Interesting Fact Find: Lady Richmond (who talks with Wellington throughout this scene) here was in real life the great-great-great-great grandmother of Princess Diana of Wales.
@Thomas McCarthy yes, this is true. A book I read about Napoleon when I was in grade school stated his father used what was left of the family fortune to procure his son a berth in the French artillery academy, a choice which almost left the family destitute but paid off in the long run for Napoleon
Epic and haunting. Great script , tension and brilliant. Gorgeous use of waltz music. A much underrated film at the time but has gained a cult status since. Now released on blu ray special edition.
Napoleon HAD to move quickly. It wasn’t just the Prussian’s and Wellington’s Army he was facing. Austria was mobilizing 200,000 men, Russia had 80,000 men mobilized with 500,000 more being mobilized. He HAD to beat Wellington and the Prussians quickly if he was to have any chance at all.
All movies should use this one as a basis for what is grand. It's simply astounding all of the production and effort that went into this. I'm curious about Wellington-he seems like kind of an enigma in how he's quick to call his soldiers scum and not spare the lash, yet his inner core showed that he seemed to be a sensitive man behind the iron exterior-kind of like how Patton was.
The reason Wellington called them scrum of earth was the stol the Spanish crown joules at the battle of Victoria but he that with what fine fellows we made of them
I don't think it's just that he wants a worthy adversary, although that's definitely some part of it - he wants a decisive victory that was denied to him when Napoleon abdicated before the British army could reach Paris from southern France
"When you meet a cuirassier, you'll need to be more than lucky to get away with your life, never mind his helmet boy! You'll learn the art of fighting from the french.!"
It wouldn't have mattered in the long run if Bonaparte had triumphed at Waterloo. There was no way the Prussians and Brits would have left him in peace. They'd have kept after him until they toppled him from power. He was just too dangerous to them.
+Daniel Bradford And the Austrians and Russians. I agree, it was unlikely Napoleon could have ever held on to the throne after returning from Elbe. Then again, if anyone could have pulled it off it's Napoleon.
Daniel Bradford it wasn’t just the Prussians and the British. Austria was mobilizing 300,000 men and over 150,000 Russians were mobilizing. Britain was also bringing back her entire army from America. At least those that British General Pakenham would not slaughter at the Battle of New Orleans.
YEah RUssia,Prussia AUstria,SWeden,Britain,and any one elkse who wanted to jin in would have lets not frget that in 1805 war was declared against Napoleon sponsered by British money and in 1806 and in 1809 those who say he was a blood thirsty conqueror if people declare war against you what could you do he was many a time just Protecting France his grave errors where invading Portugal and Spain yes and we all know Russia but the Tsar broke the peace treaty but yes he shouldnt have invaded Russia near to winter
@@foucher77 They crossed into Russia on 24 June 1812--it was hardly near winter. But yeah, I agree that invading Russia wasn't such a good idea. There were certainly better ones, such as trying to cut off Russia's trade routes in the Baltic Sea to force it back into the Continental System (which I admit would be hard due to the Royal Navy, but perhaps could have been achieved, more or less, by locking the Danish strait from land using bombardment, and privateering to capture unescorted ships). Another plan would be to consolidate on the Duchy of Warsaw and maybe invade only the westernmost parts of Russia, like today's Ukraine, depriving the Russians from that grain and trying to force them into a pitched battle there. In short, not pushing as far as Moscow. Trying to enforce the CS, both in Portugal (and then getting bogged down in Spain) and Russia, was Napoleon's downfall. Though, in the end, considering he was to die only 6 years after Waterloo (and here I'm assuming the widely-accepted view that he died from stomach cancer and was not poisoned with arsenic), I'm not certain too much would have changed. Then again, who can say for sure?
This was not a Stanley Kubrick film as some might believe. Yes, he was going to do a movie about Napoleon after 2001 Space Odyssey but after this one tanked and his backers pulled out, he went on and did Clockwork Orange which was the 2nd highest grossing movie of 1971.
The moment the Duke of Wellington, said he would stop Napoleon at Waterloo he put the entire battle in the hands of the Prussians. The Dukes strategy was offensive in design but all but one of his battles was fought on the tactical defensive. The Duke was going to stand like a rock and let the French exhaust themselves trying to break his army while Blucher and the Prussians moved toward them.
Blucher was fighting the french at the same time at ligny, and then had to evade Grouchy- During and after the battle lost contact with his headquarter, so Gneisenau had to prepare for that maneuver
@@tamlandipper29 That is a silly prejudice.Stating this kind of thing is not a sign of intelligence or intelligent insight into history!! Or psychology for that matter.
Scoundrels and Beggars; all of them. Those men he insults in the begging of this scene are non other than his own elite company of Foot Guards; the 'thieves' who slaughtered the Guard at Quatre Bras.
Wellington did call his men "scum", but the movie omits the other part of the quote "but it's really remarkable what fine fellows we have made of them"
“Sarah”, the Duchess of Richmond’s daughter was a person, her name was Georgina, or “George” to her friends… she was a good friend of Wellington’s… as were her parents
I found it :D found a subtitle track and he does, in fact, say 'laurels'...which means a little green leafy plant, or a person's achievements and awards...and seeing how Napolean was burning his way through Europe for 20 years at the time, I suppose from Wellington's point of view, since Napolean was all the rage, is that he meant Napolean was surpassing everyone's achievements and rank and not many could stand against him as he was eating up the competition to be the greatest man in Europe. Then he went out an beat him at Waterloo. That, or it was insult of the time that Napolean ate leaves. XD
"When you meet a Cuirassier, knee to knee, you'll be lucky, if you bring away your life with you, never mind his helmet, boy. You'll learn the art of fighting, from the French".
I really wish Napoleon had won the Waterloo Campaign and entered Brussels only to scare to death the girl who said she will not get too close to him. It would be a joyful moment...
El baile de la duquesa de richmond en Bruselas la noche anterior a waterloo.para muchos su último baile...... muchas se quedaron sin maridos novios ....... que pena.
Very tragic about Young brave Lord Hay gets killed later on in this universe he and Lady Sarah look very sweet romantic all the way didn’t they right guys
That man who was dancing with the Noblewoman, promising her a Cuirassier Helmet, with blood and with not, he died saying "Fate of England" in Ney's Cavalry charge, getting shot in the face or head.
Haha I understand, was just having a laugh over the name lol. I just double checked and he does indeed say, 'think of England'. Just a way to get their patriotism kicking in for the French cavalry charge I guess! I found the script here if you're interested: drive.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=www.scripts.com/script-pdf-body.php?id%3D23118
Fighting for King and Country is a very cool thing to say when fighting for something worth back then Perseus sir all the way from 20/10 all the way indeed!
