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Napoleon By Ridley Scott

AJUMP23

Parody of actual AJUMP23
I asked my dad if he wanted to go see it, and he said he was not interested. I don't know what has happened. He has gotten old I guess.
 
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IDKFA

I am Become Bilbo Baggins
When I first heard of it I assumed it was a mini series. I agree that it would have worked much better that way.

As long as they get to the bit where the Duke of Wellington kicks his arse I'm happy.

They'll get to Waterloo. Unfortunately, it'll probably be a very short part of the film. I can't see how they can do Waterloo justice when this film covers his adult life.

It would have worked so much better as a mini series because that way they could have done justice to Waterloo, Borodino (Napoleon's expedition into Russia could be a two hour film on its own), Leipzig and a host of other major battles.

I just can't see how they can do this in one film, especially when this is told through the lens of his relationship with Josephine.
 

Klosshufvud

Member
They'll get to Waterloo. Unfortunately, it'll probably be a very short part of the film. I can't see how they can do Waterloo justice when this film covers his adult life.

It would have worked so much better as a mini series because that way they could have done justice to Waterloo, Borodino (Napoleon's expedition into Russia could be a two hour film on its own), Leipzig and a host of other major battles.

I just can't see how they can do this in one film, especially when this is told through the lens of his relationship with Josephine.
I doubt they'll reach Waterloo. I can't find any casting information regarding Wellington atleast. Makes sense if it's through Josephine's PoV. The problem with miniseries is that they don't have the budget of cinema releases. They always come out undercooked, unless a massive HBO production (even they are a rarity nowadays).
 

IDKFA

I am Become Bilbo Baggins
I doubt they'll reach Waterloo. I can't find any casting information regarding Wellington atleast. Makes sense if it's through Josephine's PoV. The problem with miniseries is that they don't have the budget of cinema releases. They always come out undercooked, unless a massive HBO production (even they are a rarity nowadays).

Waterloo is in the trailer. Two (maybe 3) short snippets of the battle. Good shot of a British square formation.

I agree that only a huge HBO style budget would do any historical epic mini series justice. National governments should step in a fund them.

I want the UK government to blast £500m on a epic TV series based on the War of the Roses. I want the Japanese government to spend the same on a series based on the life of Oda Nobunaga.

Call it money spent to promote a nations cultural heritage. Money well spent in my opinion.
 

AJUMP23

Parody of actual AJUMP23
I swear Wellington has a line in the trailer. Can a singular movie do a persons life justice?
 

Elysion

Banned
Yeah, I have a hard time imagining how they could cram Napoleon’s adult life into a single movie. Maybe the movie starts near the end of his life, during his exile on St. Helena, and he talks with someone about his life. Which means most of the movie will be flashbacks, interspersed with scenes on St. Helena where Napoleon explains the context of those flashbacks.
 

Adeptus

Member
There are two countries in the world - France and Poland - where most of the people unironically considers Napolen good guy. I am from second one... and I share this opinion.
 

AJUMP23

Parody of actual AJUMP23
There are two countries in the world - France and Poland - where most of the people unironically considers Napolen good guy. I am from second one... and I share this opinion.
I don't think it is about good or bad. I think he did some good, some bad, but he was ambitious. As was Caesar, and people hate ambition.
 

Adeptus

Member
I think that he did (or tried to do) more good than bad... But generally, probably You are right with ambition. And well, there is also fact that he was defeated, and history is written by winners.
 
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Hudo

Member
There are two countries in the world - France and Poland - where most of the people unironically considers Napolen good guy. I am from second one... and I share this opinion.
Am from Germany and I think he was a good guy as well.
 

AJUMP23

Parody of actual AJUMP23
The British Demonize Napoleon and rightly so, he was a major problem for them and their plans for world domination. They both wanted the same thing, and any good war always needs a bad guy to rally against. The people need a reason to care and to fight and die.
 

Chuck Berry

Gold Member
Watched the trailer and couldnt get through it due to the godawful song thats played during. Way to fucking butcher Radiohead. Really?

