That Hamilton woman

That Hamilton woman opens in France, where a destitute and alcoholic woman is arrested for stealing. The woman in question is Lady Emma Hamilton (Vivien Leigh), a once famed beauty. In jail, Emma tells her story to a cellmate, casting back to a time when she was young and lovely. An English woman born to a low class, with a past riddled with infamy, Emma had managed to rise above her station. In Naples Emma is a guest of Sir William Hamilton, a British ambassador, who offers her a financially secure but loveless marriage, to which she agrees. Emma is received at court and revels in the social status of being Lady Hamilton. One day her world is upended with the arrival of Lord Nelson (Laurence Olivier), a British naval hero. Over the course of several years, Emma and Nelson are shown to have a growing affection for one another which blossoms into love. Both are in loveless marriages but divorce is impossible and society views their union with scorn. Leigh excels as Hamilton, a brave woman, beaten by societal mores of the day. The film caused a scandal in America for its depiction of adultery, and dialogue was added to portray the lovers as suffering for their indiscretions.