"The Best Napoleonic War Movies Ever Made" Topic

Do you agree…? (smile)

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Armand

Barry Lyndon is mid 18th Century (SYW), not Napoloeonic, but is a good movie. I think The Duellists should be in No 1 spot, though. Quite a few there that I haven't seen.

The Young Mr Pitt looks like the most silly, but a lot of movies. More than i really expected.

Apart from the woeful casting of Ryan O'Neal, there was no evidence in Kubrick's film of Barry Lyndon that he understood that his source material was largely a comic novel. Nice to look at though.

What about the Russian made version of War & Peace? I don't know who made it. I went to see it with our school back in the mid sixties. It was so long that we had to watch it over two afternoons. The Battle scenes were fantastic.

An interesting list – must look into the Lines of Wellington if just to see a snub-nosed John Malkovich playing old conk-face.

The Russian version of War and Peace was directed by Sergei Bondachuk, who also directed Waterloo. As well as directing War and Peace he starred as Pierce Bezuhov.

"What about the Russian made version of War & Peace?" Voyna i Mir by Sergei Bondarschuk. See: link and
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The movie was made in two parts. I remember seeing it in London many, many years ago, starting at 0.00 hours and in the morning breakfast was served. There was no CGI of course, and all the troops were real !

Just realised that 'Le Retour du Héros' (Return of the Hero) isn't included – it should easily be in the top 5 along with 'The Duellists', 'Master and Commander', 'Waterloo' and the 'Napoleon' episode from 'Heroes and Villains' with Tom Burke.

For a naval movie of the period, Captain Horatio Hornblower is excellent.

"Adieu Bonaparte" is quite interesting, and funny:

imdb.com/title/tt0088383/mediaindex

Surprised Master and Commander is not #1.

I watched Waterloo last year for the first time since I was a kid. Loved it then but not now. Showing its age and plodding first half. Should have followed the Gettysburg script and focused on the three days of actual fighting.

Never knew there was a movie called Austerlitz.

Somewhat sad that Time Bandits isn't on the list.

What's a Napoleonic War movie? Quite a few of these have a tiny bit of the Napoleonic Wars or a retrospective reference.

Union of Salvation is about the Decembrist Revolt in Russia.
26th December 1825 a good ten years after Waterloo. The uniforms may not have changed but it should not be on the list.

Currently Netflix and French restorers are working on the 'Appollo'(7 hour long) version of Abel Gances Napoleon.

Another very good movie, in spite of a few costume and drill flaws, is "La Marseillaise" by Renoir, 1938.

It is not "Napoleonic" in the narrower sense, but I believe Bonaparte was eye witness to the storming of the Tuileries in 1792.

YouTube link

Their definition of what constitutes a Napoleonic movie is very broad. Even so I do not agree. Several of the movies listed were awful and the Russian version of War and Peace was far superior to the American.

I have a problem with 'The Duellists.' The Fournier character is pictured as pro-Napoleon, and Napoleon had him cashiered and then Fournier, who then changed his name by adding 'Sarlovese', became a Bourbon supporter.

Not a bad list, seen most of top. Master and Commander would be my top pick, Waterloo then War and Peace ( Russian version). Union of Salvation while not a Napoleonic movie should not be missed by Napoleonic fans, did see the entire movie but didn't get a word as it was all in Russian. Would like to see it with subtitles some day.

I haven't seen either of the Count of Monte Cristo films listed, but I HAVE read the book. It is no more about the Napoleonic Wars than Les Miserables. Or Jane Austen's books, several of which have made into better movies than most of those listed.

"Passion in the Desert"?

Thanks!.

Armand

Much as I loved Waterloo as a kid (I watched it so often I pretty much know it off by heart), now it seems a great spectacle, but not a great movie. Years later I found out that Kubrick's much cherished Napoleon project failed to get the green light because Waterloo tanked at the box office. So as cool as it was to get Waterloo it probably torpedoed a much better Napoleon movie. Kubrick then channeled that energy into making Barry Lyndon. So I guess we got a bit of a SYW movie instead.
I really want to see Union of Salvation, but it seems impossible to track down outside Russia; any solutions please let me know.

Agree with the comments on The Count of Monte Cristo and Jane Austen. If they are there then so should Vanity Fair(many versions) with many scenes set in Brussels on the eve of Waterloo and how much the battle affected the characters in the novel and film(s)

This just shows the dominance of USA taste in movies that there are so few movies of any worth in the Napoleonic genre. I would love to see a great movie about the era.

imdb.com/title/tt0308595

Not on the list. Not a war movie. "Monsieur N." Is an interesting movie about Napoleons exile on St. Helena.

YouTube link

Perhaps they could be divided into the 'most historically accurate' Napoleonic movies and 'most entertaining' Napoleonic movies. But a new Napoleonic movie is well overdue in my opinion. Even a new Sharpe would be welcome. LOL

The duelists and The Adventures of Gerard.

