That Hamilton Woman – 1941
This movie’s special effects surprised me. Even while I was watching the movie, I was surprised. You see, there were virtually no special effects in the film other than some pretty good matte-paintings and a bit of rear-projection. The movie was all about the romance between the two leads, and not much else. For the most part, grand special effects were just not really needed.
Lord Horatio Nelson, played by Sir Lawrence Olivier, was a great military leader, fighting against the infamous Napoleon Buonaparte, which opened the door for some spectacular battle sequences. But the film’s final climactic sea conflict almost seemed like nothing more than a vehicle to facilitate Horatio’s death for the purpose of the romance story, like the battle might not have been in the movie at all if Lord Nelson didn’t have to die. Ultimately, I was disappointed that it was the only battle sequence in the whole movie.
And more than that, it felt a little like an afterthought. In a film that was almost two hours long, there was no action or impressive effects until the last fifteen minutes or so. Now, granted, that battle was pretty spectacular, but it felt like too little, too late. In a movie in which one of the leads is a larger-than-life Naval Commander like Lord Nelson, I expected more military sequences. Especially since, at its core, the movie was really another propaganda film, made with the goal of getting the United States to join the fight in WWII. But all I got was the romance between the Admiral and Italian Ambassador’s wife, Lady Hamilton, played by Vivian Leigh. You see, it wasn’t a bad movie. I actually liked it. It just had very few special effects for a movie that was nominated for Best Special Effects. So what else did the movie have to offer?
Well, there were three things that I can think of. First, there was a very short sequence in which some of those huge clipper-style sailing vessels were caught in a storm. Again, the effect, or what little there was of it, was very well-done. There was ocean spray, heavy mist, dense fog, and gale-force winds that drove the ships onto their sides. It was an exciting, though brief effect.
Second was the great composited shot of the British Armada, right before the climactic battle. The front four vessels had sails that were flapping majestically in the wind, though I noticed that all the ships behind them were completely motionless. Yes, their sails appeared full, but they were as still as paintings… or should I say matte paintings. Still the shot made for an impressive visual.
And third was the little effect done on Lord Nelson. Early on in the film’s narrative, he lost two things: the use of his right eye, and his entire right arm. These effects might have been attributed to the film’s director, Alexander Korda, for his use of clever camera angles and shot blocking to hide the actor’s arm. Either way, it was a neat little effect which was appropriately maintained for most of the movie.