Due to coursework and Christmas I ain't gonna be on here too much for a while
Due to coursework and Christmas I ain't gonna be on here too much for a while
Member since:07.04.2007
Reviews:152
Members who trust:92
I first watched this film when I was about four and I never forgot it from that one showing, so when I seen it on sale I had to buy it.
The film covers the history of Napoleon (Rod Steiger - Dr Zhicago) during his end. It starts with his exile to Elba and the restoration of the French monarchy (Louis XVIII played by Orson Welles) It then jumps a few months to Napoleon's escape from Elba. The scene where Ney intercepts Napoleon is great in just in its scope, there are hundreds of extras playing French soldiers all hailing Napoleon's return. This is just a taste of the magnitude of this film.
Napoleon then retakes power and mobilises his men towards Belgium. Around now we meet Wellington (Christopher Plummer - The Sound of Music) and the British forces in Belgium. There are spectacular looking ballroom scenes here, interwoven with scenes of the French marching, the different conditions the armies were in when before the battle, the British well rested, the French heavily marched.
Then not long after this the battle of Waterloo starts to take shape with the armies taking position. The films portrayal of the Irish regiment isn't great, no-one in Enniskillen talks like that for a start but I'll move on. The battle scene itself is amazing, it is long lasting but utterly enthralling. The film is made using 15,000 Soviet soldiers. There are no computer added men this is all live action viewing. Napoleon eventually gets the better of the British but is beaten by the arrival of the Prussians and the lateness of a third of his army. The plot is mostly historically accurate.
The actintg in this film is great, Rod Steiger as I've said before on Ciao is a superb actor. You can hear the thoughts of Napoleon and Wellington in the filma d this really helped character progression and developed the performance.
The special effects are amazing as alot of them aren't really effects but reality, the Soviet army put their men at the directors disposal and aided in explosives etc. There are scenes showing a face on view of certain leaders charging which don't seem too real, but when you get really into the film, which you do, you look past these. Also one of the actors playing the British commanders is obviously being dubbed but apparently the guy had his larynx removed during filming so what can you do? There is a brilliant scene of the British calvary charging in slow motion which was a brilliant touch, especially for the time.
I love this film. I bought two weeks ago and have watched it twice. Easily the greatest war film of all time (which is no way Saving Private Ryan in my opinion) the battles scenes are immense with over head views, the camera zooming over the troops. EVERYTHING.
I paid £5 for it but would have paid £50 if that was the necessary price.
The DVD extras include a trailer and filmographies. Who cares about the extras though just watch the film, it's enough
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Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
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Jan 13th, 2008
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