source: That Hamilton Woman

This is a beautiful period piece with the incomparable Vivien Leigh at her peak, just after GWTW and Waterloo Bridge. For a 1940's era production, the sets and lighting are outstanding, and the remaining cast is credible. Laurence Olivier may have been the best actor in history, but I do not appreciate it here. Perhaps this was not his best role. Leigh runs circles around him. This film is worth a look for Leigh fans and those liking British period work, along with war propaganda. Here the noble civilized Brits are threatened by Napoleon (which is easily drawn to comparison with Hitler, being 1941). Certainly, this is worth a look. Jolly Good Show.

Told by Emma Hart (Vivien Leigh) as a flashback on her life when she was on hard times later in her life, the film portrays her rise to courtly fame and fall from social grace after her affair with the Lord Horatio Nelson (Lawrence Olivier).She is supported by her mother, (Sara Allgood) and makes the acquaintance of the British envoy (Hamilton) to Naples in about 1798.The latter is looking for a trophy wife to add to his collection of sculptures being something of an aesthete and he manages to successfully disabuse Emma from the idea that her fiance will follow her onto Naples.Later he pursades Emma to marry him, more as a platonic relationship to show off.(Nothing has changed).All goes well and Emma further rises in court circles by befriending the King and Queen of Naples. One day a 21 gun salute announces the arrival in the bay of Naples of the Lord Horatio Nelson on a diplomatic mission.Inevitably he and Emma have their grand affair and the British envoy seems to take it on the chin, (high society did not marry for love in those days).Unfortunately although it is love, Mrs Nelson(Dame Gladys Cooper) will not give Horatio the divorce he craves and his career could mean you were years between meetings with your spouse.The affair will not help his career with the Admiralty either.Of course the day dawns (October 21 1805) off the Cape of Trafalgar (Spain) when Britain took on the combined French and Spanish fleets under Nelson's command.Why did he decide to go on his flagship Victory's quarter deck against good advice showing all his medals and braid, thus making him an obvious target for the sharpshooters in the rigging of "Le Redoubtable"? Was it an unconscious desire to end his life because his private life was then untenable?After his great victory and national rejoicing, his body was preserved in a keg of rum in preparation for a state funeral at St. Paul's Catherdral, London after the voyage home.Trafalgar Square was built in his honour and was laid out in about 1840.When Hamilton dies, Emma graciously refuses to profit from his estate to the detriment of his legitimate son and heirs.With no financial support from her dead love, she falls on hard times. Obviously Leigh and Olivier had a natural chemistry together because of their marriage and previous affair.Vivien looks utterly exquisite and this film would look sumptuous if a colourised version could now be made available to film connoiseurs.After seeing and reading several versions of Winston Churchill's biography, it was obvious he had a great admiration for historic British martial heros, so it came as no surprise to me that this was his favourite film.Unmissable if you are a Larry and Vivien film fan.I rated it 7/10

This movie was Winston Churchill's favorite and for me, has always held a charm. Laurence Olivier is fine as Horatio Nelson but he doesn't hold a candle to his co-star and wife, Vivien Leigh. Vivien Leigh is simply superb as Emma Hamilton and dominates the entire film with her beauty and impressive acting skills. There is no doubt that she is one of the greatest beauties of the twenty-first century.

This has been one of my very favorite movies for a long time and I recommend it to whomever will listen to me. Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier make a terrific pair and of course have great chemistry together, which really complements this true story. The actors give great performances, and I think the film really tries hard not judge the actions of Lady Hamilton and Lord Nelson which caused a tremendous scandal in their own time. Anyone who likes historical drama and wants to escape into another world for a few hours is bound to enjoy.

Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh when they were both young and desperately beautiful are a joy to watch in this film. He plays the great English naval hero, Nelson, and she, Lady Hamilton, the wife of the English ambassador. Another favorite movie moment of mine is after the opera given in his honor when they are in a bar, before they have actually declared their love for one another. They're talking about what they're not missing by having left the ball after the opera. She says, "This is where the real and exclusive party is." Then she tells him about himself: "Nelson in a good mood," and she makes a bored face. "Nelson in a bad mood," and makes the same face. "Nelson in an exuberant mood," with the same face a third time. He says, "Am I really such a dull fellow?" Her reply: "Only when you ask questions like that." His response is the beautiful part. He says something to the effect of, "Now I'll give my performance. What mood is this? One guess." And he leans his chin on his hand and gazes into her eyes. She guesses something like, "Nelson allowing himself to be just a little bit happy?" He shakes his head slowly and says, "Nelson in love." She leans forward and her chin touches his hand, and just then a group of soldiers, including his son, enter the bar. The moment is all the better because you're left wanting more!

