Ridley Scott's Napoleon

[StewartLeehaslethimselfgo]

Was this supposed to be an all out comedy or was it just that bad? Tonally all over the place bizarre film.

[Steve Faeces]

I thought it was a lot of fun, albeit wildly historically inaccurate and some very unpleasant displays of horniness.

[Terry Torpid]

My main gripe the film is just how dull and uninteresting they made the man. The performance certainly didn't help. I suppose the script is largely to blame, because he never got to make any rousing speeches in front of the troops. Even if you hate Napoleon, you have to admit he had great charisma, which didn't come across in the film.

There's a scene in Waterloo (1970), where Napoleon, played by Rod Steiger, returns to France from exile. He's been declared an outlaw, the most wanted man in the world. As he's walking down the road, he runs into what looks like the entire fucking French army who have been sent to nab him. The jig is up. He's fucked. But what follows is a great demonstrations of personal magnetism.

It seems like a ridiculous turn-around, pure Hollywood deus ex machina nonsense, but it's true. Steiger is so commanding and compelling in the role, and he speaks with such passion, that you totally buy it. When the equivalent scene happens in Scott's version, Phoenix is so introverted and sullen, you have no idea why he would inspire so much devotion from his men.

Steiger completely blows him out of the water.

[Terry Torpid]

Also, Joaquin Phoenix looks like Patrick Troughton in this.

[greenman]

So I'm better off watching the 5 1/2 hour silent film again instead? actually isnt a longer cut of the Scott film supposed to end up on streaming?

[Petey Pate]

Some of the dialogue in this was truly atrocious. It was unclear whether it was supposed to be funny or not. The low point was when Napoleon says to the British ambassador:

Spoiler alert

"You think you're so great just because you have boats!"

[close]

[StewartLeehaslethimselfgo]

My main gripe the film is just how dull and uninteresting they made the man. The performance certainly didn't help. I suppose the script is largely to blame, because he never got to make any rousing speeches in front of the troops. Even if you hate Napoleon, you have to admit he had great charisma, which didn't come across in the film.

There's a scene in Waterloo (1970), where Napoleon, played by Rod Steiger, returns to France from exile. He's been declared an outlaw, the most wanted man in the world. As he's walking down the road, he runs into what looks like the entire fucking French army who have been sent to nab him. The jig is up. He's fucked. But what follows is a great demonstrations of personal magnetism.

It seems like a ridiculous turn-around, pure Hollywood deus ex machina nonsense, but it's true. Steiger is so commanding and compelling in the role, and he speaks with such passion, that you totally buy it. When the equivalent scene happens in Scott's version, Phoenix is so introverted and sullen, you have no idea why he would inspire so much devotion from his men.

Steiger completely blows him out of the water.

That bit was incredible I was stifling laughter. One single soldier said 'hail the emperor' the rest were mocking and laughing at him then he said something like 'I miss you men' and they all cheered and crowded him like he'd scored the world cup winner.

Some of the dialogue in this was truly atrocious. It was unclear whether it was supposed to be funny or not. The low point was when Napoleon says to the British ambassador:

Spoiler alert

"You think you're so great just because you have boats!"

[close]

Thank you I thought I was going mad not many reviews even mention it. Its being described as a drama but this has to be a comedy film? The line deliveries and acting were like a Tim and Eric sketch.

[Terry Torpid]

I think it is deliberately humorous at times. The awkward sex scenes, for example.

The bit where Napoleon and his brother Lucien are being chased out of the Council chamber by angry politicians got a laugh from the audience when I saw the film, especially when Napoleon trips on the steps. As in real life, Lucien gets the crowd on board by ostentatiously threatening to stab his own brother if he turns into a wrong 'un, but he gives Napoleon a look like "This is worth a shot, play along". Very much a comedic aside glance.

I could have got behind the film if it had gone all out satire, like The Death of Stalin, which would excuse a lot of the inaccuracies and nonsense. But apart from some funny bits sprinkled throughout, the general thrust seemed to be serious, so it came across very uneven.

[Ant Farm Keyboard]

For the Abel Gance film, which stops around 1797 and is just the first out of six planned episodes (Gance belatedly filmed the third one, the Austerlitz years, in the sixties), there's a different restoration coming up next year, put together by the Cinémathèque française (French Film Library) that should a little less than seven-hour-long. Netflix helped with the financing, and it should be widely available there, although France and the UK may get a different treatment.

