New Movie this Fall -NAPOLEON

[Steve headley]

I get your point David and all the films you pointed out are special as a young boy Tora Tora Tora, Battle if Britain , Waterloo they had me with my mouth open and could not wait to go home build the airfix kits get the toy soldiers out loved it ( still do ) .

It just might do the hobby a favour in a way. People might see the uniforms the battles and think you know I fancy having a go who knows. Yes they have massive budgets but they still have investors to please and studio bosses to please too. So some thing has to give and well history takes a back seat.

Yer I will enjoy it me and the guys will go ( the girls are not bothered ) A beer and some good old battle scenes will do for that nigh lol

Steve

TFB Miniatures Team

 

[The Riveteer]

I get your point David and all the films you pointed out are special as a young boy Tora Tora Tora, Battle if Britain , Waterloo they had me with my mouth open and could not wait to go home build the airfix kits get the toy soldiers out loved it ( still do ) .

It just might do the hobby a favour in a way. People might see the uniforms the battles and think you know I fancy having a go who knows.

Steve

TFB Miniatures Team

A very good point Steve. Seeing Waterloo at a premiere screening, complete with bag-piper in the foyer and buying the film programme and associated booklet turned me from an aircraft modeler to the dark side of figure modelling (Airfix 54mm and Historex). I knew nothing about the Napoleonic Wars at that time and the film started a lifetime obsession. Although Waterloo was pretty accurate to the accepted knowledge of the time I can now nit-pick almost every scene; yet I still enjoy watching it enough to have upgraded to the Blu-Ray release.
Maybe my quest for accuracy has been a bit zealous here. I've not changed my view of the film but you're right - it might inspire a new generation despite it's failings in my eyes.
I'm off to play Scourge of War Waterloo!

David

 

[Nap]

Hi folks

It's not happened yet or likely to where a historical film has no "issues"

I will certainly watch it armed with popcorn ...and no doubt watch again and still enjoy it , as I have Braveheart/AQOTWF/1917/Waterloo/The Great and many more !

Everyone has their thoughts , we wouldn't be human if we all thought same

Enjoy it if you watch and no doubt we will see a flurry or should that be charge of Napoleonic releases

Nap

PS I still don't know why I didn't get the leading roll in the film

 

[NRG]

I think we are all in danger of disappearing up our own fundaments here. It’s a drama NOT a documentary.

 

[MalcC]

At the end of the day I go to enjoy a film, and this is a film I'll certainly go to see. The original Waterloo was quite well done, even with the errors.
Lets hope this one will be better.

As Steve has mentioned Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven had their mistakes, but were entertaining films none the less.
And there is to be a Gladiator 2, don't know who by, but I had the good fortune to meet one of the extra's whom I met on holiday, who told me about it.

Malc

 

[MalcC]

GLADIATOR 2 – First Trailer (2024) Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington | Paramount Pictures - YouTube

Malc

 

[VerSacrum]

It's not happened yet or likely to where a historical film has no "issues"

I would've said Barry Lyndon, but Kubrick repeatedly used a Schubert piece from 50 years after the events of the film. Immersion ruined!

 

[Nap]

I would've said Barry Lyndon, but Kubrick repeatedly used a Schubert piece from 50 years after the events of the film. Immersion ruined!

Close.....ish LOL

BL is a really good film imo

Nap

 

[fogie]

When it comes to historical accuracy - or lack of it - some of us remember those 'sword and sandal'
Italian epics of the 1950's and 60's

Mike

 

[The Riveteer]

When it comes to historical accuracy - or lack of it - some of us remember those 'sword and sandal'
Italian epics of the 1950's and 60's

Mike

Oh yeah I love those! But they weren't really trying.

I just watched this guy on YouTube who verbally expressed most of the internal dialogue I had on watching the Napoleon trailer. Please don't watch if you don't care about the accuracy issue.



David

 

[The Riveteer]

I think we are all in danger of disappearing up our own fundaments here. It’s a drama NOT a documentary.

No offence but are you saying Dramas are exempt from accuracy? Any reason why they should be? How about the TV series Vikings having tanks - how far do you take it before it bothers you?
David

 

[The Riveteer]

Hi folks

It's not happened yet or likely to where a historical film has no "issues"

Don't think it exists but I still hope for it.
When I first heard Roland Emmerich was making Midway I shuddered but I think it turned out great.
Some bombs might not have been the right payloads for the battle but most of the events were correct and based on real events. As a Pacific War nut I was bowled over to see the correct aircraft and ships - CGI I know but at least they made the effort.
i never thought I'd see Devastators on the big screen.