What the fuck is up with using these garbage, swampy slow covers of otherwise good to great songs? Its been happening for years. Stop it already!
 

Ballthyrm

Member
They'll get to Waterloo. Unfortunately, it'll probably be a very short part of the film. I can't see how they can do Waterloo justice when this film covers his adult life.

It would have worked so much better as a mini series because that way they could have done justice to Waterloo, Borodino (Napoleon's expedition into Russia could be a two hour film on its own), Leipzig and a host of other major battles.

We have already have had enough movies about the "glorious English army©" that won Waterloo all by itself. Where the best general™ from the Napoleonic wars is called Wellington. /s

Personally as a Frenchman, looking at another Napoleon biopic however well it's done is boring. Especially when you know the stories of some of his generals and contemporaries that are way more interesting than him.

  • Thomas Alexandre Davy de La Pailleterie
  • Joseph Bologne de Saint-George
  • Louis-Nicolas Davout
  • Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr
 
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IDKFA

I am Become Bilbo Baggins
We have already have had enough movies about the "glorious English army©" that won Waterloo all by itself. Where the best general™ from the Napoleonic wars is called Wellington. /s

Personally as a Frenchman, looking at another Napoleon biopic however well it's done is boring. Especially when you know the stories of some of his generals and contemporaries that are way more interesting than him.

  • Thomas Alexandre Davy de La Pailleterie
  • Joseph Bologne de Saint-George
  • Louis-Nicolas Davout
  • Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr

Lol. Only people who know squat about history think Britain won the battle alone.

I agree with your point about other French commanders who deserve the limelight. This is why a TV series would have been better than a film.

(Also Wellington was the better commander 😉)

There are two countries in the world - France and Poland - where most of the people unironically considers Napolen good guy. I am from second one... and I share this opinion.

You might find this debate interesting.

It was a debate between two historians regarding if Napoleon deserves the title Napoleon the Great.

What's interesting about the debate is that Andrew Roberts is British, but is a Napoleon fanboy and argues for Napoleon to be titled "The Great". And in the other corner we have Polish historian Adam Zamoyski, who lets just say isn't Napoleons biggest fan.

 

Ballthyrm

Member
Wellington was maybe the better commander on that day but that debatable if you think Napoleon was completely high on painkillers.

Generals should be judged on win above replacement anyways and there Napoleon trounces everybody.

In any case a mini series like HBO does so well would be wonderful.
 

AJUMP23

Parody of actual AJUMP23
We have already have had enough movies about the "glorious English army©" that won Waterloo all by itself. Where the best general™ from the Napoleonic wars is called Wellington. /s

Personally as a Frenchman, looking at another Napoleon biopic however well it's done is boring. Especially when you know the stories of some of his generals and contemporaries that are way more interesting than him.

  • Thomas Alexandre Davy de La Pailleterie
  • Joseph Bologne de Saint-George
  • Louis-Nicolas Davout
  • Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr
You have a good book that covers them all?
 

Chuck Berry

Gold Member
Scott has been needing to throw in the towel for years.I think the movie looks awful, but I’m also biased because I’ve always wanted Napoleon to have been Kubricks vision (it was his “dream” project) with Nicholson in the lead.

But seriously, Gladiator 2 after this? Please no.
 
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Mahnmut

Member
Scott has been needing to throw in the towel for years.I think the movie looks awful, but I’m also biased because I’ve always wanted Napoleon to have been Kubricks vision (it was his “dream” project) with Nicholson in the lead.

But seriously, Gladiator 2 after this? Please no.
I thought that "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" was his dream project.
EDIT : I mean what would become A.I. Artificial Intelligence. I think the project was named "Supertoys" before Spielberg took over.
 
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Alx

Member
We have already have had enough movies about the "glorious English army©" that won Waterloo all by itself. Where the best general™ from the Napoleonic wars is called Wellington. /s

Personally as a Frenchman, looking at another Napoleon biopic however well it's done is boring. Especially when you know the stories of some of his generals and contemporaries that are way more interesting than him.