The French Film Library found in their archives a notebook by Gance describing the editing for the two versions. There was a standard one, which was the long cut, for regular theaters. And for large theaters, he put together a shorter cut focusing on action, which also had the famed triptych conclusion. And the two cut didn't actually use the same version of the scenes.
Thanks to the notebook, the team was able to label the origin of existing footage, while previous restorations had picked from both cuts based on what they had found first.

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

Also, Joaquin Phoenix looks like Patrick Troughton in this.

Every shot I've seen of him in this he just looks glum. Does he ever do a cheeky grin or anything?

[Terry Torpid]

there's a different restoration coming up next year, put together by the Cinémathèque française (French Film Library) that should a little less than seven-hour-long.

Wow, I haven't heard about this. Great news!

Every shot I've seen of him in this he just looks glum. Does he ever do a cheeky grin or anything?

No, glum throughout, except a few weird scenes where he sort of moos every time he wants sex.

[Ant Farm Keyboard]

The completion for the Georges Mourier restoration was delayed many times, as it happens often for projects of such a scale, but the score was recorded last year, so it's ready. And contrary to what happened with Kevin Brownlow, Francis Ford Coppola is on board with that project.

For the record, Georges Mourier already handled the restoration of Abel Gance's previous epic, La Roue, which was released as a seven-hour boxset on DVD and Blu-ray two years ago. It's now out of print, which means that my copy (which I still haven't watched) has much increased in value.

[PlanktonSideburns]

Also, Joaquin Phoenix looks like Patrick Troughton in this.

That makes it look like they cast bill murray

[13 schoolyards]

Home Alone prequel looks a bit subdued

[Tarquin]

I absolutely loved this. Like one of those Hollywood Verhoeven films from the 90s.

Seemed to me to be a film about the paintings of Napoleon. Taking literally his St. Helena revision book - the two girls calling bullshit on him at the end.

Film of the year!

(North Norfolk DJ Dave Clifton as Charles-Henri Sanson was an inspired casting choice.)

[Terry Torpid]

The more I think about this, the worse it seems. The absence of the Marshals in particular, and the omission of any of his actual policies and legislation. For a jam-packed, two and a half hour film, it's about very little. It's surprisingly empty.

I know I'm one of those annoying history nit-pickers Scott has been taking aim at, and I understand you have to make changes for dramatic purposes, but I don't think the results are particularly interesting. Gladiator is completely inaccurate in almost every detail, but it's a cracking film. It's probably more interesting than the real story. This film isn't.

I noticed it has just dipped into Rotten on RT, both critics and audience.

[Butchers Blind]

Saw this tonight and it was a dull old watch, even the battles scenes I found unengaging. Felt the script was underpowered and you never really got a sense of who Napoleon was or his motivations. Not holding out much hope for Gladiator 2.

[madhair60]

seeing this tomoz, got any big boats crashing about? would love that.

[Dex Sawash]

seeing this tomoz, got any big boats crashing about? would love that.

Doesn't look good for

Spoiler alert

Nelson

[close]

[gilbertharding]

I'd still like to see this - but mainly because I saw them filming bits of it in London whenever it was. Loads of carriages in the courtyard of the Naval Hospital at Greenwich...

[Noodle Lizard]

I know I'm one of those annoying history nit-pickers Scott has been taking aim at, and I understand you have to make changes for dramatic purposes, but I don't think the results are particularly interesting. Gladiator is completely inaccurate in almost every detail, but it's a cracking film. It's probably more interesting than the real story. This film isn't.

It probably helps that Gladiator isn't really "based on a true story", it just involves broadstroke versions of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus (probably a mistake in hindsight) and touches of other figures and myths from that time, Spartacus being the obvious one.

When you've got a film about a relatively recent and very well-documented figure like Napoleon, it would be mighty nice if it was more or less historically accurate unless you were about to do something really interesting with it.

[Head Gardener]

[Dex Sawash]

This is on basic apple tv now. Saw first 30 min last night. I reckon I should've read the book first. Maybe will see Ian Macniece in next chunk I watch.