Humanity knows a huge number of examples when, at first glance, quite ordinary people could turn entire pages of history. Some of them were guided by the interests of their country or their people, some, thus, wanted to break into power, and some just did everything possible for the sake of feelings. The latter is primarily associated with the activities of famous women, one of whom was the legendary Lady Hamilton, whose relationship with Admiral Nelson became the basis for the historical melodrama The Divine Lady.
Synopsis A young English nobleman, Charles Greville, hires a new cook, with whom in his house is her charming daughter Emma, who soon becomes his mistress. However, indignant at her manners, peculiar only to commoners, he sends her to study in Naples, where her incredible journey to high society begins, her marriage to the British ambassador and, finally, a tragic love story with the famous Admiral Nelson.
In terms of acting, the film was primitive. Of course, one could note the performance of Corinne Griffith and Victor Varconi. Griffin embodied the image of a Nekrasov woman who is not afraid to give back and is ready to go to extreme measures to save her beloved. So her Lady Hamilton is a very positive character. Victor Varconi played Admiral Nelson, a hero of his country, who is torn between his homeland and the only true love, but he has to choose one thing.
With the work of director Frank Lloyd, I am familiar from such epic films as Cavalcade and Mutiny on the Bounty, for the first of which he received his second Oscar. Speaking of directing The Divine Lady, I would like to note the scope of the film in relation to the transmission of historical events that took place at the end of the XVIII century, including the Battle of Trafalgar and even a real episode associated with the permission to visit the ports of the Kingdom of Naples. However, with all this, Lloyd is poorly given melodrama, which when watching it involuntarily can cause the viewer a feeling of irritation. Too beautiful and tender is shown the alleged true story of the novel by Lady Hamilton and Nelson.
The script of the film is a separate conversation. In its structure, it resembles a classic biopic, since in fact the film describes the story of the rise of Emma Hamilton from the daughter of a simple cook to a real court lady. Moreover, the screenwriters brazenly ignored her prostitution, dodging various men and even the birth of a daughter by Nelson. The image of the “Divine Lady” turned out to be too romanticized and positive, devoid of matching reality.
Result Despite the free interpretation of history and the omission of important facts from the lives of historical characters, the Divine Lady is still a beautiful film that makes a positive impression, primarily due to its artistic features.
6 out of 10
