jamesnightshade

Excellent all-around--the superb acting is the high point--Alexander Beyer and Hannelore Elsner particularly good, and of course Malcolm McDowell is good. The cinematography and production design are gorgeous, and the historical realism is dense and exciting (best Napoleon you'll ever see). Costumes are excellent and rich, and the direction is skillful (wonderful close-ups of the actors, the directors really gave them a chance to shine). Music is beautiful. A really outstanding, well-made piece, a great tale with a wonderful cast of villains and delightfully honorable, upstanding characters, with many exciting contests and backstabbing among them. Though admittedly the narrative has to move along at a brisk pace, and much is left out of the story, this is true of any long tale like this one brought to the screen. Much fun to watch over a few nights.

Outstanding film, with excellent performances from Thomas and Borgnine. The film captures the intensity and poignancy of the novel very nicely, and the overall restraint and artistry are commendable (the use of English is a bit distracting and less-than realistic). The editing and production design are excellent, and you will see shades of Spielberg's filmography of Saving Private Ryan in the battle scenes and explosions. All filmed in a ruddy gray/black/red-tinged, muddy mess that captures the grim environments of the battlefields very well. You'll be surprised that Richard Thomas never went much farther in film when you see his performance, very emotive but low-key.