Napoleon (2003)

Great!

Great reconstruction, amazing costumes, very good international cast.
Everything's good except Claviere english....but Napolean is french, isnt he?


March 30, 2008

L'empereur de la France

Napoleon is a gorgeous, lush, and vibrant cinematic feast. It's stunning to watch and reminds me of the earlier films filmed in full Technicolor. The colors are vibrant and over-saturated at times. It's definitely a visual masterpiece.

I bought my version from a Chinese seller on eBay. The version I watched is 8 hours in length and in English with a choice of dubbed Chinese audio or the English audio. I've noticed that many reviewers have complained about the English dubbing on the English version and mention that one should purchase the French version with English subtitles. I'm very confused about this, really, because my version wasn't dubbed English. I realize they didn't film two entirely separate films, however the version I owned is filmed in original English and my husband and I agree we cannot possibly be mistaken about this. We expected dubbing, but there was none. Every single word was enunciated clearly and was absolutely in sync with the actors' mouths. In addition, the English version I watched had no narration as some of these reviewers noted negatively.

I had never even heard of Christian Clavier prior to seeing this film. He was incredible. He seemed born to play this role. Clavier's face is amazingly expressive and he brings sensitivity and empathy to his part. At times I got so caught up in the character and appeal of Napoleon that I found myself dreading the Moscow scenes and then the scenes at Waterloo-- futilely hoping for a different outcome. I've learned that this actor usually plays more comedic roles and I'm surprised since he's wonderfully talented.

Joining Clavier is Anouk Aimee as Napoleon's mother, Isabella Rossellini as Josephine, John Malkovich as Talleyrand, and Gerard Depardieu as Joseph Fouche. Anouk Aimee was perfect-- she definitely brought some depth to Letizia. Both Isabella Rossellini and John Malkovich, though, were really horrible. Josephine was known to be unfaithful and headstrong. Here, we wonder what Napoleon actually sees in her! I don't want to blame this actress completely-- the script could have definitely used some improvement when it came to their interaction. However, she brought no charm to the role of Josephine at all, I thought. Had Josephine been played by Marie Bäumer (who played Napoleon's sister, Caroline), Mavie Hörbiger (Marie Louise of Austria, Napoleon's second wife), or Alexandra Maria Lara (Countess Marie Walewska), we would have all fallen in love with her. But, instead, we were given a flat performance lacking in appeal.

John Malkovich played John Malkovich playing Talleyrand. I don't think I've ever seen him play a role any differently than he played here. Just like Jack Nicholson is known for being wild and erratic, John Malkovich is known for his flat affect and cold demeanor. Additionally, it was a bit off-putting to have Talleyrand speak with absolutely no trace of a French accent, but there you have it. It seemed as if the casting directors took no real note of this when casting- having the names that would draw both the French and the Americans must have been their main concern. John Malkovich wasn't the only one who didn't even attempt to speak with an authentic accent. Julien Sands, (who played Klemens Metternich, the ambassador from Austria) spoke the King's English. Having accents match the characters would have been a bit more helpful, especially when dealing with unfamiliar characters from so many different countries. And although Napoleon was actually from Corsica, his French accent didn't bother me at all. He at least was French (even if originally from Corsica) and, really, he lived in France from age nine. He very well could have lost his Corsican accent (his mother, however, was decidedly French).

So, some of that was a bit strange. Napoleon's speech was beautiful but his own brothers sometimes sounded American. His stepdaughter didn't sound French, his second wife didn't sound Austrian. Where's Meryl Streep when you need her?

Everyone else was very good. Gerard Depardieu actually gets better with age. I've always liked him, but didn't understand his very wide appeal. He was excellent and stole the scenes when on screen.

As noted by so many other reviewers, there are obvious inaccuracies and omissions. Thankfully, my husband (a historian) was right there next to me and I was able to ask him questions when things weren't clear. The transitions from scene to scene are poor and fail to give the viewer ample background and information. Some text would have been helpful between scenes-- especially either prior to major battles, for instance, or afterwards.

Still, with all the film's faults, it was enjoyable and informative (even if it could have been more informative), and Christian Clavier was superb.

As an addendum, when this film was made, there was only speculation regarding the cause of Napoleon's death. He believed he was being poisoned and suffered horrible pain during his last months. However, only last year it was discovered that Napoleon actually died of gastrointestinal bleeding due to gastric cancer.

Edited to add: I just confirmed that this version is NOT dubbed, despite reports to the contrary! In fact, the English version was dubbed into French, not the other way around. And, although the French version has a longer running time than the narrated English version, this particular Chinese import version (with no narrator) runs the same length as the French version.


March 21, 2008

The best since Abel Gance's chef-d'oeuvre

It is beyond me how people who are supposedly interested in Napoleonic history can dismiss this film as "a bore fest", given that the battle scenes are abundant and superbly orchestrated.
Clavier, a versatile actor, does a wonderful job in bringing Napoleon's unassuming dignity and impassionate bravery to life. No shmaltzy bullcrap and cheap melodrama from him, and that is duly appreciated given the recent history of Napoleonic cinema. The fact that his accent is "too French" is simply a ridiculous criticism.
Rosellini is absolutely perfect for the role of Josephine, and the devious Malkovich truly is Talleyrand come back from the grave.
A nice addition was Depardieu as Fouche.
Too short yes, but worth every penny that was put into it.
I greatly enjoyed it, and I honestly think that it is the most accomplished portrayal of the big N on the big screen ever since Abel Gance gave us the definitive (and still) unsurpassed standard.
Definitely worth watching, even if you're not big on history.


September 4, 2007

A great introduction

I admit that aside from what I learned on this DVD, I know very little about Napolean. That being said I absolutely loved this set. It played just like a movie, so you wouldn't know it was a documentary at all. It is very entertaining and flows nicely. I can't say if the facts presented are facts indeed, but I am certain that I know a significantly more about Napolean now than I did before watching this. August 16, 2007

History Comes Alive!

This mini-series made the French Revolution come alive! The love affair betwee Napoleon and Josephine is one of the key elements of this four part series. Make sure you get the full four episode version. There's a shorter two-part version with narration. It's not what you want. One review stated that this was the most expensive mini series ever produced in Europe. The acting is great. The music is superb.(I purchased a CD of the soundtrack). This is a part of history that I just can't get to in my high school World History class. So we view this (in many installments) long before we ever would reach that time period. Some of my students are genuinely sorry when we finally reach the end.
A great investment! March 31, 2007

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