Hornblower: The Frogs and the Lobsters Review
2 April 2013
This fourth Hornblower film contains an exciting mix of old and new elements. Most of the Hornblower films are all about naval battles, but this is the first that the men are sent on land to do their duty for king and country. This is also the first time that the ‘Frogs’ and ‘Lobsters’ are allies (I’ll explain in a minute). Lastly, this is first time that romance is introduced into Horatio Hornblower’s life.
Again, there are numerous character quality gems that are fraught throughout this film. The two most prevalent ones are unquestionable obedience and concern for all of mankind… further explained in the STORY section.
Okay, definition time:
FROGS: The French – in this film it is specifically aimed at French soldiers, but even today the British refer to anything French as
‘Frog’
LOBSTERS: The British Infantry – perhaps it has to do with their uniforms
*This review contains spoilers from the previous three Hornblower films*
SYNOPSIS
Again, there are numerous character quality gems that are fraught throughout this film. The two most prevalent ones are unquestionable obedience and concern for all of mankind… further explained in the STORY section.
Okay, definition time:
FROGS: The French – in this film it is specifically aimed at French soldiers, but even today the British refer to anything French as
‘Frog’
LOBSTERS: The British Infantry – perhaps it has to do with their uniforms
*This review contains spoilers from the previous three Hornblower films*
SYNOPSIS
Hornblower’s ship, the Indefatiagable, together with three other ships carrying French émigré troops (the Frogs) and British
Infantrymen (Lobsters), is sent to aid an attempted coup against the Republican Government by French counter-revolutionaries.
SCENERY
The scenery of Hornblower: The Frogs and the Lobsters is quite varied. It involves scenery from busy London and Plymouth, the sea (of course), the beach of Quiberon Bay, and different scenery around the town of Muzillac.
Infantrymen (Lobsters), is sent to aid an attempted coup against the Republican Government by French counter-revolutionaries.
SCENERY
The scenery of Hornblower: The Frogs and the Lobsters is quite varied. It involves scenery from busy London and Plymouth, the sea (of course), the beach of Quiberon Bay, and different scenery around the town of Muzillac.
STORY
Horatio Hornblower has just been promoted to Lieutenant and is getting fitted for his new uniform in London. While he is busy with that, Captain Pellew is receiving orders from Admiral Lord Hood. His ship, and three other British ships, are to take the French Royalist army (that has been in exile in Britain since the beginning of the French Revolution) and a battalion of British infantrymen to France to help the French royalists in a desperate attempt to retake Paris. Part of this command is to remain behind at the beach, and stay in case a retreat is called. However, while this meeting is taking place, these orders are stolen from a British officer by French Revolutionary spies. Captain Pellew is extremely concerned that the French Revolutionaries are now aware of their secret plan, but the Admiral insists that it continues. Against his better judgement, the Captain sets sail.
Horatio Hornblower has just been promoted to Lieutenant and is getting fitted for his new uniform in London. While he is busy with that, Captain Pellew is receiving orders from Admiral Lord Hood. His ship, and three other British ships, are to take the French Royalist army (that has been in exile in Britain since the beginning of the French Revolution) and a battalion of British infantrymen to France to help the French royalists in a desperate attempt to retake Paris. Part of this command is to remain behind at the beach, and stay in case a retreat is called. However, while this meeting is taking place, these orders are stolen from a British officer by French Revolutionary spies. Captain Pellew is extremely concerned that the French Revolutionaries are now aware of their secret plan, but the Admiral insists that it continues. Against his better judgement, the Captain sets sail.
There is tension onboard the Indefatigable between the navy men, the ‘Frogs’, and the ‘Lobsters’. The navy men are struggling to come to terms with the fact that “these Frogs are good Frogs”. After all, “a Frog is a Frog and the only good Frog is a dead Frog”. When it comes time for them to land at Quiberon Bay Captain Pellew sends Hornblower and his men to shore with the French Colonel Moncoutant and the British Major Edrington to help take the small town of Muzillac. Horatio and Major Edrington are frustrated by the French lack of discipline and the exalted ego of the Colonel. When they arrive at the town, the Colonel is angry to discover that the townspeople’s loyalty to him is not what he thought it would be. To gain their loyalty, the Colonel commits acts of random violence… using the famous Revolutionary weapon: the guillotine.
