Does the film better Ridley Scott’s 3.5 Hour Napoleon?

Ridley Scott’s Napoleon divided audiences and critics when it came out in late 2023, leading many to label it a missed opportunity. This historical epic traced the career of the legendary French emperor from the white heat of the French Revolution, through his domination of Europe and eventual defeat and exile. Given the vast scope of the story, many viewers felt that the film’s already extended running time of 157 minutes was simply not long enough to provide a rich enough portrait of Bonaparte’s life. To fix this problem, Scott released a new and extended cut that goes even deeper.

Running at 205 minutes (just over three and a half hours), the Napoleon the director’s cut makes multiple changes to the theatrical film. Released on Apple TV+, the new version fills in some key characters and scenesproviding even more details about the Corsican-born general’s remarkable life story. given NapoleonGiven its divisive reception (with the original film holding an average score of 58% on Rotten Tomatoes), there’s clearly room for improvement. However, for Ridley Scott fans and history buffs alike, the question of whether this cut is the right approach seems especially pertinent.

Ridley Scott’s director improves on Napoleon

Changes make a difference

While some issues remain with the film, it’s clear that the extra 48 minutes of footage helped improve it Napoleon. Ridley Scott’s updated vision incorporates a variety of exciting new scenes, many of which focus on Vanessa Kirby’s portrayal of Josephine. Given that her dynamic with Bonaparte is the emotional core of the film, adding even more depth to their relationship helped make the story feel more resonant, as well as ensure that Josephine feels like much more than a peripheral, marginalized player of endless battles.

Beyond Josephine’s expanded role, there are other positive changes and additions. For history buffs, a particularly welcome scene is a brief look at the Battle of Marengo – one of Bonaparte’s finest military achievements and a victory that came relatively early in his career. There is also the inclusion of an assassination attempt – highlighting the political peril of Bonaparte’s position – as well as a more detailed look at the hardships endured during the Russian campaign. All of these additions help improve the frustratingly flawed original.

How is the extended version of Napoleon better

It affects a key flaw with the original

While the specific changes in the director’s cut are worth noting, the main improvement brought about by the extended edition is more existential. Perhaps the biggest problem with the theater Napoleon it wasn’t the poor characterization of Josephine or the litany of missing battles. Instead, it was the fact that, in trying to cover Bonaparte’s entire political career, the film felt extremely rushed – loading between set pieces with no room for organic growth or evolution. In places it felt less like an exploration of Bonaparte’s life and psyche and more like a glorified Wikipedia page.

Extending the runtime and revealing the story, Napoleon The director’s reduction went some way towards making amends. While some issues persist (such as Abel Gance’s Napoleon proved in 1927, it is probably impossible to capture Bonaparte’s entire life in one film), the story now has a slightly more restrained pace that allows certain scenes and characters to breathe. The result feels much less frenetic, even if there’s still an inescapable feeling that we don’t get the whole story.

Given how Bonaparte shaped European history and politics… articulating the extent of his influence in just over two hours is a mission as ambitious and unlikely as Bonaparte’s own invasion of Russia.

Due to the heavy nature of the subject and imitations of cinematography, Ridley Scott’s Napoleon it was probably always beyond repair. Given how Bonaparte shaped European history and politics, establishing systems of government that defined the continent for generations, articulating the extent of his influence in just over two hours is a mission as ambitious and improbable as his own invasion of of Russia by Bonaparte. However, where the original film fell far short, the director’s cut certainly makes more sense as an attempt.

What happened to Ridley Scott’s 4-hour Napoleon directorial?

There is another, even longer version

Even more tantalizing to viewers than the 205-minute version is the prospect of Ridley Scott’s four-hour discussion. Napoleon cut. In an interview with Empire (by Indie Wire), even before the theatrical version had arrived, Scott teased that he had a “fantastic“Four and a half hour cut of the film – adding around 60 extra minutes to the version now available on Apple TV+. According to Scott, this version focuses even more on Josephine, exploring her life before Bonaparte.

Considering how the 205-minute cut adds a lot to Josephine’s story, it’s possible that the Apple TV+ cut will be a revised version of this teased edition. Even though the cutting of the current director was a surprise, it would be extremely shocking if another and longer version of the film were to arrive anytime soon. However, if there’s a director capable of re-watching a film more than once, it’s Ridley Scott.

Scott has proven that he’s not afraid to revisit previously released projects, tweaking them until he’s satisfied.

Throughout his career, Scott has proven that he’s not afraid to revisit previously released projects, tweaking them until he’s satisfied. Blade Runner is perhaps the most famous example of this methodology. So although there is no concrete news about Napoleonhis four-hour version, this does not mean that such a project will never be released.

Source: Indie Wire