I Am Once Again thinking about the X-Files season 4 episode 12 Leonard Betts

we discussed why Ridley Scott's film is unlikely to be the way we would like it to be

so I have a question: what films/series about Napoleon more or less correctly represent real history? or just good in your opinion

oh man, I'm a bit of a picky person when it comes to Napoleonic films/series, but not in a logically consistent manner so people get a little confused sometimes. Which is fair.

I'll give you two rec's:

My favourite Napoleon movie is Monsieur N. I think what makes it work is that it's a historical AU, basically, and fills all my favourite tropes. Premise is that Napoleon, through a weird magic (?) thing, switches fates with his valet/spy Cipriani and manages to escape St. Helena.

As one can guess, it's only loosely, loosely based in history. The ages of some people are altered (Betsy Balcombe is aged up significantly so she can be an appropriate love interest for Napoleon; Barry O'Meara is in his late thirties/early forties for no apparent reason etc.). I feel like Albine got shafted in being cast as a bit of the Conniving Courtesan. Montholon is positioned as a poisoner, even though by the time the film was made that theory/story had been pretty heavily debunked. They omit Napoleon's crap treatment of Fanny Bertrand after she rebuffed his advances. Napoleon's still played too seriously - but that's a fault in literally almost every production ever.

That said, I love Bertrand in this. Gourgaud makes a rogue appearance and is suitably chaotic. I like Sir Hudson Lowe as well - I feel that Richard Grant was cast perfectly. The visuals are beautiful. It's just gorgeously filmed (I love the first confrontation/meet scene between Napoleon and Lowe - the playing with light, the choice of clothes, the switching through languages etc. it's masterful).

The historical inaccuracy aside, I actually liked the relationship between Napoleon and Betsy. I'm just like "clearly it's another Betsy Balcombe. Funny that two people have the same name on this small island!"

(Obviously, in reality, she was a literal child when she knew Napoleon. He was an uncle/older brother figure to her and she was clearly a surrogate daughter/niece to him. They pranked each other and teamed up to prank Lowe on the regular alongside playing silly games and mucking about.)

I love that it's a multi-lingual production so you have English, French and Corsican being spoken, as appropriate for the characters/people. The sound track is fitting. It's appropriately atmospheric.

So yeah, I am very fond of the film. But it's just a fun, stupid romp.

You can't go in expecting a Real Historical And/Or Accurate Account of Napoleon on St. Helena. Thankfully, the film never positions itself as such a thing. It's very clearly a What If + Fanfiction. I recommend going in and treating it like a slightly more serious Knight's Tale in its approach to history (vibes & essence over facts). If you do that, you'll have a blast. If you go in looking for Historical Napoleon or whatever, you'll hate it.

I also may or may not have a Thing for Philippe Torreton (who plays Napoleon). So. That might also inform my affection for this dumb film.

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I remember enjoying the 2002 French miniseries Napoleon (with Christian Clavier and Isabella Rossellini). As with all series and films, it has its issues (there are definite inaccuracies), but I liked it overall. I feel they hit the emotional beats between Napoleon and Josephine really well.

(While she's not older than him in it, at least the actors the same age and she's not like 16 years younger than Napoleon /eye roll.)

The scene when she reams him out during their divorce is powerful (she does this great thing about how he always wanted to make it clear that he's separate from the ancien regime and Not Like Those People but what is he doing now? He's marrying one of Marie Antoinette's relatives. And like, she is calling him out for his political inconsistency, and making the point that it's a bad decision in terms of Optics, but it's also so clearly much more than that. It's well done). Napoleon's reaction when he learns that she's died is heart breaking and well rendered/believable.

There is also humour and convivial moments that are often lacking in historical biopics with him, which I appreciate (love the "you need to take the Austrian uniform off the scarecrow or we'll have an International Incident on our hands" scene).

There's a rogue Coulaincourt who makes an appearance! Nice to see him. Same with Lannes - glad he makes an appearance. Though there's no Duroc or Junot, unfortunately. (Granted, I understand the need to keep the cast to a reasonable amount of people.)

So yeah, it's an entertaining series. It's a bit of a "classic" in the sense that I feel like anyone who has gone through a Napoleon Phase watches it.

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Truly, the best representation of Napoleon is in Bill and Ted's Most Excellent Adventure. You're welcome.

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I hope this helps!

When The Writing Keeps Hope Alive (and when it falls flat on its face.)

It just occurred to me that most of the quality writing thus far in season 6 has been for Olicity. Is this a coincidence? Are the writers putting more effort into their story this year to make up for the blunders that were the BMD and Billy Malone and Susan Williams, not to mention how they breezed over the aftermath of  Havenrock and Felicity’s paralysis and the sickly sweet fluff of 4A. Is William going to be another useless drama plot point to challenge Olicity, and maybe even stall them some more?

I really don’t think that Oliver and Felicity are going to ever again go down those destructive roads. Their whole journey together has been about one of stages.

When they first met, (at least Felicity with Oliver---Oliver already sort of met her when he and Maseo broke into to Queen Consolidated a couple years before Olicity even met.) it became one of the most believable and beautiful relationships in television history. Through working together, they became friends and confidantes. They began a rhythm that has culminated into what we are seeing now; six years later. Felicity still considered herself Oliver’s employee in Season 1, but it definitely wasn’t like she dreaded going into work as any normal employee sometimes feels. No, Felicity was making a difference working with Oliver and John. She wanted to be there (where else could she watch such exciting and stimulating action like Oliver sweating it out on the salmon ladder?)

