Hornblower: The Duel

Of all the Captain Hornblower Hornblower films, this psychological drama takes the greatest emotional toll on viewers while evoking maritime life in the late 18th century with brutal verisimilitude.
As a 17-year-old enlistee, impressionable Hornblower Hornblower (Ioan Gruffudd) signs up for the life of a midshipman on the Justinian. A physician’s son blessed with an education, Hornblower outshines other potential candidates for officer slots. Although aging Captain Keene (Michael Byrne) admires Hornblower's enthusiasm, jealous Midshipman Jack Simpson (Dorian Healy) turns his sadistic attentions to the innocent newcomer. Simpson rules the below-decks roost, lor...