Waterloo

Genre: historical war drama 

With: Rod Steiger (Napoléon Bonaparte), Christopher Plummer (Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington), Orson Welles (Louis XVIII), Jack Hawkins (Gen. Sir Thomas Picton), Virginia McKenna (Duchess of Richmond), Dan O'Herlihy (Marshal Michel Ney), Rupert Davies (Gordon), Philippe Forquet (La Bédoyère), Gianni Garko (Drouot), Ivo Garrani (Soult), Ian Ogilvy (De Lancey), Michael Wilding (Ponsonby), Sergo Zakariadze (Blucher)

Director: Sergey Bondarchuk

Screenplay: H.A.L. Craig, with help from Sergey Bondarchuk and Vittorio Bonicelli (Italian dialogues in another version by Mario Soldati)

Release: 1970

Studio: Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica, Mosfilm

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.4/10 

 

‟I don't know what they'll do to the enemy; but, by God, they frighten me.” 

 

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Story-line: on the strength of his military exploits and political savvy, Napoléon became emperor of France (replacing the old monarchy with his own brand of absolutism) and was bent on imposing his will on much of Europe. In time, however, he would face setbacks: his armies were repulsed in 1812 and, two years later, he found himself under siege in Paris. Forced to abdicate, banished to Elba and replaced by King Louis XVIII, he managed to escape in 1815, determined to regain power. His next challenge would be to reclaim his old army and then to face off against Prussian and English troops in a (Belgian) village called Waterloo.  

Pluses: superb acting by Rod Steiger (note how well he conveys Napoléon’s psychology, hyperactivity, mannerisms and physical presence), Christopher Plummer (as the phlegmatic, restrained Wellington) and a stellar cast (Orson Welles and Jack Hawkins are welcome sights), strong direction (especially during the well-choreographed battle scenes), a solid screenplay featuring pointed dialogues, telling scenes and the pathos of battle, splendid cinematography and attentive camera work, studious editing, appropriate production values and an august musical score by Nino Rota.

Minuses: there are scenes of violence, unavoidably so. By focusing solely on the events of June 18, 1815, the film may disappoint viewers interested in context and history generally.

Comments: the battle of Waterloo was immensely important – it involved 140,000 men, 40,000 of them perishing on the day – and Sergey Bondarchuk’s work has done justice to this pivotal, gripping event by insisting on the vicissitudes of war – the strategies chosen, the value of time, the long wait and muffled anxiety, the physical layout of the battlefield, the weather prevailing and the mistakes made. Although spectacular and riveting in many ways, WATERLOO clearly states that, on a human level, war is waste and bloody carnage. On this point, it is especially informative to see the psychological conclusions drawn by the two generals as the dust settled over the dead – the contrast couldn’t be more striking between these two men. Despite its dismaying subject, this movie commands respect. 

 

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Napoléon

Also known as: Napoléon vu par Abel Gance

Genre: historical adventure film (silent; in black and white)

With: Albert Dieudonné (Napoléon Bonaparte), Vladimir Roudenko (Napoléon as a child), Edmond Van Daële (Robespierre), Alexandre Koubitzky (Danton), Antonin Artaud (Marat), Abel Gance (Saint-Just), Gina Manès (Joséphine de Beauharnais), Philippe Hériat (Salicetti), Pierre Batcheff (General Hoche), Nicolas Koline (Tristan Fleuri), François Viguier (Couthon), Max Maxudian (Barras), Annabella (Violine Fleuri and Désirée Clary)

Director: Abel Gance

Screenplay: Abel Gance

Release: 1927

Studio: Ciné France, Films Abel Gance, Isepa-Wengeroff Film GmbH

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.9/10  

 

‟The destiny of an empire often rests upon a single man.”

  

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Story-line: at Brienne College in 1783, a stern young man shows remarkable leadership and strategic prowess during snowball fights with other students. Later, as an army lieutenant, he embraces the fledgling French Revolution – spearheaded by Danton, Marat and Robespierre – against the reigning monarch and becomes a national hero when France must defend itself against neighbouring kingdoms opposed to its Republican ideals. Said young man, who would later figure in history books worldwide, was a Corsican named Bonaparte… Napoléon Bonaparte.

Pluses: superb performances by Albert Dieudonné and Vladimir Roudenko (playing Napoléon as a fiery, self-assured fellow), Edmond Van Daële (a cunning Robespierre), Alexandre Koubitzky (the popular, passionate Danton), the renowned Antonin Artaud (Marat), Abel Gance (an utterly ruthless Saint-Just) and Gina Manès (a somewhat conceited Joséphine), masterly and dynamic direction, a clear, richly detailed and action-packed screenplay replete with historic references and revelatory snippets (Nelson’s presence at sea, the Suez Canal), remarkable picture composition and cinematography, strong editing, convincing special effects, fine production values and an omnipresent musical score (by Carmine Coppola) that adds to every mood or event.

Minuses: (1) some critics have panned the acting as over-the-top but, IMHO, Napoléon was always a rather hyper dude. (2) Although expertly restored by Kevin Brownlow and BFI National Archive in 2000, the print obviously shows its age – as when you see Napoléon riding his horse at 80 mph! (3) The movie ends with the triumphant Italian campaign of 1796 – giving us a much too glorious portrait of Napoléon as a man – although it does not hide his creeping megalomania and the abuses committed by revolutionary leaders and angry mobs desperate for change. That being said, Napoléon’s on-screen aggrandizement is understandable: Gance’s picture (originally clocked at 480 minutes) was the first segment of a larger (!) work he never completed because his audacity scared off would-be backers.

Comments: at almost three times the length of an Olympic marathon (333 minutes), Abel Gance’s epic stands out in movie history as a stupefying experiment in filmmaking. Always an innovator, Gance was the first to use superimposed images and polyvision (involving three projectors). NAPOLÉON was his only masterpiece – although some of his other works were also worthwhile – but his pioneer spirit would mark the seventh art for all time to come. Breathtaking, relentless, unequivocally modern even a century later, NAPOLÉON is cinema on steroids. The sheer magnitude of this opus will overwhelm you.

 

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