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A duchess, a prison break, and one very stressed lieutenant—Napoleonic naval chaos ensues.

Hornblower: The Duchess and the Devil (1999)

cramped tensionperiod drama with teethstiff upper lip

Overview

Adventure TV Movie War

Acting Lieutenant Hornblower and his crew are captured by the enemy while escorting a Duchess who has secrets of her own.

Content warning

Standout Aspects

Acting

Ioan Gruffudd's barely-contained panic masquerading as authority.

Production

Authentic Spanish prison sets—claustrophobia you can smell.

Writing

The duchess's layered deception, revealed in perfect increments.

Best for:Solo: Rainy afternoon when you want competence porn in breeches.·Rewatch: Spotting every glance between Hornblower and Kennedy.·Binge: Middle entry in the Hornblower saga—queue up the next.

Heads up:Disturbing: Prison conditions include starvation and implied torture threats.

Director

Andrew Grieve

ReleasedFeb 24, 1999

Runtime1h 33m

StatusReleased

Vibe

Pacesteady

Intensitymedium

Tonemixed

Feelmedium

Top Cast

Ioan Gruffudd

Horatio Hornblower

Robert Lindsay

Captain Pellew

Cherie Lunghi

Duchess of Wharfedale

Christopher Fulford

Midshipman Hunter

Ronald Pickup

Don Massaredo

Jamie Bamber

Kennedy

Jonathan Coy

Lieutenant Bracegirdle

John Woodvine

Sir Hugh Dalrymple

Paul Copley

Matthews

Sean Gilder

Styles

Simon Sherlock

Oldroyd

Jean-Yves Berteloot

Etienne de Vergasse

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Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Trivia

Jamie Bamber and Ioan Gruffudd became lifelong friends here, later reuniting on 'Battlestar Galactica'.

Insight

The duchess character barely exists in Forester's novels—this expansion gives the saga its most complex female presence.

Gallery

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Hornblower Collection(8 films)

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Hornblower: The Duchess and the Devil

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2001

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2003

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