Moreover: if this ever gets to production, and there is somehow a Duchess of Richmond's Ball scene and the script doctors etc etc etc don't cut it: I demand to be an extra!
Bondarchuk's Waterloo had that scene, so did Sharpe's Waterloo, and the recent Vanity Fair starring Olivia Cooke; but then, Thackeray's Vanity Fair is where the myth of that scene began
How'bout Harvey Kittel? He's about the right age, and height, and he was brilliantly cast as the hussar officer in the Duelist (Ridley Scott's opus to Joseph Conrad), especially the Hussar moustache. He certainly has the panache--no one can beat Kittel when it comes to panache! Please tell Ridley there are a lot of us that do care about facts. I read the only recent biography of Blucher in English (it may have been a translation) but his life really was incredible, I don't think Holywood could improve on it--they certainly could fuck it up though!
How'bout Churchill--the original John Churchill. I would give anything to see him negotiate with Godert de Ginkel for the use of Dutch Troops. First general of the semi-modern age I can think of who had both a command and appreciation of logistics (I often wondered if Wellington got his appreciation of logistics from the old Duke's resume?). He was also the master of feints and repostes. And not just with his French opponents but his Dutch "Allies" as well. Made me wonder whose side the Dutch were on--at his famous juncture with Eugene of Savoy at Blenheim he left the Dutch behind. Why not a Netflix Series on the War of Spanish Succession with Churchill and Eugene as the protagonists? The trust and confidence of those two in each other required in order to pull off the Battle far from Marlborough's base is breathtaking! Just sayin" . . . Talk about improble imponderables!
Fred Stueben of Valley Forge fame could stand dusting off. His rationale for streamlining the drill manual in order to accomodate the American style set the tone for the US Military to this Day. As far as I can ascertain it is the only modern military that does not enforce an entirely unnatural gait to their drill--all due to Steuben's insistence on a natural comfortable style. Just a vignette of Hamilton translating Steuben's broken French and German profanity into English would be worth the price of admission. If my recollections of USMC boot camp is correct Steuben also set the tone for that as well. I remember bull sessions where we'd critique and admire our DI's command of profanity. I still remember the first time I was called a "Communist whore" and I took a step back and looked behind me to see who he was referring too! Good times! I was the hero of the squad-bay that night--until the next day. Talk about fleeting fame!
Love the story and the suggestions for players.👍 May I ask that you butter up the accountant description somewhat given I’m one!!!😂 I’m a big Nappy fan but concede he made mistakes and his generals let him down. Why Nappy chose The battlefield he did, I don’t know, because apparently it was very wet!! Thank you Alex, for a tale woven around fact!!
I have a video of Waterloo and the best, most memorable scene was when Ney orders his cuirassiers to charge the Allied squares for the umpteenth time and the camera pulls up into an overhead shot of the French cavalry swirling impotently around and between the red squares like an ebb tide on the strand. That image has always stuck in my head.
Actually both, or all three, armies were full of women in the form of camp followers. They are usually left out of heroic narratives, but they are there and they were indispensable--histories are not only written by the victors they are also written by men. Se le guerre? We even have them today! When I was in an amphibious ready group sailing around the Med, there were groups of women, amatuer and professional that showed up to greet us whenever we pulled into a port--so much for opsec!
Well since Alex is building this screenplay from the ground up why not take some young actress, say Sydney Sweeney, deck her out in a Hussars uniform (tall polished black boots with heels, skin tight breeches, form-hugging tunic, busby, pelisse--the whole nine yards) and attach her to Bluchers staff as an aide-de-camp. Word has it that it was not uncommon especially amongst the French, who decidedly set the tone for martial display--and vive la difference! Have more than one, put 'em to work carrying dispatches (lathering horses, uniform a déshabillé, face streaked in gunsmoke, blond curls escaping from under her cap) and even giving commands in the name of Blucher (completer with rearing horse, neighing and pawing at the air) at some desperate crisis in the battle. Make these young ladies cameo appearances to underscore the unsung part. We're trying to give Alex ideas for a smash hit while exposing, if you'll pardon the expression, the viewers to a taste of history in tantalizing morsels--if you get my drift.
Actually how much "making up" would it be? Every Hussar uniform I've ever seen would look better on a woman than a man. I'm trying to think of the French Marshall in the Peninsula who was known to have his mistress accompany him dressed as a hussar. The American Revolution (I was a sometime US History major) is replete with anecdotes of women literally stepping into the breech at some desperate hour. The celebrated but anonymous Molly Pitcher (the name given to the women who roamed the battlefield doling out water to the parched combattants) who literally stepped in to sponge out the gun her stricken husband had been manning on that scorching day at the Battle of German town. Or the women aboard HMS Victory who acted as powder monkeys along with the ship's boys that day off Trafalgar. As you well know History is not only written by the victors, its also written by men, most of whom where not present at the events they described. After reading Prof Kennedy's Rise and Fall ... I am convinced that the mobilization of women by the Allies was the deciding factor that won the war, it certainly shortened the length of the war. In any case, Sicario (Emily Blunt) and Atomic Blonde (Charlize Theron) are plausible examples of what a woman can do--not to mention Ripley (Sigourney Weaver). Ya know, Blucher ("the most single-mindedly aggressive general employed by any belligerent") was a larger than life and outstanding character in a time of larger than life characters and its not inconceivable that he would mobilize every man, woman, child or dog in a single-minded effort to achieve victory. You have to have women pushing ammunition carts through the mud after the horses are downed or running rations and water up to the men on the fighting lines and even defending the baggage or hospital trains from marauding light-horse. All these things have been reported and documented (various times and places), just without details. (During the 30 years wars there were oblique mentions that the women of the Landsknecht were more to be feared than the men--I assumed they were referring to the camp followers but maybe not. Like the cartoons from the period showing women carrying the men's weapons and accoutrements--but what if the men were walking wounded or sick, maybe the women were prepared to defend, or revenge the wounded? There wasn't a lot of quarter given in those days, or fine distinctions of non-combatants and I've been personally acquainted with some very rational women, in and out of uniform. I think, given his eccentricities, Blucher might be a perfect vehicle to show how women were indispensible--you don't have to overdue it, just show women pitching in when and where needed--everywhere. Besides I cannot get the vision of Sydney Sweeney dressed to the nines as a Hussar out of my mind! And seriously Harvey Keitel!
