Hornblower: The Examination for Lieutenant

Hornblower: The Examination for Lieutenant (1998) is a British television film you can watch online on iFILM — the second entry in the ITV/A&E series adapted from C.S. Forester's novels about Royal Navy officer Horatio Hornblower.

The British squadron at Gibraltar has gone three weeks without provisions. The men are hungry; talk of mutiny is growing louder. Acting Lieutenant Hornblower is sent to the African port of Oran to secure supplies — a task that should be straightforward until he finds something there that puts the entire Gibraltar fleet in danger. Ioan Gruffudd plays Hornblower with the right mix of ambition and self-doubt that makes the character worth following over 93 minutes. Robert Lindsay is Pellew.

For the series, this is a pivotal instalment: Hornblower operating alone, no senior officer to consult, every consequential call landing entirely on him. Modest production values, but the seafaring tension earns its keep. Stream Hornblower online on iFILM.