Final trailer -
The worries over the colour grading don’t seem to be a issue here. Looks gorgeous and very colourful.
The worries over the colour grading don’t seem to be a issue here. Looks gorgeous and very colourful.
Film Napoleon (Dir. Ridley Scott)
- Thread starter horsechoker
- Start date
Watched it this afternoon. Won’t post a review but
It’s incredible. One of the best films of the year.
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Gets in to my top 5 of 2023.
Phoenix fits the lead role like a glove but he's very well supported.
From a cinematography perspective I'm not sure it's been topped this year, visually it's fantastic, especially the battle scenes.
At 2.38 it's about the right time, Napoleon's is a very long and complex story to tell - in truth KOTFM could probably have got away with this sort of runtime although that's a very good film too.
For someone who has no real massive interest in history, it kept me interested throughout and 100% worth a watch.
I think it actually gets better as it goes on, all leading to the brilliant last half an hour or so, potentially a very minor criticism is it takes a bit of time to get going.
Phoenix fits the lead role like a glove but he's very well supported.
From a cinematography perspective I'm not sure it's been topped this year, visually it's fantastic, especially the battle scenes.
At 2.38 it's about the right time, Napoleon's is a very long and complex story to tell - in truth KOTFM could probably have got away with this sort of runtime although that's a very good film too.
For someone who has no real massive interest in history, it kept me interested throughout and 100% worth a watch.
I think it actually gets better as it goes on, all leading to the brilliant last half an hour or so, potentially a very minor criticism is it takes a bit of time to get going.
Headed in to see it now
Absolute waste of time, that was. Felt like a 3 hour trailer. They had to cut all the scenes that provide any depth to the characters, I imagine.
I liked the costumes and set designs. That’s about it.
I don’t mind the focus on the love story but it felt totally disconnected from the rest of the film. Also, it’s just very unconvincing. The characters are unlikable, and I often didn’t understand their choices and feelings. You just get a reel of chronological events and that’s that. Very little context given as to what is happening politically, strategically and emotionally. It’s just battle - Josephyne - battle - Josephyne. Then neither storyline felt properly fleshed out, in the end.
The music - whatever happened to Radiohead from the trailer? It was all classical music and old french folk.
I liked Vanessa Kirby’s acting. Phoenix didn’t know what to do with that role, it felt like.
I liked the costumes and set designs. That’s about it.
I don’t mind the focus on the love story but it felt totally disconnected from the rest of the film. Also, it’s just very unconvincing. The characters are unlikable, and I often didn’t understand their choices and feelings. You just get a reel of chronological events and that’s that. Very little context given as to what is happening politically, strategically and emotionally. It’s just battle - Josephyne - battle - Josephyne. Then neither storyline felt properly fleshed out, in the end.
The music - whatever happened to Radiohead from the trailer? It was all classical music and old french folk.
I liked Vanessa Kirby’s acting. Phoenix didn’t know what to do with that role, it felt like.
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Bag of shite. A film for film bores.
Haven’t watched it yet and don’t plan to until the Director’s Cut version. Feels like Kingdom of Heaven all over again from reviews.
Apparently theres a extended cut that will go straight to streaming when the cinema run ends. Will wait for that.
Overall decent considering how much of Napoleons life it covers. Lacked a lot of depth, which I imagine is what’s in the directors cut.
Considering what I was expecting out of it, I was disappointed.
… he made an absolute butchery of the battles. I could understand Austerlitz and Borodino, but Waterloo was especially screwed up.
Considering what I was expecting out of it, I was disappointed.
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Movie needed more Radiohead, it's as simple as that.
What did you make of Phoenix’s portrayal?
Shallow. Like I said, there’s some depth missing.
I liked the bit where he built a space ship and went to mars and defeated the aliens.
I read some damning critique of Bonaparte the person by a contemporary , but I can’t find it now. The person was surprised that Bonaparte was so unimpressive, kind of full of mind and boring. He was neither of regal bearing nor noble countenance . He wasn’t even a good conversationist. Maybe Phoenix is drawing from this particular well.
I did find Jefferson slagging him off though:
Bonaparte saw nothing in this world but himself, and looked on the people under him as his cattle, beasts for burthen and slaughter. Bonaparte was a lion in the field only. In civil life, a cold-blooded, calculating, unprincipled usurper, without a virtue; no statesman, knowing nothing of commerce, political economy, or civil government, and supplying ignorance by bold presumption. As to Bonaparte, I should not doubt the revocation of his edicts, were he governed by reason. But his policy is so crooked that it eludes conjecture.
Spoiler that shit!!
I’ve studied a good bit on Bonaparte & trust me, that’s not what I’m talking about when I refer to what this movie did with him.
Most of his films over the last two decades feel like that. It usually looks good on screen, but it's scene after scene that drags out while adding very little to the characters and the plot. The Counselor and House Of Gucci seem like two and three hours-long commercials.
This thread conditioned me to not be disappointed (because I knew what I was walking into) so I wasn’t, but it was such a pointless project to pick up if that was your vision for it. The director’s cut might make it a better film, but we’ll see.
Such a huge opportunity wasted, and the worst thing of all is the subject matter won’t be touched upon again by anyone for a good half century, if at all.
