MovieChat Forums > Hornblower: The Examination for Lieutenant (1999) Discussion > Mistake Spotted

Mistake Spotted

posted 15 years ago by voyager78906
11 replies | jump to latest

I was watching this episode from the dvd box set, and something has been bugging me...

Pellew asks if Hornblower still wishes to go up for promotion. Hornblower replies that he would if the captain thinks he's ready for it... The captain says he will put him up for the next months round. He then turns round and mentions that he will two months seniority9already acting Lt). He then immdiatly adds that if Hornblower should fail the examionation, then he will have to be a midshipman for at least six months.

[The trip to Iran and back takes place here]

Upon arriving back at Gibraulter, Hornblower goes for the examination, and waits with the other officers. When the first midshipman comes out, he says he has failed by saying "Back as a midshipman for at least 3 months..."

If the period between exams was 3 months, why does Pellew say 6 months to Hornblow aboard the Infatigable?

[–] Androctus 15 years ago

Indefatigable may have been assigned duty that would keep it away from a place where a review board would be conducted, whereas the other midshipman may have been on a vessel that would take him to one sooner, for example, they may have been returning to Portsmouth in three months. Who knows, but probably not really a mistake.

[–] CGSailor 14 years ago

I have been meaning to read the books but so far as the movie version. I think the whole trip to Iran is screwed up.
They are at Gibraltar. There was no Suez Canal during that time. A trip to Iran would have had to gone around Africa, Cape of Good Hope and across the Indian Ocean to Iran. They would have been better served going across the Med to Tripoli or something rather than Iran.

I think "Iran" may have just been an insert-generic-Muslim-destination-here type of thing as they were very inconsistent throughout the show. Even with the Ambassador referring to it as Iraq at one point. plus the journey was far too short for a trip around Africa to Iran.

I joined the Navy to see the world, only to discover the world is 2/3 water!

[–] falacta 14 years ago

It's Oran not Iran. Oran lies in Morocco just a couple of hundred miles from Gibraltar.

iran would make no sense, least of all that the interpreter was European pointing to a barbary state realm. Iran would have been an entirely different kind of kingdom / empire, not some desolate poor emirate like they were common in North Africa.

[–] CGSailor 14 years ago

I might have misheard Oran as Iran. That would make much more sense (Yes I do know where Oran is).
Still, The "ambassador" did refer to Oran/Iran as "Iraq" at one point so there is still a mistake there.

I joined the Navy to see the world, only to discover the world is 2/3 water!

[–] falacta 14 years ago

When did he mention Iraq? I only hear him refer to Smyrna which might be Anatolia when skimming through the DVD and that is in reference to a past event.

[–] CGSailor 14 years ago

I only watched it the one time, on a DVD borrowed from the Library.

I don't remember exactly but I know its there because it stood out and caught my attention. I can see how I made the Iran/Oran misidentification (I was listening on poor quality headphones on a portable DVD player), but Iraq is another thing entirely.

It was AFTER they had arrived in Oran.
After they discovered the plague.

I seem to remember it was just as, or shortly after they had left Oran.
It was in conversation between Horatio and the Ambassador.
It was spoken by the Ambassador.

I joined the Navy to see the world, only to discover the world is 2/3 water!

[–] danhanegan 14 years ago

No English speaker would have used the name Iran in Hornblower's time. The country was called Persia. I always understood the supplies were bought in Oran.

[–] CGSailor 14 years ago

I am fully aware that it was Oran and that I misheard them saying Iran. You dont need to reiterate that.

Still there is the matter of the ambassador saying Iraq.

Come SAT, I am going to have to come down here to the Library with my Portable DVD and watch that whole damn episode again to nail down and confirm the mistake of Iraq

I joined the Navy to see the world, only to discover the world is 2/3 water!

[–] lilale777 14 years ago

No Iran and no Iraq. I know the series by heart and nobody mentions Iraq.

And of course it's Oran and not Iran.

[–] CGSailor 14 years ago

Jees!
get the heck off the Oran/Iran thing already, I already admitted I misheard that. I don't need some new person reiterating it every few months from here to eternity!!

I joined the Navy to see the world, only to discover the world is 2/3 water!

[–] max-silver 14 years ago

The midshipman who says it's another thre months at sea is an error. It is likely his character was misremembering the time.