Even before the premiere NapoleonNew film Ridley Scott, there were many who looked for blame in this. The director, one of the most important people of all time, usually receives the harshest criticism. And his adaptation of life Bonaparte was no exception. Some sectors criticized it without even being interested in seeing it first. What if the main character speaks English, what if a very partial version of events is offered, what if historical moments are made up.
At 85 years old, Scott he had no problem responding to these dissenting voices. He did it the way he knew how, without unnecessary words and with powerful and brutal headlines. But, apart from the opinions of those few who wanted to waste their Napoleon, there is something that many critics agreed on. The film is over 2 and a half hours long. But it is too short, and much of the drama it purports to tell is told from a very superficial, disorganized, and abrupt point of view.
In any film project there is always a lot of material left over. The director and his team shoot a series of scenes, but not all of them make it to the editing room. There is nothing strange about this, and the end result usually does not change. In other cases, these films are not liked and directors take the opportunity to release, if given permission, their famous director’s cuts or “director’s cuts”. For Napoleon, Ridley Scott A few months ago, he assured that he was already working on the said version of the film in parallel. It is unknown whether it will come out or not, but at the time he stated that it lasted between 4 and 5 hours. That is, almost twice as much as came to cinemas.
Maybe since then AppleTV They paid him little attention. Or maybe he gave up on his own. But in an interview given exclusively Hypertext Just a few days ago he assured that Napoleon what has been released is the director’s cut: “Everything that has been released is very measured.” Therefore, there would be no other version. Although that remains to be seen, especially after criticism of the film’s editing. Because it is more than obvious that the scissors that the studio presented have a huge impact on the film and its pacing.
Why did you notice Napoleon’s scissors?
Manzana cut out a huge part of the film that Scott intended. The original idea is reported empirepays more attention to life Josephinewoman from Napoleon. In particular, the director gave more importance to the moments before the meeting. Bonaparte and marry him. In the film, the romance between the two is a fundamental part of the plot. But almost nothing has been collected about his past. If he had been included in the final version, the character Vanessa Kirby it would be even more impactful and profound for the audience on an emotional level.
Because it is she who carries all the sentimental weight of the film. This is analogous to cold Napoleon, who is only vulnerable when he is alone with her. Unfortunately, all of these scenes will be lost unless the company decides to give the green light to premiere the cut. Scott. But, in addition, these are not the only episodes that are missing when watching the film. The action sequences are absolutely masterful, there is no doubt about that. Scott is perhaps the best director in Hollywood in this regard. But this is far from a struggle in which the film loses points, again due to hasty editing.
Shown from the first scene Napoleon through Paris, surrounded by key people and moments in French history. Whether he was actually in all of them, what is clear is that the overall thread of the film is very fuzzy. In a moment we are in beheading Marie Antoinette. Later in the accusation against the royalists. Then at the official headquarters that controls the future of the nation. Suddenly in battle, and then in bed with Josephine. And without even knowing how or why, Bonaparte He is the most powerful man in the country. The film gets it right because that’s the fun part. But the question of “how” and “why” remains in the background.
Anyone who went to school knows, even in the most general terms, who was Napoleon. And that’s why it’s not something as serious as if it were an anonymous or fictional character. We know that he was a conqueror, that he reached Russia, that he lost to the British at Waterloo. All this is in the film. Scott. What is missing are the reasons that drive the Little Great Emperor. The closest is the scene where he says that he goes into battle only for the sake of peace. But jumping from one scene to a completely different one, and at such an irregular pace, can tire even those who are less fond of history. There is no emotional connection with him.
And, again, the problem is lack of time. Napoleon He wants to teach so much, so many points, that in 2 and a half hours he does not have time for the necessary breaks. This is why the director’s cut is so necessary. What was seen in cinemas could have been a sketch of a huge project that Scott caught a glimpse. Cutting the film this much is an understandable mistake and certainly a necessary one on a business level. Because few people will go to the cinema to watch something that lasts 5 hours. But it’s in this alternate edit that the film will probably shine the most.
Source: Hiper Textual
