The Sea Hawk

1940 saw Errol Flynn in another swashbuckling epic, again directed by Michael Curtiz, and again involving intrigue in the court of Queen Elizabeth. The Sea Hawk was roughly based on the exploits of Sir Francis Drake, who was a privateer (a classy name for a pirate) who also served the interests of England during war with Spain. And though set in 1585, The Sea Hawk can be seen as an allegory for the building conflict between England and Germany.

The beginning of the film shows Philip, the King of Spain, standing before a large map of the world and contemplating the day when it will all be his, which is akin to the floating-globe sequence in Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator (which was released the same year). Claude Rains is the oily Spanish ambassador, and he accompanies his niece, Brenda Marshall, on a diplomatic trip to England. On the way there, the ship is waylaid by Flynn's ship. The ship is sunk and treasures looted, but Rains and Marshall are treated decorously (Flynn, in a moment of lovesickness, returns Marshall's jewels to her).

This is an outrage to Spain, who demands Flynn's arrest, but the Queen, played by Flora Robson, pays lip service, but realizes she's got a good thing with Flynn. Together they plot a raid on a Spanish town in Panama, and try to keep it secret from Elizabeth's councillor (played by Henry Daniell, in another deliciously wicked performance). Spies intercept the information, though, and Flynn and his men are captured and enslaved in a galley. Can he possibly escape and bring the plans of the construction of the Spanish Armada to Elizabeth's attention?

The Sea Hawk is a remarkably well-constructed and envisioned film. Though shot in black and white, it is not wanting for arresting visuals, particularly in the use of shadow. Though ostensibly a pirate movie, less than half of it takes place at sea, and the opening scene is the only full-scale pirate action. Instead there is much palace shenanigans. Robson, especially contrasted with Bette Davis in The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, makes a wonderful sovereign, much more shaded and nuanced. She and Flynn, though not cast as romantically involved, have much better chemistry.

The closing sword fight, between Flynn and Daniell, is rightly regarded as one of the best in cinema history, with Flynn managing to bifurcate candles while dueling. Curtiz is to be commended for this scene, because Daniell could not fence. Instead a body double is used, along with strategically placed closeups of Daniell with a sword in his hand. If I hadn't known that info going on I would have never guessed.

Audiences nervous about German aggression wouldn't miss how the film paints Philip as Hitler-like and Elizabeth as Churchillian, particularly in her final speech, about England being the last great hope for freedom.

The Sea Hawk is a big, glorious spectacle that is a terrific representation of the Hollywood golden era, and present Flynn perhaps at his best, an actor who never got much respect as a thespian, perhaps because he is so self-assured a performer that what he does on screen seems ridiculously easy.