Meanwhile, Horatio, the Major and their men set up a line of defence near a bridge, with orders to blow up the bridge if the French Revolutionaries rush it. Horatio is horrified by the atrocities that the Colonel is committing in the village and tries to speak out against it, but the Colonel refuses to listen. During his visits into the town, Horatio meets and falls in love with a young French schoolteacher. He promises to protect her from the French Royalist thugs. Pretty soon the French Revolutionaries are firing upon the bridge and threaten to take over the town. How will the British men succeed in a war that is not their own? How will Horatio and Mariette survive the cultural differences between them? You know the answer! :) Watch the film.
CHARACTERS
Horatio Hornblower is played by Iaon Gruffudd. In every film Horatio learns important lessons. In this fourth instalment, Horatio has to learn to deal with being under the authority of a cruel and barbaric man. Even to the point of inciting the wrath of Colonel Moncoutant, Horatio stands up for the innocent townspeople of Muzillac multiple times. In this adventure Horatio falls in love with the French schoolteacher Mariette. Spoiler when the French revolutionaries attack the town, Horatio persuades her to run away with him. Just a few feet from freedom, she is short and dies. Horatio needs to learn to put his grief behind him and move on. End of Spoiler Oh, and Horatio can’t ride. :)
Horatio Hornblower is played by Iaon Gruffudd. In every film Horatio learns important lessons. In this fourth instalment, Horatio has to learn to deal with being under the authority of a cruel and barbaric man. Even to the point of inciting the wrath of Colonel Moncoutant, Horatio stands up for the innocent townspeople of Muzillac multiple times. In this adventure Horatio falls in love with the French schoolteacher Mariette. Spoiler when the French revolutionaries attack the town, Horatio persuades her to run away with him. Just a few feet from freedom, she is short and dies. Horatio needs to learn to put his grief behind him and move on. End of Spoiler Oh, and Horatio can’t ride. :)
Captain Pellew is played by Robert Lindsey. The Captain is an honourable man who doubts that the plan of the Admiral will work – especially after the orders are stolen. He tries to express his doubts, but the Admiral holds firm. Here Captain Pellew performs the incredible feat of unquestioning obedience and obeys the Admiral’s orders. The whole time his men are gone he expresses such concern for their welfare. When he commands his ship to sail closer to the beach to pick up retreating troops, the Captain demonstrates true leadership by tossing off his coat and grabbing an oar to help his remaining men pull the boat closer to the shore. As always, he is solemnly bound to his duty as a Captain.
Once Horatio makes it safely back to the Indefagitable, he askes Captain Pellew what they were doing there as their presence only brought 'despair, death, and defeat'... the Captain responds by saying this: "When we put on this uniform, Mr. Hornblower, we entered into a life of adventure and adversity, but above all, a life of duty. A duty to our people, our king, our country, but also a duty to our men. We must always be a source of inspiration to them Mr. Hornblower, and what ever may befall us, whatever, we must never forget: we are officers in his Majesty's navy."
Once Horatio makes it safely back to the Indefagitable, he askes Captain Pellew what they were doing there as their presence only brought 'despair, death, and defeat'... the Captain responds by saying this: "When we put on this uniform, Mr. Hornblower, we entered into a life of adventure and adversity, but above all, a life of duty. A duty to our people, our king, our country, but also a duty to our men. We must always be a source of inspiration to them Mr. Hornblower, and what ever may befall us, whatever, we must never forget: we are officers in his Majesty's navy."