Another two good ones…

Armand

I agree that Waterloo isn't a good HOLLYWOOD movie clibinarium, but I don't agree that it isn't a good movie. The two are most definitely NOT the same thing.

for an obscure movie, try "Madame" starring Sophia Loren as Madame Sans-Gene, wife to Marechal Lefebvre. An entertaining romp. Lots of Austrians, which you don't see often in the battle scenes. A fictionalized story of the washer-woman wife to a French Sergeant [Lefebvre] who get elevated into Napoleon's court. Loren always looed stellar in period costumes [especially as a peasant woman!].

I do put my seeing War and Peace as a young kid as my introduction to my fascination of Napoleonics

I enjoyed the book The Gun by C.S Forester and, for some odd reason, I also enjoyed the film based on it, the Pride and the Passion, despite the stars involved in it. Should I be worried? LOL

Master and Commander is a favorite, but IMO it's not much of a Napoleonic war movie in that the scope is not very wide. Not much sense of Napoleon or all the other aspects going on.

Agree with Paul- "Adventures of Gerard should definitely get an honourable mention. An enjoyable farce. The light side of the jolly elders brother of 'The Duellists'I saw it years ago and McEnery at least got the character spot on. Can't commment on other virtues- but I seem to remember it looked pretty good- Gerard in a handsome light brown Hussar uniform?

Dear old 'Waterloo'- a clunky old warhorse watched out of affection. Magnificent spectacle is right, though- along with Bondarchuk's W&P. End of an era. Never to be seen again.

Of course the TV Sharpe series should get mentioned.
Master and Commander is as much a Napoleonic movie as 12 O'clock High is about WWII.

Not to me, but its just a matter of degrees.

Sharpe is great storytelling and has great Napoleonic atmosphere.

Colonel Chabert (1994 film), based on Balzac's novel 'Le Colonel Chabert'. The charge at Eylau, and the charms of Fanny Ardant are redeeming.

austerlitz know french shakos as wel why no bicorns? even gance should know beter ! bicorns details gents

After reading this thread, I bought a Special Edition of "Adieu Bonaparte" from Amazon. There are no English sub-titles and it stretched my 1975 A Level French well beyond breaking point. I have no real idea of what was going on but it looks very good.

Good for you my friend!…

Armand

Talking of movies, the film 'The Pride and the Passion' (based on the novel The Gun by Forester), was shown on TV today (Saturday 25th). I discovered it half way through but it is repeated on Wednesday for anyone interested.

It will shown on the Great! movies action channel: SKY 323, Virgin Media 426 and Freeview 41. The film is on at 4.30pm, Wednesday 29th.

Well, it is Napoleonic!

Gazzola, thanks for the heads up on The Pride and the Passion.
I'll be watching.

'Pride and the Passion'

I seem to recall Frank Sinatra as captain of a Spanish guerrillero band and jealous lover of Sofia Loren. ¿Como no?

The Walls of Avila were recruited for the big climax with a couple of extra papier maché towers for target practice.

42flanker

As far as I am aware, the plot of the film is imaginary, based loosely on a fictional novel, so one can only ignore the lack of historical accuracy or reality (and choice of actors etc), sit back and just enjoy the entertainment. Saying that, I will now be looking closely at those towers now trying to spot the paper mache false ones. LOL

IIRC The Pride and the Passion was an absolute farrago. C S Forester's 18-pounder became an impossible 96-pounder.

The Gun is essentially a rewrite of The African Queen. In each case the movies couldn't help but tamper with Forester's ending, proving that either screenwriters are dumber than authors, or the intended audience is.

@ Connaught Ranger: I have the same problem. I was trying to watch Betty Blue the other day for the first time in about 30 years. I got so irritated by the inaccurate subtitles (eg "pas drole" does not mean "you're no fun", it means "that was not funny") that I switched them off and then I couldn't understand 70% of it. What I could follow I was about ten seconds behind. I think when you neglect a language the first thing you lose is the sound of it.

4th Cuirassier

The clue is in the bit where I wrote 'based loosely on a fictional novel'. That should have suggested that you do not look for any historical accuracy or a complete plot matching the original 'fictional' novel.

Like I say, just try to sit back and be entertained. It is not a history lesson, it is a film for the general public. And how can you possibly not be impressed to see Sinatra acting as a Spanish guerrilla fighter? And what about those paper mache towers! See how many you can spot. Come on, give it a go! LOL

Seems Colonel Chabert is on YouTube
youtu.be/mYHhi_PHIM8
Maybe with the spectacle if you can't understand French

14Bore, this is a theater play, but not the wonderful movie with Gerard Depardieu.

I would like to add the german language film -(there might be a subtitled version out there )

Eine Handvoll Helden (Die Letzte Kompanie) – Its from 1967 and I think a remake of a 1930 version which i cannot find any clips of (it may be lost)

I like this film, it has some good moments and is like a seven samurai style film – a bunch of Prussian soldiers attempt to hold up the advancing French following the defeat at Jena. it old and not super high budget but i like it and i think it could make for a good game scenario

YouTube link