Napoleon

[n_huffhines]

What are the criticisms beyond historical accuracy?

 

[n_huffhines]

Agree. A GoT style series in terms of depth. It probably wouldn't draw enough interest (see the Rome series) to keep it going though.

Yeah, I don't think Rome even made it to season 3, did it? I thought it was 2 seasons. It was awesome but didn't make $. Doubtful a Napoleon show would either.

 

[volbound1700]

What are the criticisms beyond historical accuracy?

I went to see it with my wife and the first half was just hard to follow with the exception of the Josephine parts. In fact the Josephine story arc was really the only coherent and easy to follow story arc. The movie was just a ton of cut scenes from his life put together that really didn't connect into an accurate story line.

With what Ridley Scott was trying to do, he should have just named it Napoleon and Josephine and dialed down more on the love story. The political scenes are just too discombobulated to follow and the Battles really don't tell you what is going on very well. You never get a grasp of what is going on in Napoleon's career outside of his love life.

Just stick with Josephine story line, movies have done that in the past. That would have worked better than the long and incoherent story line. It did get better once they got into his downfall, that was told in a more coherent story but everything else up to it (besides Josephine parts) was very hard to follow and confusing.

 

[volbound1700]

This reminds me of Oliver Stone's Alexander movie (one that I was also really pumped for) that ended up being something of a flop.

The Alexander movie wasn't that bad. One issue that probably got people was that it kept going back and forth between different times in his life instead of following a normal timeline.

Richard Burton Alexander from 1960s was better though...

 

[Berry4Heisman14]

According to the movie, she was, ah, generous with her favors.

However, that was not unusual for the time. Kind of like being accused of driving too fast at Indianapolis Speedway.

I was wondering if the movie followed his propaganda and portrayed it as reality as if it was “accurate” the famous photo of him on a white horse looking majestic is complete BS it’s more likely he rode a mule

 

[GroverCleveland]

I was wondering if the movie followed his propaganda and portrayed it as reality as if it was “accurate” the famous photo of him on a white horse looking majestic is complete BS it’s more likely he rode a mule

Definitely did not follow French thinking about Napoleon. One criticism I've read about it is that Napoleon was portrayed according to contemporary English perceptions of Napoleon, which seems to make sense because it was unflattering.

 

[Godfatha]

The Alexander movie wasn't that bad. One issue that probably got people was that it kept going back and forth between different times in his life instead of following a normal timeline.

Richard Burton Alexander from 1960s was better though...

It wasn’t horrible. I don’t think Colin Farrell was made for the part and he cheesed it up a bit. Other than that it was mostly ok. I think it did fine as could be expected with historical accuracy

 

[Godfatha]

Correct me if I’m wrong but if I remember right in real life Josephine didn’t even really like Napoleon? Did she not just up and leave him for someone else at some point?

She didn’t leave him because she was enjoying the lifestyle he provided her but I recall she had at least one affair with an officer while Napoleon was in Egypt.

 

[Godfatha]

Yeah, I don't think Rome even made it to season 3, did it? I thought it was 2 seasons. It was awesome but didn't make $. Doubtful a Napoleon show would either.

You’d be correct. For some reason I was thinking three seasons but it was just two. It was a great series and had all the material you could ask for but the costs versus lack of interest got it.

 

[Godfatha]

Guess the next one I’ll be hopeful for is the Hannibal Barca biopic. Outside of Spartacus (Kubrick film) I don’t recall Rome being the antagonist in a film.

Don’t screw it up Netflix.

 

[volbound1700]

I was wondering if the movie followed his propaganda and portrayed it as reality as if it was “accurate” the famous photo of him on a white horse looking majestic is complete BS it’s more likely he rode a mule

They skipped Italian Campaign. There was nothing about it. It literally goes from whip of grapeshot scene to a 10 min scene about Egypt which they also didn't get right. The entire first half of the movie, besides Josephine love story and Battle of Toulon, was trash.

They also focused a lot on Napoleon as a cuckhold which was dumb. The whole move was him chasing Josephine. Interesting concept but not sure it was 100% accurate.

 

[volbound1700]

She didn’t leave him because she was enjoying the lifestyle he provided her but I recall she had at least one affair with an officer while Napoleon was in Egypt.

So, according to a lot of sources, Josephine was not impressed with Napoleon initially and flirted around (more than one affair actually). Napoleon also messed around. The movie makes it look like she was captivated with him from the start which wasn't correct. Later on, she did fall for him but the opposite actual happened with Napoleon as he did mess around a lot on her and there was also the divorce (the movie did get the divorce part correct and it was well done). They left out Napoleon's affair with a mistress in Poland and they still made it out like everything Napoleon did was related to impressing Josephine (and to a smaller degree, France as a whole) which was ludicrous.

He left Egypt (according to the movie) because of Josephine. Nothing was mentioned of his Egypt campaign failing after he invaded Syria and his navy was wiped out or France being under invasion and ripe for his return for political reasons. (The political part was somewhat brought out in the movie but wasn't well done).

 

[volbound1700]

You’d be correct. For some reason I was thinking three seasons but it was just two. It was a great series and had all the material you could ask for but the costs versus lack of interest got it.

Rome was a mixed bag for me. It covered an area of time that was already well displayed in Entertainment. The Octavian sleeping with his sister stuff was stupid.

The lack of battle scenes kind of ruined it though. You have to show the big battles to make it work. I do think some of the acting and drama was very well done and I like the substories that followed the average Roman soldiers. Like most HBO series, they dialed down to much on the sex stuff and put in unhistorical actions. (Interestingly, they were light when it was historic with Cleopatra).

 

[Berry4Heisman14]

Sounds like a potential great historical movie ruined by Hollywood theatrical garbage. Not surprised

 

[give_him 6]

Steven Spielberg is doing a limited series on Napoleon for HBO. I think it's 7 episodes. I'm sure he will hit on things the movie will omit.

Steven Spielberg “Mounting A Big Production” For Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Napoleon’; Project Is Set As Seven-Part Limited Series For HBO

 

[dalton_vol]

it's got to be an impossible to task to make a movie that without some series. Napoleon did so much while he reigned. i saw a documentary on his military campaigns, those wars were brutal.