Then in season 2, when their established friendship began to turn towards something more; the shoulder touches and heart eyes, the unspoken looks and gestures they began to develop, started to happen. Oliver began to know as early as 206 that he was in love with Felicity. However, the man was still fragmented, drifting through the motions of his superhero identity as it began to take hold of him through the encouragement of Felicity. Season 2 has been argued as the best season Arrow produced. Maybe so. But the writing for Olicity, when there were still romantic traces of Laurel lurking about to lull us all to sleep---superseded itself and  began to shine a light on the correct direction Arrow’s main romantic arc would go.

The next stage was season 3.  It was an angst filled, sexual frustrated, slip of the tongue love confession oratory that strung us along with almost unbearable tension and expectation. The will-they, won’t they trope took off in this season, almost a half empty-half full glass of uncertainty and promising moments. Implications of their love for one another kept dancing around the edges of their hearts and our patience’s. Ray was introduced and immediately hated. It was a tough go watching him and Felicity play girlfriend/boyfriend, watching them flirt and touch, and god forbid, make love. Thankfully, we were spared that eyesore. (I wouldn’t have watched anyway---so there!) Oliver was still out there in his darkness flying solo. He was making decisions that directly affected his life---almost fatal in a couple of cases. But what he did not yet realize was that those decisions were also affecting other’s lives as well: Thea’s and John’s and Roy’s---but most importantly; Felicity’s. He was using the same page out of Slade’s playbook…alone is what he does best. Finally, Oliver came out the other side of his loner descent into the League and stepped back into the light that Felicity set ablaze in his mind, body and soul. He took hold of his humanity and was ready for the next stage.

Which is Season 4A. He discovered happiness in the happy bubble he created in Ivy Town. Felicity was happy too, but she still had one foot back in Star City, still had that electricity running through her whenever she could make a difference. Ironically, it was Oliver’s crusade, his initial influence on her life that gave Felicity her focus. Making failed attempts at omelets and having morning sex romps and domesticated brunches with boring neighbors---it was just not very realistic. It was Disneyland. And Felicity was not on board with most of it. She wanted the life her and Oliver had synced with when he was donning his Green Hood and she was guiding him through the dangers via Overwatch. Yin-Yang kisses and wedding proposals and tragedy took them to the pivotal episode of 415 when their relationship imploded. Lies and mistrust and deep pain sunk in like a seminar on how to write really bad story arcs. There were still lingering ghost sightings of their love for one another, just enough to justify the beginning of the end of Olicity.

Season 5.  All of it, except maybe for the last 4 episodes. The only thing that was really written well was Adrian Chase. Josh Segura brought that evil to life in such a wonderful performance. I was happy when 520 happened and Olicity was brought back to the forefront. Still, the year and a half they were kept apart and for the reasons why; I suspect it will go down as the low point in Arrow’s turbulent run. The cliffhanging kiss they ended the season on was, for me, the antithesis of trying my patience. There was overtones of will-they, won’t-they, of hard regrets and long talks about it, of implied getting-back-together vibes. Then the Yian Yu blew up and nothing was certain anymore.

So here we are at the crossover event of Season 6. Olicity is well established as a healthy, well rounded relationship. There is kissing again, (on a regular basis) brief moments when the 9:00pm time slot was getting ready to burst into our faces and sweep us all away with hot, steamy release, which includes a lot of screaming and fainting. But alas, that hasn’t happened yet. No shirtless Oliver thus far, not to mention shirtless Felicity as well. I understand many fans who have not embraced most of this Season’s stories so far. There is hope in contradiction. Olicity has given those many fans denough reason to keep tuning in each week. Hopefully, the rest of what makes Arrow work…mainly OTA and non-interference by trying ‘new directions’ for those characters, will bring back the faith and spirit and believe the journey has set sail for when Oliver came back to save his city---and himself.

I am optimistic. As long as Oliver and Felicity, John and Thea and all the other familiar elements of the show, elements that took hold of me when I started to be a fan and then a shipper---as long as it all endeavors to stay upright and sane---I am willing to keep an open mind.

Monday night we get Nazi’s. As much as that makes no sense at this point in the show’s history, we are also getting an Olicity wedding.  Again I ask---is this coincidence or some sort of writing brain fart? Maybe it’s both. And maybe it’s also the turning point for the season. Maybe 6B will end up being an Emmy nominated tour de force.

Just as long as whole islands don’t blow up or long established characters don’t go into comas or become compromised by not ducking when flaming shrapnel hurtles toward them.

Just as long as true love stays around to pick up the slack of tepid storytelling. And come on writers---enough with the interruptions whenever Olicity is moving in with the heart palpitations.  And why haven’t we heard out loud yet, Oliver and Felicity telling each other they love one another. Yes, showing it is a vital writing tool---but saying it out loud makes it more tangible, like seeing a dazzling sunrise of sunset and being moved by the colors in the sky.

@it-was-a-red-heeler @almondblossomme @hope-for-olicity @memcjo @flowerandsunshine @inevermindyou @dmichellewrites @casydee @nalla-madness @charlinert