Also, what was the deal of only mentioning deaths per battle rather than wins and losses? Painted a very odd picture. Death is part and parcel of war, but victory/loss is what they are all about, as cold as that is.
Such a huge opportunity wasted, and the worst thing of all is the subject matter won’t be touched upon again by anyone for a good half century, if at all.
Also, what was the deal of only mentioning deaths per battle rather than wins and losses? Painted a very odd picture. Death is part and parcel of war, but victory/loss is what they are all about, as cold as that is.
Sad to see so many can’t appreciate a big hat.
Eh it was OK.
That’s the worst part.
Might as well watch de Laurentis’ Waterloo and the A&E miniseries.
Honestly, with the time frame covered, that’s what Scott shoulda done was a miniseries.
Will watch it once it comes out to streaming services I imagine unless I find time - but do people who've watched it feel Phoenix could oust Murphy for the Oscar?
Phoenix probably the last contender Murphy needed to deal with I feel to win it.
Phoenix probably the last contender Murphy needed to deal with I feel to win it.
This thread pretty much sums up how I feel about the battles
Leo will be in the mix. I wonder if phoenix might be considered for beau is afraid as well?
Bradley Coopers performance in Maestro looks like something the academy will love
Phoenix is too funny as Napoleon to win the Oscar.
Murphy did a much better job. I am not much into the oscars, so I can’t predict what would happen there but I would be shocked if Phoenix wins any award over Murphy this year.
Napoleon is very upset that Alexander is not waiting for him in Moscow. Like, so mad. Then he goes to bed. Then Moscow is on fire. What is this movie? Then they retreat from Moscow. Suddenly, everything is very cold. Napoleon's early retreat is not mentioned, The next scene is LITERALLY the abdication paper in 1814. At this moment I literally yelled, 'WHAT' in the theater. I would have felt bad if the woman in the middle of my row hadn't literally got call earlier in the movie. Napoleon abdicates. 18/25
Glad he was as bemused by the continuity!I don’t really want to chop it up, and will reserve judgement until the D’C is released, but for now, it’s as big a letdown as could be.
I also almost did an audible “what!?” a few times myself.Napoleon is very upset that Alexander is not waiting for him in Moscow. Like, so mad. Then he goes to bed. Then Moscow is on fire. What is this movie? Then they retreat from Moscow. Suddenly, everything is very cold. Napoleon's early retreat is not mentioned, The next scene is LITERALLY the abdication paper in 1814. At this moment I literally yelled, 'WHAT' in the theater. I would have felt bad if the woman in the middle of my row hadn't literally got call earlier in the movie. Napoleon abdicates. 18/25
I don’t really want to chop it up, and will reserve judgement until the D’C is released, but for now, it’s as big a letdown as could be.
- The abdication papers right after the retreat with no intervening 1814 campaign
- Napoleon leaving his army in Egypt & not in the plague stricken Levant
- The statement that Italy was subdued peacefully instead of acknowledging his first genius campaign
- Napoleon leading cavalry charges at Borodino and Waterloo
- Just all of Waterloo… literally the whole battle. How hard is it to get one of the most well documented battles of all time correct?
- Napoleon leaving his army in Egypt & not in the plague stricken Levant
- The statement that Italy was subdued peacefully instead of acknowledging his first genius campaign
- Napoleon leading cavalry charges at Borodino and Waterloo
- Just all of Waterloo… literally the whole battle. How hard is it to get one of the most well documented battles of all time correct?
The last one in particular was why I wondered why he even bothered making it if he cared so little for the source material! The whole of Egypt just felt like an insert he didn’t want in the movie, but I suspect that’ll be fleshed out in the D’C. But yeah the remainder you’ve written had me contort my face in various ways, but there came a point where I kind of shut down and just watched it as a popcorn movie rather than any kind of piece trying to leave its mark as a historical masterpiece for the ages. I’m sure as a teacher it makes you want to pull your hair out as it will be legion to a generation who won’t read anything of Napoleon but will watch this as their sole source resource.
It’s watchable but nothing really ground breaking when you consider the hype around this before it was even released.
From what I've heard it's a mess historically and honestly not even a good film just purely cinematically, so I think I'll pass.
That's Lafayette, she's almost right.
Was going to go but will give it a pass now. Might wait instead for the directors cut to come out to rent.
I think a point of the movie is that Napoleon was a monster that got countless people killed. The fact that he won most of those battles distracts from that point.
And yet we never build a connection to his armies. We are thrusted into battle scenes with little meaning. The film is about him and his lust for Josephine.
The impression you'd get of Napoleon, per this film, is a very vulnerable man, who was also brave and courageous on the battlefield, constantly leading his men into battle. If it was trying to convey callousness, I don't think that came across well at all.
By only showing the death count, there's a distraction from what war is about, which is ultimately winning - loss of life is looked upon quite differently for the victor over the loser.
Napoleon and Josephine are both subs. The film is about how trying to be a dom drives subs crazy.
The overall vibe is showing the insanity of a world where the powerful in charge are self-serving morons. Thankfully this isn’t relatable to our current world in anyway at all.
The overall vibe is showing the insanity of a world where the powerful in charge are self-serving morons. Thankfully this isn’t relatable to our current world in anyway at all.