David

 

[NigelR]

Oh dear, another load of tosh to trigger me in the same way that 1917 and All Quiet on the Western Front do..........!

Looks like it's both historically inaccurate and also playing up lots of myths about Napoleon. Lover? Napoleon had a very immature attitude to women and rather perfunctory bedroom habits, not the ideal attributes for a great "lover" (although I guess it depends on your perspective.....). And who knew that Cuirassier regiments carried at least six flags, and that Napoleon hid his artillery under huge bedsheets? Must update our wargame rules to include the use of bedsheets.......

I know we'll never see a completely accurate historical film, but it's possible to be much truer to actual events while still creating a compelling storyline. Oh well, I guess that's why I make models instead of being a Hollywood director.....

 

[MalcC]

Hi folks

It's not happened yet or likely to where a historical film has no "issues"

I will certainly watch it armed with popcorn ...and no doubt watch again and still enjoy it , as I have Braveheart/AQOTWF/1917/Waterloo/The Great and many more !

Everyone has their thoughts , we wouldn't be human if we all thought same

Enjoy it if you watch and no doubt we will see a flurry or should that be charge of Napoleonic releases

Nap

PS I still don't know why I didn't get the leading roll in the film

I'm surprised too Nap, I'm sure they meant to give you first dibs on being cast in the role.

Malc

 

[The Riveteer]

On the subject of (reasonably) accurate historical films, or at least ones that don't blatantly get it wrong or change things too much - The Alamo (2004), Fortress of War, Warsaw 44, The Battle, Come and See, A Bridge too Far, The Pacific and Band of Brothers TV series, 1864 TV series (a great series), Kokoda 39th Battalion, Flags of our Fathers, Letters from Iwo Jima; and then there's the main battle sequence in Alexander (worth having for that sequence alone).

Waterloo? For it gets wrong at least gives a decent Overall account of what happened and if you overlook Steiger's accent I think he portrays Napoleon pretty well (more accurate than nice cuddly uncle Wellington ).

If you can get over the lancer's cherry bums, The Charge of the Light Brigade is pretty evocative of the period.

For all it's bombast, corniness and fake beards, Gettysburg is also a pretty good recreation of the battle.

It can be done, if the director is more invested in the subject matter than in his own ego.

David

 

[Steve headley]

At the end of the day love or hate them it’s a bit of escapism for a couple of hours or more. A chance to take you away and maybe spark an interest in finding out more.
As kids I’m sure we found the old war movies fascinating and exciting even if your dad and grandad would comment and say the same as were saying now.
Maybe one day a director will stick to history but till then just enjoy what we have been offered even if it makes your toes curl.

Steve

TFB Miniatures Team

 

[ivopreda]

it is absolutely positive that a film has been made about Napoleon, but there are things in the trailer that are incomprehensible...
Bonaparte (wearing revolutionary clothes) charging in with his sword drawn you can't see... Napoleon never happened to draw his sword. Did he then strike with his left hand? He was a right-hander and it was an era not favourable to left-handers anyway.
Modern flags? The French tricolour without inscription is definitely modern, not Napoleonic. The cavalry charging at Waterloo with the wrong flags and without the eagles on top?

are many (too many) mistakes that if corrected would have improved the film without changing its content...

then Joachim Phoenix is too old, Napoleon crowned himself at 35... Phoenix looks 60 years old... a little make-up would have been too difficult? same in the dialogues with Josephine married at 27 where he seems to take a young girl when Josephine was 6 years older...

so many things that could have been simply better... the world is full of fake documentation, we don't feel the need for more...

 

[Martin64]

Like Gladiator etc. the film will become Hollywood's dream of a person and period that will be mistaken by many viewers as history. And for sure it will get a lot of rewards from the film industry - like All quiet on the Western front recently - which will enforce the illusion of a profound historical research as a basis for the drama. The beforementioned Flags of our fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima are rare exceptions IMHO when it comes to historical movies. Cheers Martin

 

[Blind Pew]

Despite its many flaws, we all know 99% of the cinema-going public will never notice. Just our little club of enthusiasts. We should be glad it was made at all.

 

[OldTaff]

I subscribe to the Fondation Napoleon, an organisation that deals with all things Napoleonic ( both 1st. and 2nd. Empires), and their reviewer was glad to see a film on Napoleon, but was less than happy about the content. Like many of us, he was going to "suck it and see". I just hope it's not going to be three hours of my life trickling away when I could have been at the bench.

Alan