MovieChat Forums > Waterloo (1970) Discussion > A question

A question

posted 21 years ago by Marinus13
11 replies | jump to latest

I was just watching this movie and I thought of a question. At the beginning, when all the marshals are telling Napoleon to abdicate, an aide comes in and whispers in his ear. Napoleon says something, and then goes to sign the paper. I keep rewinding the part but I can't make out what Napoleon says. Anyone have an idea what this was about? I thought it might have to do with his wife going back to the Austrians, but I'm not sure. Thanks for any help.

Also, this movie should definitely be restored for a region 1 dvd release. I remember watching the Oscars a few years ago when they gave Dino De Laurentiis an honorary award, and they showed a montage of film clips of his movies. They showed a scene of Ney's cavalry charge against the British squares. The film looked like it was restored, or at least it was a better quality shot then what's on the copy of the movie I own. I just hope it does get a restoration.

"I got a fever! and the only prescription, is more cowbell!!!

[–] jperren 21 years ago

When Napoleon gets the "whisper", it is an unexplained mystery to American audiences. In the Brit version, the message is put on the soundtrack...in short it says that "Marshal Marmont has surrendered to the allies with all of his forces",as near as I recollect. The defection of a single Marshall would not upset Napoleon very much, but he also surrendered his corps...at a time when the Emperor needed them the most! Hence the decision to sign the abdication.

[–] threezeta 19 years ago

The aide later explained to the curious mareshals, after Napoleon left the room, that the message was marmont has surrendered to the austrians. The aide added marmont's force was Napoleon's last hope.

[–] dhorse808 19 years ago

The Marshall tells him that his last field general had surrendered...he takes a deep gasping breath and says.."All his men??"

A little...too late...if anyone knows of a good widescreen release, please let me know and thanks.

Gen Urquhart: In case something happens to you sir, what are your plans?

Wellington: To beat the French..

[–] keeleboy 19 years ago

Sorry to be pedantic, but it was Lord Uxbridge, not Urquhart who says that

[–] teacher_tom516 19 years ago

Well that's okay I think. General Robert 'Roy' Urquhart heard that Sean Connery was playing him in 'A Bridge Too Far' and remarked:

"Well I saw him in THE KING AND I and I think he'll do."

(The esteemed General confused the Yul Brynner movie with Connery's THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING.)

Just a bit of trivia...

Tom516

[–] chrismahon2005 19 years ago

haha,damn that would have been cool.Brynner could have played the polish general,though what year did he die in ? was TBTF around 1977 or so.

[–] teacher_tom516 19 years ago

It's a true story. Read it in my Sean Connery bio book. :)

I think Hackman definitely looked the part - Brynner probably would have been too old to play Sosabowski (Hackmann does look rather like Sosabowski) though with the 'foreign characters' Brynner played he may have been given the role if he film had been done ten years earlier. Brynner died in 1985.

Tom516

[–] chrismahon2005 19 years ago

Yes i liked hackman in that part,though i wish he had been giving more screen time,but i guess the polish brigade only played a small part in the whole operation,so thats fair enough.
What though i would give for a epic on the scale of waterloo,and ABTF to be made today,and not with bloody cgi swamping it.Though i guess its near imposable now,as it would be very expensive to say the least,and in my view the actors back then are far better then todays.
My fav bit in ABTF by the way is when edward fox,is driving michael caine past the endless rows of british tanks and trucks(and i know they where in the main american by the way),and they are all real,or at least fakes made to look real,and not some dodgy looking cgi.

[–] teacher_tom516 19 years ago

Yes I love that about the movie as well. That's one big reason I love it actually, for the first time they weren't M48's painted feldgrau or Harvard trainers or piper cubs doubling as Fiesler Storch's. I think that we take that for granted now that we have realistic looking Tiger VIs (built on T-34 chassis) and other realistic vehicles but after seeing all those fakes in war movies it was like wow!

The dialogue was splendidly quotable - don't ask me who my favorite actor was there! I actually saw this before I saw Godfather so James Caan wasn't Sonny Corleone for me yet and whatever people say about Ryan O'Neal he's great as Jumping Jim Gavin - though personally I think if it was remade today Christian Slater is a closer match.

I think there are at least two versions of ABTF though. The TV version has some scenes and dialogue not included in the 'movie' version and vice versa. There's a bit more for the Poles to do in the TV version - they're waiting in their Skytrains and a staff officer runs up to Sosabowski (Hackman) and says, "Sorry sir, cancelled. Weather's closing in again. Maybe later."

It was my dream - a long time ago - to find a good copy of BOTH versions and re-edit the entire into a mega 'long' version with scenes from both movies.

Any chance of that in the DVD I wonder...

Tom516

[–] Sid-Blitzen 18 years ago

"The dialogue was splendidly quotable ..."

My favourite line is from Edward Fox as General Horrocks -

"This is a story you will tell your grandchildren. And mightily bored they'll be".
Loaded with dramatic irony.

[–] ragusa11 16 years ago

Thanks for the answer guys. I have the American version and to the best of my ability I thought it was always a reactive answer. "All is lost", but you don't know why he says it.