Available at Amazon.com
Directed by
David Grubin
Cast:
David McCullough …. Narrator
Going into it, watching all of PBS’ documentary Napoleon, written and directed by David Grubin, may seem as epic a task as invading Russia in the middle of winter. At four hours, Napoleon is an amazingly detailed account of a man that came from nowhere to become one of the most powerful figures the world has ever seen. What is surprising is just how accessible the piece is, as Grubin thoughtfully edits the two-part documentary into sections that can be easily digestible. Both in content and on a technical level, Napoleon is a carefully constructed documentary that will leave you entertained and fulfilled in a scholarly sense as well.
Where Napoleon is able to really excel is in its details. For instance, much of the first portion of the documentary concerns Bonaparte’s father, who was an important figure in Corsica, the island of Napoleon’s birth. Though France would eventually consume the island and make it a colony, Bonaparte’s father insisted that his boy be sent to his sovereign for military schooling. This would of course be the beginning of Napoleon’s path to immortality, eventually ruling over a country that he initially despised because of his heritage.
One of the great myths of Napoleon’s life is his love affair with his wife Josephine. Only looked under the microscope, this was no storybook legend; Josephine was a widow with children, who knew that her looks were slipping. Napoleon’s love for her eventually won her over to some degree, but she also had affairs and thought the eventual emperor a bore. Though time has made their love this great romance, in actuality it was much rockier, coming together further as Napoleon rose in power.
Technically the film is well put together. No subject is dwelled upon too long and wonderful arrays of paintings are used as a visual context for battles and other settings. A variety of scholars are also called upon to give information, with each being very entertaining to listen to. Battle reenactments are used sparingly, and when they are used, they are shot very well, as soldiers’ faces are hardly ever seen, keeping up the visual illusion.
Simply as a learning tool, Napoleon is a tremendous success, filled with wall to wall tidbits and information. From his meteoric rise to the French throne, to his failure in Russia, to finally his pathetic death, this was a life too large to be dramatized correctly. In the hands of David Grubin we see a picture into the man’s life in a way that a movie could never realize fully. The pace is kept up so well that you don’t grasp just how entertained you are by the experience. Before you know it the four hours of the documentary have past, and your appreciation for the life of Bonaparte has increased ten fold.
Score: 9
The Video
The documentary looks terrific, with no major flaws that I could see. It actually probably looks better on this disc than it did on TV. Napoleon is presented in Fullscreen with an aspect ratio of 1.33:1
The Audio:
The Dolby Digital soundtrack is also nice, and keeps a terrific balance showcasing wonderful classical music while never overpowering the narration or historians.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Featurette.
The Making of Napoleon – This is a nice little Featurette that goes about five minutes or so. Director David Grubin talks about how accurate they tried to stay on the documentary’s reenactments. Much work went into the costumes and planning to make the scenes look as authentic as possible.
Score: 2
The Inside Pulse
This is a terrific documentary that informs and entertains you. Napoleon was one of the most interesting people who have ever lived and this documentary let’s you share in that amazing journey. The disc itself is very light on extras, but with a four hour documentary on the DVD, are you really looking for more extras?
