Napoléon
In a bit of a non-fiction biopic mood, I added the Napoléon miniseries to my Netflix queue. When I popped it in the player, what to my wondering eyes should appear.... but some familiar names and faces. To be perfectly honest, I let the credits run while I checked my e-mail. Biopics never have well-known people in them, right?
Wrong.
This miniseries is LOADED with major names and faces. Christian Clavier, Isabella Rossellini, Gérard Depardieu, and - my, oh my - John Malkovich, just to name a few. It's an incredible example of what a few (okay, more like eight, with a few North American firms thrown in) major European production studios can do when they work together. Now if only EU diplomacy could.... well, I digress. We're here to talk about the movie.
I had never seen Christian Clavier in a dramatic role before. I know him best from the Astérix et Obélix series of movies, in which he plays Astérix, the short but mighty Gallic warrior. I was in serious doubt of the possibility when he faced off in Episode 1 with Gérard Depardieu, who plays Obélix, the stout and obstinate Gallic sidekick. That moment past, I was sucked into the story, based on the biography of Napoléon Bonaparte written by Max Gallo. Since it is a pan-European miniseries, it is in English. The actors do a wonderful job - I'm betting that most of them spoke English beforehand, but this miniseries must have required some extra work all around.
It is a stunning look at many sides of Napoléon's life: domestic, military, and family are all represented. I would have to read Gallo's work to see the footnotes, but some of these vignettes seem awfully good to be true, if you get my drift. It gives a picture of the Emperor as an actual human being, and a good idea (if it's accurate) of how Napoleon was able to sway so many people on his way up the food chain. Isabella Rossellini plays the role of Joséphine de Beauharnais very well - an older woman, widowed by the Révolution, who won Napoléon's heart. Christian Clavier is the spitting image of the portraits of Napoléon. And John Malkovich is a great, intriguing Talleyrand. The miniseries stretches over four episodes on two discs. It is a beautiful production - filmed on location in many cases, in period clothing. It cost approximately $46 million to make, and it was worth every penny.
So, final verdict? Definitely worth a watch if you're a history buff. It's a four-hour smorgasbord of all things Napoleonic. If that's not your cup of tea, stay away and go for the 1-hour Biography on A and E.
Wrong.
This miniseries is LOADED with major names and faces. Christian Clavier, Isabella Rossellini, Gérard Depardieu, and - my, oh my - John Malkovich, just to name a few. It's an incredible example of what a few (okay, more like eight, with a few North American firms thrown in) major European production studios can do when they work together. Now if only EU diplomacy could.... well, I digress. We're here to talk about the movie.
I had never seen Christian Clavier in a dramatic role before. I know him best from the Astérix et Obélix series of movies, in which he plays Astérix, the short but mighty Gallic warrior. I was in serious doubt of the possibility when he faced off in Episode 1 with Gérard Depardieu, who plays Obélix, the stout and obstinate Gallic sidekick. That moment past, I was sucked into the story, based on the biography of Napoléon Bonaparte written by Max Gallo. Since it is a pan-European miniseries, it is in English. The actors do a wonderful job - I'm betting that most of them spoke English beforehand, but this miniseries must have required some extra work all around.
It is a stunning look at many sides of Napoléon's life: domestic, military, and family are all represented. I would have to read Gallo's work to see the footnotes, but some of these vignettes seem awfully good to be true, if you get my drift. It gives a picture of the Emperor as an actual human being, and a good idea (if it's accurate) of how Napoleon was able to sway so many people on his way up the food chain. Isabella Rossellini plays the role of Joséphine de Beauharnais very well - an older woman, widowed by the Révolution, who won Napoléon's heart. Christian Clavier is the spitting image of the portraits of Napoléon. And John Malkovich is a great, intriguing Talleyrand. The miniseries stretches over four episodes on two discs. It is a beautiful production - filmed on location in many cases, in period clothing. It cost approximately $46 million to make, and it was worth every penny.
So, final verdict? Definitely worth a watch if you're a history buff. It's a four-hour smorgasbord of all things Napoleonic. If that's not your cup of tea, stay away and go for the 1-hour Biography on A and E.
posted by Linz at 12:11 PM
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