Frequently Bought Together
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product details
|
Reviews
1794 verliebt sich der junge, aufstrebende General Napoleon Bonaparte in Desire Clary, die 17-jhrige Tochter eines Marseiller Seidenhndlers. Doch nach seinem bedeutenden Italienfeldzug scheint er sie vergessen zu haben. Als Napoleon die Adlige Josephine heiratet, geht Desiree eine unglckliche Ehe mit dem Grafen Bernadotte ein einem der grten Widersacher Napoelons...
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:DVD
In 1794 Marseilles, a young girl (Jean Simmons) falls in love with an ambitious Corsican General (Marlon Brando) and becomes engaged to him. But as months pass without hearing from him, she discovers he's engaged to a wealthy Frenchwoman (Merle Oberon, very good). But their relationship doesn't end there as their destiny, he as the emperor of France and she as the Crown Princess of Sweden, seems ordained to be intertwined. Visually lavish and opulent (Oscar nominations for its art direction and the gorgeous Rene Hubert costumes), this rather stodgy historical epic is based on the best selling novel by Annemarie Selinko. It's a highly fictionalized version of the relationship between Napoleon Bonaparte and his one time fiancée, Desiree Clary. Brando doesn't seem to be taking his performance very seriously (he took the role to avoid a lawsuit when Fox threatened to sue him for bowing out of THE EGYPTIAN) but that doesn't prevent him from having some fun with it. Simmons has never looked more beautiful on screen but it's one of her few weak performances. The film was a big hit outgrossing Brando's other 1954 film, ONE THE WATERFRONT. The eye popping CinemaScope lensing is by Milton Krasner and the strong underscore by Alex North. Directed by Henry Koster. With Michael Rennie, Cameron Mitchell, Carolyn Jones, Elizabeth Sellers, Cathleen Nesbitt, Evelyn Varden, John Hoyt, Richard Deacon, Isobel Elsom, Edith Evanson and Alan Napier.
The Arthaus DVD from Germany is a rich looking anamorphic (2.55) transfer with the original English soundtrack as well as a German dub.
The Arthaus DVD from Germany is a rich looking anamorphic (2.55) transfer with the original English soundtrack as well as a German dub.
8 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Hard to believe that anyone could take this overly romantic nonsense seriously. It has little to do with history, even less with cinema. Most of the budget seems to have gone on the stars - the scenery looks cardboard, the costumes are probably left over from previous films, there is no sense of the era, much of the acting is way beyond being merely wooden. Lots of stiff, unconvincing dialogue - little spectacle (flags moving across the screen represent a battle). Of course, the film is based on a best-selling novel of the 1950s and, by rights, should have focused on Desiree as played (uncertainly) by Jean Simmons. But the casting of Marlon Brando as Napoleon throws everything off balance. I have read a fair amount about Napoleonic history but never found reports that the Emperor mumbled like a method actor. Indeed, Brando seems particularly uncomfortable with both his role and his costumes. Similarly, the ever-stiff Michael Rennie is...well, stiff. On the other hand, Merle Oberon was an inspired choice to play Josephine - if only they had remembered to write a part for her to play. The whole thing looks cheap and not particularly cheerful. Napoleon deserves better. So does anyone who tries to watch this film.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
26 reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
a good solid historical romance
29 April 1999
although not totally historically correct, desiree is the story of the spirited daughter of a silk merchant who was napoleon's first love. she went on to marry jean-baptiste bernadotte when napoleon married the more politically beneficial josephine. the marriage was better for desiree since jean-baptiste was a soldier who rose from the ranks, became one of napoleon's marshals, one of his biggest detractors, one of his conquerors, and eventually king of sweden. all through this time is the rivalry involving desiree as well as the struggle for power and the thrones of europe. jean simmons gives her usual good performance, marlon brando is a convincing napoleon, and michael rennie shines as bernadotte. a very watchable movie.
19 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Overall Faithful Production
8 Nov 2002
Although there are some historical inaccuracies [Napoleon did not surrender his sword to Desiree, and some other small "enhancements"], and Jean Simmons is something of a drawback to the film, it's definitely worth watching. Marlon Brando's performance manages to capture the historical idea of Napoleon very well- the great intensity of his personality, the underlying brilliance and insatiable ambition. Napoleon is both repellent and fascinating at the same time. One can understand how, at his best, he hypnotized almost the whole of Europe. But he is perfidious also, dismissive of the death and destruction he caused on his way to accomplish his aims. Really, the character of Napoleon and Marlon Brando's rendition of it is the only reason to watch this film. Jean Simmons' Desiree is lovely and winsome, but kind of vapid. One wonders what Napoleon and Bernadotte saw in her. Michael Rennie's performance is very good in his role as Bernadotte, and he is not overshadowed at all by the strength of Brando's performance. His scenes with Napoleon are wonderful. Until something better comes along [unlikely...] this is the one to watch for a period piece about Napoleon.
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Overall worth watching
1 Mar 2002
Having read some of the other reviews of this movie I felt compelled to submit my own. I have long been fascinated by Napoleon and I have read and watched just about everything on his life that I can get my hands on. I found Brando's portrayal of Napoleon subtle and powerful. After having seen at least a half dozen different actors play Napoleon in various movies, Brando's has always stood head and shoulders above the rest to me. The story is not entirely accurate, but all the main elements of the story are pretty close (except Napoleon surrendering his sword to Desiree). The costumes and sets are outstanding in a way that seems to be captured only in old movies. This is not an in-depth analysis of Napoleon's life, rather, it focuses on Desiree, a one-time fiance of Napoleon. While that story is interesting, I find myself waiting for the next Brando scene. Brando does a magnificent job capturing the eneregy and confidence of the young Napoleon, and the fatigue and desperation of the defeated Napoleon. Brando's scene when he considers Bernadotte's request to renounce his French citizenship is brilliant. The movie is almost worth this scene alone.
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
