Set in the middle of the Civil War, Hearts in Bondage is a tempestuous love story that ebbs and flows with the events surrounding the famous Battle of the Monitor and the Merrimack, two armored battleships going head to head. Superb actors Mae Clarke and James Dunn are lovers who’ve been separated by their family’s Civil War loyalties. Dunn is a Union naval officer on the USS Monitor and Clarke’s brother is a Confederate naval officer on the USS Merrimack. Closely mirroring real events, the story builds to an explosive climax as the bitter rivals will fight against each other on their respective battleships. Some exemplary special effects (for the 1930s) make the combat scenes vivid and engrossing. But overall, Hearts in Bondage is a passionate love story and with Mae Clarke and James Dunn, it’s a special motion picture experience.