Archie Kennedy is played by Jamie Bamber. After his disappearance in The Even Chance, I am so glad to see Archie Kennedy again! He has been promoted to Acting Lieutenant and is in the command directly behind Horatio. As always, these two are best friends, and have each others’ backs covered during the mission. By nature he is a melancholy sort of person, which is reflected as he contemplates what he is doing fighting in another man's war. Just like Horatio had to learn, Archie learns what it means to be a strong, reliable, calm leader. His brave and strong friendship for Horatio is shown when he races across a mined bridge to pull Horatio to safety.
Colonel Moncoutant is played by Antony Sher. At first the Colonel seems to be an avid French patriot, but his strange ‘personal baggage’ does make you a little edgy. Further along the journey his great ego starts to shine through his personality. As the former Marquis of Muzillac, he is expecting a warm reception... When he arrives, and he doesn’t receive the welcome he had expected he turns to barbarism to repay the people for their loyalty to the Revolutionist cause.
Major Edrington is played by Samuel West. This man comes across as the perfect example of pompous English nobility when he meets Horatio, believing that his soldiers are superior to Horatio's navy men, simply because he is better turned out as an officer. But as he and Horatio have to join forces in the absence of Colonel Moncoutant’s authority, he becomes more human. You even like him at the end of the film.
Mariette is played by Estelle Skornik. This pretty girl is the schoolteacher of the town of Muzillac. Horatio saves her younger brother from being a victim of Moncoutant’s barbarism and then numerous times after that he keeps her from disaster and treats her like a lady rather than a piece of chattle. When the Royalists come to town, Horatio persuades her to leave with him. Spoiler On their way out of town, only feet from safely, Mariette is shot and killed. End of Spoiler At first sight you might think that she is quite a mouse of a girl, but she is quite a brave young lady! She tries to defend her brother from the Colonel, even to the point of putting herself in the line of fire, when being belittled by the Colonel she stands up against him defending her right to live as a human being. Even with Horatio, she is not afraid to say what she believes is right.
Because these three fellows have been a part of Hornblower since the very beginning... and because they contribute to the majority of the humour of the films, a Hornblower review would be practically incomplete without them. Oldroyd (played by Simon Sherlock), Styles (played by Sean Gilder), and Matthews (played by Paul Copely) are Horatio's loyal men. They struggle throughout the film with having to fight in a war with the Frogs ('the only good Frog is a dead Frog'... Yes, thank you, Styles) and are very glad to be safe on board the Indefatiagable when it is all over.
COSTUMES/HAIRSTYLES
The costumes are pretty typical of a Hornblower film... mainly uniforms. This time French Revolutionary, French Royalist, and British Infantrymen are added to the mix.
The costumes are pretty typical of a Hornblower film... mainly uniforms. This time French Revolutionary, French Royalist, and British Infantrymen are added to the mix.
RATING
You all know already that I love all the Hornblower films, and this one is possibly my favourite one. Out of my 1-5 scale, it gets a 4.5.
It is rated M for violence and offensive language. As I've mentioned before, there are some language issues with these films, and violence because the whole series is about war. What perhaps is most disturbing from this film (for me because I know a little about the French Revolution) was that this Royalist Colonel came back into France with the sick mindset of 'restoring order' by using the same method as the men that he hated: random killings via Mamzelle Guillotine. Beheadings are frequent-ish, but nothing is shown, all you see is the blade coming down. As usual in these films there are shootings, explosions, and dead bodies. So take caution with younger viewers... perhaps not older than 15 or so.
You all know already that I love all the Hornblower films, and this one is possibly my favourite one. Out of my 1-5 scale, it gets a 4.5.
It is rated M for violence and offensive language. As I've mentioned before, there are some language issues with these films, and violence because the whole series is about war. What perhaps is most disturbing from this film (for me because I know a little about the French Revolution) was that this Royalist Colonel came back into France with the sick mindset of 'restoring order' by using the same method as the men that he hated: random killings via Mamzelle Guillotine. Beheadings are frequent-ish, but nothing is shown, all you see is the blade coming down. As usual in these films there are shootings, explosions, and dead bodies. So take caution with younger viewers... perhaps not older than 15 or so.