Napoleon: In the first time in what seems like a very long time, I was at the movie theatre on Saturday to watch the new Ridley Scott film starring Jacquin Phoenix in the lead role. The word on the street was not positive, but I had done my level best to avoid trailers and to read reviews for this. I wanted to go in with fresh eyes. Accompanying me was my 88yo step-father. I figured that this movie, of the recent releases, would be better on the big screen. Off we went.

I will admit that I don’t know a great deal about Napoleon, beyond what Looney Tunes cartoons and Bugs Bunny showed me, the fact I have visited him tomb and memorial in Paris, and that I remember the movie about Napoleon and Josephine and how much of a romance that they had. I was also aware of his military prowess as a tactician. This is the life of a man worthy of a thorough review. Each of these aspects are really a different man. There is the man and his personal life, the military leader, and the political Emperor of France.

The story begins with the death by guillotine of Marie Antoinette in 1793 which actually took place at Place de Concorde in Paris, but appears in the film to be at Versailles. Apparently Napoleon was present for it. This signals the end of the French monarchy and the people rising up to create a republic. But the revolution creates a mess with no real leader identifed to move the country forward. Napoleon as a Captain in the army leads a very successful battle in the strategic Toulon over the British which promotes him to the rank of general at age 24. The story turns to show how Napoleon and Josephine meet. Josephine is played by the excellent Vanessa Kirby, who sadly isn’t given much material to provide a full character. She says very little, wearing bust revealing outfits and showing herself, even on her wedding day, to have a wandering eye. Kirby and Phoenix did not have chemistry, but it was hard to have it when Phoenix’s Napoleon with Jospehine is switching from being a controlling narcisict (not surpringly really), but on the other side an immature, whiny, tearful, jealous mess throwing tantrums at her reported escapades. It is not the figure you expect to see. Some of their dialog is just cringeworthy. So I blame the writing. In many ways this is odd because so much of the writings between these two are well known. I also hadn’t realized nor expected to see Napoleon become like Henry the Eighth and worrying about a male heir. It was a distraction.

On the battlefield, Napoleon shows his strength in the victories that he was able to command with his keen eye and sense of battle. The battles scenes are where Scott can excel showing the scale of the battles as well as the brutality. This is early 1800s, where battles are being fought between US and Canada, as well as between France and Russia. Alliances shift around and a key player seems to be Austria quite often. There is a European universal dislike for the British and the way they fight, along with a contempt for their strength of the navy. Napoleon had many battles to wage on many fronts. All of these are rather disjointed. In one scene, there is no explanation given for an exile initially of Napoleon, from a reinstated King Louis XVIII, nor for the inexplicable engagement on foot with French troops upon Napoleon’s own return. I was thinking that the soldiers aren’t very disciplined if they cannot comply with the orders which I would think come from the King himself to detain Napoleon and send him back.

Overall, I can’t say that I get a real sense of the man. It certainly did not live up to the image that is portrayed in history and other films. It was also slow in the pacing. There was a lot of walking around in palaces and buildings with very little speaking. Phoenix broods, smiles little, and seems very introverted. But I think that the man and his accomplishments deserves better than this. No doubt he is a complex man, and some of this is shown, but as a viewer it isn’t very compelling or emotional. I don’t feel for the characters nor understand them better as a result of this. While this movie didn’t live down to the early reports, it also wasn’t as good as it could have been. It wasn’t terrible, as very few Ridley Scott projects are, but it also doesn’t rise above and be as amazing as it might have been. I would be interested to hear what the French people and film reviewers think of this movie of one of their greatest leaders and legends. For many in France, Napoleon is greatest leader in their history, above Kings and Charles De Gaulle. He ushered in the Civil Code, the basis for laws in France, all the while taking back rights of women, and reinstating slavery in the Caribbean colonies of France. It is difficult to put a 2023 modern lens to a man’s actions from over 200 years ago. But he certainly is a world-reknown figure that impacted the world greatly during his time, starting from very humble beginnings. The fact that people still talk about him, and he has had a lasting impact in the world 200 years after his death would suggest that he is, by any measure, a great man. I wish that he had a movie that showed this greatness better and spoke of his accomplishments in a better light.

Blue Eyed Samurai: A hockey buddy encouraged me to check out this anime series on Netflix. I have not watched a lot of anime but I was interested to see the artistry for this form of animation. I was very impressed.

Set in Japan in the 17th Century, it speaks to a time when guns are just arriving on the world stage for battles. In Japan, Shoguns rule within their cities, and samurais are their fighting force, with ronan as hired swordspeople. For this story, white men were brought in for a time but have since been exiled from the country. They had brought forth too much death and destruction with their weapons, and impacted the culture. Some mixed children resulted, and the focus of this story is a blue-eyed child, named Mizu, who was held to be a demon by many. The blue eyed child is an outcast, and for the child’s safety had to be hidden. Ultimately Mizu ended up with a blind sword master who took the child in and taught the skill of making fine swords, the finest in the land. Mizu grows to seek revenge, and kill the white men that caused all of this trouble. We learn more about Mizu’s backstory as the episodes unfold, and not all at once. The child grows up and decides to leave the swordmaster, despite his protests. The journey continues.

There are eight episodes. They are all in English. Some of the voices are from well known actors and actresses (like Kenneth Branaugh, and George Takei). The animation is excellent. This is adult animation with plenty of blood and sword work. There is some nudity as well and adult themes. But the scenes, the cinematography, the characters and the story are all first rate. Naturally, there are aspects of this where the audience questions the ability of Mizu to recover from injuries sustained while continuing to fight. The same complaint can be made of any John Wick film, or Kill Bill. Revenge films take on familiar themes with those seeking revenge being told that their focus is unhealthy for them. In this case there are a number of themes and characters at play. I can say that this is just the first season. There is more to come. But a lot of ground is covered and the final episodes are compelling and satisfying. The audience isn’t necessarily left hanging, but recognizing that there is work still to be done.

I liked this, I look forward to seeing more seasons. It is a marvel how these scenes can be put on film, whether through computer or not, it still requires an artist to put the humanity into a cartoon figure, and create characters that you care about. I was thankful for the recommendation and I pass it along to others in response. Enjoy.