Ryan Lanham

One is very confused as to what perspective to take on this film. It obviously isn't a history. If a love story, it is disjointed to say the least. Should one look at it as a modern/contemporary person? If so, how? Should one take a British POV; if so, why? Is it a period piece meant to inform us as to what high life was like in 1812? We're never sure. I don't think the director knew. It looks like he just filmed the damn thing without much thought about what the project was. Many if not all the reviews here mentioning timing, muddled, etc., and those are fair. I also think praise of the costumes and cinematography are fair. The actors were, to me, trying to do difficult things with poor directing as to what was the point. Phoenix is lost; that much is certain. Kirby plays a modernist portrait of Josephine--at times convincingly. Overall, she seemed like a British woman playing a French woman... which is a mildly absurdity especially to anyone who knows both types. Phoenix... well, goodness knows what he was trying for... neither a private man of passions nor a public man of ambitions really seeps out in the juices. Indeed, there are no juices. This Napoleon isn't Corsican, broken, brilliant or even daring... he is a sort of aloof, bland history drifter. I think Phoenix must have read Wellesley's part first. Supporting characters are undeveloped charicatures.

The old, the new. Simply fun. Learn to use a forest and the hand tools without power that made it civilization.