Lady Hamilton, a Divina Dama

One of the best known stories of adultery in British history is the one between Lord Horatio Nelson and the enchanting Emma Hamilton. This film by Alexander Korda takes that story and does not disappoint.

In the pivotal role of Emma, Vivien Leigh shines in a role that came not long after her international triumph in 'Gone With The Wind'. Her Emma is flirty, scheming, and delightful, and you can see why she captured the heart of Nelson. The part of Nelson is taken by Vivien Leigh's real-life husband, Laurence Olivier, and his stuffed-shirt persona suits the role perfectly.

In support, Alan Mowbray (as the cuckolded Lord Hamilton), and Gladys Cooper (as the snide Lady Nelson), are excellent, and the standard of script, photography, and direction is high throughout.

This was said to be Winston Churchill's favourite wartime film, and you can see the attraction. It was given a coda which showed that Emma didn't profit from her liaison but this is a small price to pay for such a sumptuous and engaging film.

I have not seen this amazing film for many years, and then viewed it on a TV broadcast. It was sumptuously produced with first-class talents in front of and behind the (unfortunately not Technicolor) cameras, with production values that were absolutely prodigal in their opulence.

For today's audiences, Vivien Leigh is, of course, this film's main attraction, with her delicate beauty and expressive acting showcased as well as could be imagined. I note that no video version of this is currently offered for the American enthusiast and the Canadian VHS, possibly compatible with U.S. VCRs, is "Out of Stock" at present. (The U.K. VHS tape must be viewed via the PAL format, which most American video equipment cannot accommodate.) With so many films as good as this one in a kind of limbo, lovers of truly "classic" films can only hope that the keepers of this treasure will eventually favor us with the opportunity to enjoy it once again.

Vivien stars as another version of Scarlett O'Hara, a woman who wants to be considered a lady even though she doesn't really act like it. A former dancer, and currently penniless, she wants to make a good impression on the wealthy Lord Hamilton, Alan Mowbray. Her mother, the common but delightful Sara Albright, lives with her and acts as her maid after Vivien is successful in her quest. Married to Alan, she's very happy to act in her new role of Lady Hamilton (which was the original title of the film). She looks beautiful in her gowns and hairstyles, and she soon learns what will make a good hostess and how to best support her husband.

Where does Laurence Olivier come in? We all rented this movie to see the married couple up on the screen together, right? He plays a highly respected soldier, introduced to Vivien through her husband. He's also married, but he's drawn to the beautiful lady nonetheless. This classic celebrates forbidden love, all with the comfort of knowing that the pair who can't have each other onscreen can go home together off screen. They're both very beautiful people, and although Larry has a slight impediment in this movie, it's still a treat to see pretty people falling in love. All tied together with a very pretty, sad, and romantic theme by Miklos Rozsa, this is a classic not to be missed - especially if you like Scarlett O'Hara and wish she'd made more movies.

In 1941,only England was still resisting Hitler.So the parallel was obvious and "that Lady Hamilton" is a propaganda work,which does not prevent if from being highly commendable,thanks to the two leads,mainly Leigh-this must have been her third best performance,in the movies,far behind "gone with the wind" and "a streetcar named desire",but her beauty shines in every scene.

The movie is a long flashback,sandwiched between two "present scenes " in a jail in France.Hamilton tells her story to her prison mate,an English good-time gal:the rise,decline and fall of a courtesan.There are some brilliant lines in the dialogue:Hamilton to her old soon-to-be hubby:"so your nephew sent me to you with his paintings and the bric-à-brac because he's broke!".Her last lines are touching .My mother saw the movie when it was released and how did she love them:"And then?" ,the hooker says " "there's no then" Hamilton replies"there's no after".When Hamilton understands she's lost everything,she draws the curtains and collapses,she seems to be on a stage and the play is over.

Vivien leigh did not make many movies.So it would be a pity to miss this one.

French remake by Christian-Jaque in 1968,with Michèle Mercier,John Mils and Richard Johnson as the leads ,known as "les amours de lady Hamilton."Despite a huge budget,much inferior to Korda's version" Jean Tulard.

This picture emphasizes the fact that Vivien Leigh is not only beautiful but a major talent, too. In some ways, the character of Lady Emma Hamilton does resemble Leigh's earlier role of Scarlett O'Hara, but this is not surprising when one considers the actress is often typecast as the scheming vixen.

In a particularly memorable scene, when the Lady argues with her husband (Alan Mowbray) you do get a sense of Scarlett quarreling with Rhett. But the actress' undeniable chemistry with costar Laurence Olivier, as lover Lord Nelson, is perfect and much more intimate than what she shared on screen with Clark Gable in Gone with the Wind.

In fact, we believe that these two sincerely love each other. Both performers are rather eloquent and yet passionate in this film. And Korda's direction is superb. In addition to the great melodramatic moments, we are treated to some very realistic battle scenes that provide a fair amount of adventure amid the realities of war.