  • Thomas Alexandre Davy de La Pailleterie
  • Joseph Bologne de Saint-George
  • Louis-Nicolas Davout
  • Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr
Louis Antoine Drouot is another fascinating man in the Napoleon army. Son of a baker, best artillery general of his time.
 

Ballthyrm

Member

Aurelius

Member
Watched The Last Duel tonight in response to the Napoleon trailer, to see how Ridley Scott is holding up as a filmmaker.

Unfortunately ideologically driven. Despite initially going for a subjective POV, it then leans into a men are bad perspective instead of sticking to the history where we don’t know who was telling the truth in the incident. Without nuance there is nothing interesting to the story, and by the end every single character is unlikeable. Doesn’t deserve to use Rashomon as an influence.

I’ll go read some more history books instead of getting excited for this one.
He did the Napoleonic setting before in The Duellists in 1977. Well worth a watch if you haven’t seen it yet.
 

Dr.Morris79

Member
Cant wait for this personally. Gonna be rocking my welly boots for sure

IUUmyZu.jpg
 

Chuck Berry

Gold Member
I thought that "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" was his dream project.
EDIT : I mean what would become A.I. Artificial Intelligence. I think the project was named "Supertoys" before Spielberg took over.

Nah that was just something he was working on before he died. Napoleon with Nicholson was like the crown jewel project
 

Adeptus

Member
Lol. Only people who know squat about history think Britain won the battle alone.

I agree with your point about other French commanders who deserve the limelight. This is why a TV series would have been better than a film.

(Also Wellington was the better commander 😉)



You might find this debate interesting.

It was a debate between two historians regarding if Napoleon deserves the title Napoleon the Great.

What's interesting about the debate is that Andrew Roberts is British, but is a Napoleon fanboy and argues for Napoleon to be titled "The Great". And in the other corner we have Polish historian Adam Zamoyski, who lets just say isn't Napoleons biggest fan.


Thanks!
 

kruis

Exposing the sinister cartel of retailers who allow companies to pay for advertising space.
Good news, the version of Napoleon on AppleTV+ will be the 4 hour version. :messenger_sunglasses:


Ridley Scott is no stranger to a director's cut, and his upcoming movie Napoleon will be no different.

The director, known for an incredible body of work that includes Gladiator, Alien, and Blade Runner, has been open about his plans for a director's cut of his new film, Napoleon. Now, he's given Total Film magazine an update on how it's looking in our celebration issue.

"I’m working on it. It was four [hours] 10 [minutes] this morning," Scott tells us in the new issue, which hits newsstands on Thursday, October 12. "And so what will happen is, we’ll screen [the theatrical cut] first with Sony, and then it has its run, and then the perfect thing is that [the director’s cut] goes to streaming, and we have four hours 10 minutes."
 

Mr Reasonable

Completely Unreasonable
Good news, the version of Napoleon on AppleTV+ will be the 4 hour version. :messenger_sunglasses:


Ridley Scott is no stranger to a director's cut, and his upcoming movie Napoleon will be no different.

The director, known for an incredible body of work that includes Gladiator, Alien, and Blade Runner, has been open about his plans for a director's cut of his new film, Napoleon. Now, he's given Total Film magazine an update on how it's looking in our celebration issue.

"I’m working on it. It was four [hours] 10 [minutes] this morning," Scott tells us in the new issue, which hits newsstands on Thursday, October 12. "And so what will happen is, we’ll screen [the theatrical cut] first with Sony, and then it has its run, and then the perfect thing is that [the director’s cut] goes to streaming, and we have four hours 10 minutes."

If this gets good reviews, I'll have to go to the cinema. I'll never get round to watching a 4 hour movie!
 

Cyberpunkd

Member
Man, Saint-George was incredible, even if I cannot stomach his music.
The Black Count gives you incredible exposure of just how gigachads the French were around Napoleons time, fighting the whole Europe at once and winning.
 
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IDKFA

I am Become Bilbo Baggins
Good news, the version of Napoleon on AppleTV+ will be the 4 hour version. :messenger_sunglasses:


Ridley Scott is no stranger to a director's cut, and his upcoming movie Napoleon will be no different.

