandalous couple Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier at the peak of their own illicit affair. The story is told in flashback by a broken Lady Hamilton, who has been reduced to penury and is now living on the streets – a bit hard to believe (where are her family and friends??) and played rather unconvincingly by Leigh, though she’s chillingly perfect when looking in a mirror seeking her old self.

She’s on much stronger ground in the back story as the former dance hall hostess from Liverpool seeking fame and fortune. Learning she’s been duped and dumped by her lover, who’s effectively sold her off to his father, the British ambassador to Naples, the heroine picks up quickly in Scarlett O’Hara fashion (she was just coming off that role) and decides that a wealthy life at court isn’t a bad alternative to love. She is a fast learner, strong-arming the ambassador into upgrading her from mistress to wife, picking up French and Italian, throwing elegant soirees and hob-nobbing with the cream of society. For his part, the ambassador is happy to have a beautiful trophy to show off at parties whatever her background, observing notably in reference to his beloved Greek art that a statue is still beautiful even after being reclaimed from the mud. When the equally married Nelson comes to beg the ambassador for troops to hold off Napoleon’s advances, it is Lady Hamilton who procures them via her pal, the queen. Nelson’s resistance to the lady proves futile, and they are soon in a torrid love affair that becomes very public, a scandal that drives the rest of the film.

The production is lush and filled with memorable characters, especially Nelson’s frosty wife (a fantastic Gladys Cooper), the world-weary British ambassador (Alan Mowbray) and Lady Hamilton’s chit-chatty mother (Sara Allgood). Leigh is utterly charming in one of her greatest performances. My favorite among numerous highlights is the terrific scene when the couple has slipped away from a society ball and off to a local tavern, where Emma breaks Nelson down making funny faces imitating the king, queen, Nelson himself and others. It would be impossible for anyone who hasn’t already fallen for Emma to resist at that point, and even the serious Nelson, with one arm, one eye and a one-track military mind, is lost. The electricity between the leads is palpable. Notwithstanding Nelson’s occasional speechifying about the need to crush the tyrannical aims of Napoleon (i.e., Hitler – this was made at the height of WWII), the love story is the film’s raison d’être and sizzles throughout.

The end reverts to Emma in her poverty-stricken later years in a French prison. She has told her story to her cellmate, who asks, “And then? What happened after?” Emma replies dolefully, “There is no then. There is no after.” A great ending to a romantic and moving film.