Bequest to the Nation (film)
| Bequest to the Nation | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | James Cellan Jones |
| Written by | Terence Rattigan |
| Produced by | Hal B. Wallis |
| Starring | Glenda Jackson Peter Finch Michael Jayston Anthony Quayle |
| Cinematography | Gerry Fisher |
| Edited by | Anne V. Coates |
| Music by | Michel Legrand |
Production company | Hal Wallis Productions |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 118 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Bequest to the Nation (U.S. title The Nelson Affair[1]) is a 1973 British historical drama film directed by James Cellan Jones and starring Glenda Jackson, Peter Finch, Michael Jayston and Margaret Leighton.[2][3] It is based on Terence Rattigan,s 1970 play A Bequest to the Nation.[1]
Plot summary
[edit]The film depicts the relationship between Admiral Lord Nelson and his mistress, Lady Hamilton, during the Napoleonic Wars plus others they would meet, including Nelson's nephew, George Matcham Jr.
Much of the story takes place at Merton Place, Nelson & Hamilton's estate, before Nelson's heading out to sea for the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar.
Cast
[edit]- Glenda Jackson as Lady Hamilton
- Peter Finch as Lord Nelson
- Michael Jayston as Captain Hardy
- Anthony Quayle as Lord Minto
- Margaret Leighton as Lady Nelson
- Dominic Guard as George Matcham Jnr, Nelson's nephew
- Nigel Stock as George Matcham Snr, Nelson's brother-in-law
- Roland Culver as Lord Barham
- Barbara Leigh-Hunt as Catherine Matcham, Nelson's sister
- Pat Heywood as Emily
- Clelia Matania as Francesca
- John Nolan as Captain Blackwood
Critical reception
[edit]The New York Times found the film "thoroughly genteel", and wrote that Rattigan's dialogue was written "in the manner of someone regurgitating the cadences of a 19th-century schoolgirl's diary... Peter Finch plays Lord Nelson with a reserved passion that seems intelligently thought out but is not terribly interesting to watch, while Glenda Jackson seems to go at Lady Hamilton from the opposite direction."[1]
Sky Cinema found the film "remarkable for the handsome Technicolor photography of Gerry Fisher and the brilliant production design of Carmen Dillon. There are some touching moments, notably those involving Margaret Leighton as Lady Nelson, and vivid climactic battle scenes. However, the two principals are not very well cast, and while Peter Finch struggles gamely to erase memories of Olivier's version of the role, Miss Jackson responds by stridently over-playing her hand as a sluttish Emma".[4]
Time Out wrote, "Histrionics apart, you come out wondering whether it really matters."[5]
Locations
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Movie Reviews". The New York Times. 23 December 2019 – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ "Bequest to the Nation". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- ^ "Bequest to the Nation (1973)". Archived from the original on 14 January 2009.
- ^ "Bequest To The Nation". Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
- ^ "Bequest to the Nation". Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
External links
[edit]
 | This article related to a British film of the 1970s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- 1973 films
- 1970s historical drama films
- Films based on works by Terence Rattigan
- British historical drama films
- Films with screenplays by Terence Rattigan
- Films scored by Michel Legrand
- Films produced by Hal B. Wallis
- Films set in the 1790s
- Films set in the 1800s
- Universal Pictures films
- Cultural depictions of Horatio Nelson
- Cultural depictions of Emma, Lady Hamilton
- 1973 drama films
- Films directed by James Cellan Jones
- 1970s English-language films
- 1970s British films
- English-language historical drama films
- 1970s British film stubs