The director, known for an incredible body of work that includes Gladiator, Alien, and Blade Runner, has been open about his plans for a director's cut of his new film, Napoleon. Now, he's given Total Film magazine an update on how it's looking in our celebration issue.

"I’m working on it. It was four [hours] 10 [minutes] this morning," Scott tells us in the new issue, which hits newsstands on Thursday, October 12. "And so what will happen is, we’ll screen [the theatrical cut] first with Sony, and then it has its run, and then the perfect thing is that [the director’s cut] goes to streaming, and we have four hours 10 minutes."

I really hope the directors cut gets a physical release. I don't want to sign up to yet another streaming service to watch one film.
 

Klosshufvud

Member
Good news, the version of Napoleon on AppleTV+ will be the 4 hour version. :messenger_sunglasses:


Ridley Scott is no stranger to a director's cut, and his upcoming movie Napoleon will be no different.

The director, known for an incredible body of work that includes Gladiator, Alien, and Blade Runner, has been open about his plans for a director's cut of his new film, Napoleon. Now, he's given Total Film magazine an update on how it's looking in our celebration issue.

"I’m working on it. It was four [hours] 10 [minutes] this morning," Scott tells us in the new issue, which hits newsstands on Thursday, October 12. "And so what will happen is, we’ll screen [the theatrical cut] first with Sony, and then it has its run, and then the perfect thing is that [the director’s cut] goes to streaming, and we have four hours 10 minutes."
How long after theatrical release will Apple+ release be? I'd rather wait for the 4h version.
 

kunonabi

Member
If the directors cut is going to Apple I'm not going to bother with seeing it in theatres and I'll just till it gets a physical release. If it remains exclusive to apple+ then I just won't see it at all.
 

Gp1

Member
If the directors cut is going to Apple I'm not going to bother with seeing it in theatres and I'll just till it gets a physical release. If it remains exclusive to apple+ then I just won't see it at all.

I'm not waiting for the directors cut.
Historically accurate or not, I'm in for a Napoleon "Braveheart" edition in a huge screen.
 

E-Cat

Member
I agree with your point about other French commanders who deserve the limelight. This is why a TV series would have been better than a film.

Mahnmut Mahnmut


:messenger_sunglasses:
Apparently, El Spielbergo is doing an HBO miniseries adaptation of Kubrick’s original Napoleon script:
 
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IDKFA

I am Become Bilbo Baggins
Apparently, El Spielbergo is doing an HBO miniseries adaptation of Kubrick’s original Napoleon script:

That's what I'm talking about.

Spielberg has a better track record of historical accuracy than Ridley Scott. Also promising to hear this will be a TV series, which gives it more time to flesh out Napoleon's life and major events of that era.

Now all I need is to hear that Martin Scorsese is finally working on his Julius Caesar mini series.

If studios provided the correct budget, we could have some absolutely incredible mini series based on historical people and events. Imagine a mini series based on the life of Alexander the Great, but with a huge budget that actually did it justice and real emphasis on historical accuracy. It makes my dick throb just thinking about it.
 
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NeoIkaruGAF

Gold Member
Imagine a mini series based on the life of Alexander the Great, but with a huge budget that actually did it justice and real emphasis on historical accuracy. It makes my dick throb just thinking about it.
For real. What Alexander did is beyond imagination. A hundred times so if you think he lived in the fourth century BC. That’s a story that defines epic if there ever was one. Even what was happening at the Macedonian court long before the guy even started his incredible adventure would be enough for a whole season, lol.

But I wouldn’t want to see that made in the style of modern TV. I’m tired of comic book characters saying non-stop one-liners, piss filter everywhere, token characters, and all that jazz. Ironically enough, Alexander comes off as just that kind of guy from the stories. A man who believed himself to be a god and an army that probably really believed he was until the end.

The comic book vibe is pretty clear in this Napoleon movie. He never smiles, for one thing. Napoleon was known for his smile and his humor. Here he looks constantly tired or bored, so sure of himself he seems to get no satisfaction from his successes.
 
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