If nothing else, 'That Hamilton Woman' proved two things: Vivien Leigh is just as beautiful in black and white as she is in the glorious technicolor of 'GWTW'; and when it comes to the cinema, her acting technique on screen is every bit as expert as Laurence Olivier's. (In fact, Olivier himself admitted this when he saw a screening of her Scarlett O'Hara performance.) At any rate, my main interest in seeing this film was that I learned it was Winston Churchill's favorite movie during World War II, dealing as it does with the British admiralty and the threat of war and domination. As Lady Hamilton, Vivien Leigh narrates the story and since it is told from her viewpoint, she manages to dominate with her beauty and acting prowess. How she rises from abject poverty to become Lord Nelson's mistress makes up the bulk of the story--which sometimes seems a bit unbelievable. However, since both stars were at the time married to others, one can easily see that these roles suited both of them to perfection. Surely, if anyone could identify with these characters, they could! Slow moving in spots, handsomely photographed in black and white, it is interesting to note how very British Leigh actually was when not assuming a more American way of talking (as in 'GWTW') -- proof indeed that she was a good actress. Of all of her films after "Gone with the Wind", I prefer her in 'Waterloo Bridge' (with Robert Taylor). Following that, I would choose this one. Some of the ships are obvious models--but other than that, the production is a handsome one. Worth seeing for the two stars alone.

I recall seeing this film when I was very young and felt sad about it. Now that I'm almost very old I still find it fascinating to watch. It seemed strange how Emma (Vivien Leigh) could rise to such prominence in life to become a Lady Hamilton and eventually fall so low, yes and sadly. The movie begins at the lower rung, in her later life as she's caught stealing and put in prison where she recounts her story to others. We are taken back in time to her youth and arrival in Italy where, after some thoughtful consideration of her situation in life, Emma agrees to marry the elderly Sir Hamilton, and rather enjoys her position as Lady Hamilton, a glittering socialite. Events of Napoleonic wartime bring Lord Nelson (Laurence Olivier) into their sphere when in need of supplies and he also seeks to warn them. Yet it is Fate that draws these two, Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton, together in one of the great love stories of their time. It is touching to note Emma's care and concern for Horatio when his health is needing attention. For years their bittersweet romance must struggle to blossom against the ill-will of public opinion. Vivien Leigh never looked more beautiful and one can see more of the true person she was after setting aside her role in "Gone With the Wind." Laurence Olivier, an actor of many disguises, is well masked in the injuries that Lord Nelson sustained in battle. One can almost feel he is the victim of circumstances as he moves from battles to home front. I don't know that much about the real history or the current politics involved when the movie was made but I always regarded this film as one of the great love stories of the past.

Above all, Vivian Leigh is so beautiful that I don't care other factors of this film. Same as "Waterloo Bridge", this film is one of those where she was prettiest. But I felt the film is also excellent in addition. Co-performance of Laurence Olivier and Vivian Leigh makes it topic-making. Vivian Leigh was not only beautiful but genius in acting. Anyway, the scene that old woman performed by Vivian shoplifts a bottle of wine is shocking. Such parts always seem to attract good actors.

Thus says Vivian Leigh when asked "What happened then, what happened after". As she lies in prison, drunk and penniless, she describes to a fellow prisoner, her life as the beloved mistress of one of England's greatest heroes. This is a film that stays with you, not only for the story of the ill-fated romance of Admiral Lord Nelson and Lady Emma Hamilton, but also for the perfect casting of the leads, Vivian Leigh and Laurence Olivier. They were impossibly beautiful and besotted with each other in real life (they had just married). That attraction was obvious on the screen and reflected the love affair of the characters they portrayed. The story follows Lady Emma's life from a possession passed from nephew to uncle (Sir Edward Hamilton, well played by Alan Mowbray), to her marriage to Hamilton and her meeting with Horatio Nelson. From that point, it's time to bring out the hankies as the love affair, doomed from the beginning, moves to its inevitable conclusion. There is more than enough pathos to move the most jaded movie lover. One of my favorite scenes in the film is that in which Nelson returns to Naples against orders to rescue Emma and she collapses against him saying "I would have died if you would have left me here". The film may not be for all tastes, as it contains a plethora of propaganda aimed at the US which was still neutral in WWII, and does not portray the characters exactly as they may have been. But I say "Who cares"??? It's the kind of love story that will grab your heart and bring you back to watch it again and again. It seems impossible to find it on anything but tape......my copy is on BETA which goes to show how badly I want to have repeated viewings!!!!