So long as there’s rearing, neighing horses whenever anyone says his name.
Frau Blucher I presume?
His wife has a place in film history: https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=I%20am%20Frua%20blucher&mid=E9AB0241ED96FB33D8F6E9AB0241ED96FB33D8F6&ajaxhist=0
Moreover: if this ever gets to production, and there is somehow a Duchess of Richmond's Ball scene and the script doctors etc etc etc don't cut it: I demand to be an extra!
Bondarchuk's Waterloo had that scene, so did Sharpe's Waterloo, and the recent Vanity Fair starring Olivia Cooke; but then, Thackeray's Vanity Fair is where the myth of that scene began
Who would you have playing Wellington?
This has Opera written all over it.
How'bout Harvey Kittel? He's about the right age, and height, and he was brilliantly cast as the hussar officer in the Duelist (Ridley Scott's opus to Joseph Conrad), especially the Hussar moustache. He certainly has the panache--no one can beat Kittel when it comes to panache! Please tell Ridley there are a lot of us that do care about facts. I read the only recent biography of Blucher in English (it may have been a translation) but his life really was incredible, I don't think Holywood could improve on it--they certainly could fuck it up though!
Bill Nighy ???
Love it. Please do Eugene of Savoy next!
Done
How'bout Churchill--the original John Churchill. I would give anything to see him negotiate with Godert de Ginkel for the use of Dutch Troops. First general of the semi-modern age I can think of who had both a command and appreciation of logistics (I often wondered if Wellington got his appreciation of logistics from the old Duke's resume?). He was also the master of feints and repostes. And not just with his French opponents but his Dutch "Allies" as well. Made me wonder whose side the Dutch were on--at his famous juncture with Eugene of Savoy at Blenheim he left the Dutch behind. Why not a Netflix Series on the War of Spanish Succession with Churchill and Eugene as the protagonists? The trust and confidence of those two in each other required in order to pull off the Battle far from Marlborough's base is breathtaking! Just sayin" . . . Talk about improble imponderables!
A bit like the story of Ulysses Grant.
I dare say, rehabilitating the Germans of any era might be a tough sell even to an industry with a short memory.
Fred Stueben of Valley Forge fame could stand dusting off. His rationale for streamlining the drill manual in order to accomodate the American style set the tone for the US Military to this Day. As far as I can ascertain it is the only modern military that does not enforce an entirely unnatural gait to their drill--all due to Steuben's insistence on a natural comfortable style. Just a vignette of Hamilton translating Steuben's broken French and German profanity into English would be worth the price of admission. If my recollections of USMC boot camp is correct Steuben also set the tone for that as well. I remember bull sessions where we'd critique and admire our DI's command of profanity. I still remember the first time I was called a "Communist whore" and I took a step back and looked behind me to see who he was referring too! Good times! I was the hero of the squad-bay that night--until the next day. Talk about fleeting fame!
😂😂🙏
Love the story and the suggestions for players.👍 May I ask that you butter up the accountant description somewhat given I’m one!!!😂 I’m a big Nappy fan but concede he made mistakes and his generals let him down. Why Nappy chose The battlefield he did, I don’t know, because apparently it was very wet!! Thank you Alex, for a tale woven around fact!!
I will put you on the shortlist for the role of Fred
You haven't mentioned cgi there's got to be some chucked in there somewhere, it could make or break the movie
Great piece. I can't be bothered to watch Napoleon, but put me down for this!
I have a video of Waterloo and the best, most memorable scene was when Ney orders his cuirassiers to charge the Allied squares for the umpteenth time and the camera pulls up into an overhead shot of the French cavalry swirling impotently around and between the red squares like an ebb tide on the strand. That image has always stuck in my head.
I would not be commissioning that — rhere’s no women, no love interest.
Also: needs more raw onions.
Still: Platoon worked despite having the same failings. What do I know anyway?
Actually both, or all three, armies were full of women in the form of camp followers. They are usually left out of heroic narratives, but they are there and they were indispensable--histories are not only written by the victors they are also written by men. Se le guerre? We even have them today! When I was in an amphibious ready group sailing around the Med, there were groups of women, amatuer and professional that showed up to greet us whenever we pulled into a port--so much for opsec!
But there are no women in the pitch! Yes thousands of camp followers etc for all three armies, but no characters participating in the story
Well since Alex is building this screenplay from the ground up why not take some young actress, say Sydney Sweeney, deck her out in a Hussars uniform (tall polished black boots with heels, skin tight breeches, form-hugging tunic, busby, pelisse--the whole nine yards) and attach her to Bluchers staff as an aide-de-camp. Word has it that it was not uncommon especially amongst the French, who decidedly set the tone for martial display--and vive la difference! Have more than one, put 'em to work carrying dispatches (lathering horses, uniform a déshabillé, face streaked in gunsmoke, blond curls escaping from under her cap) and even giving commands in the name of Blucher (completer with rearing horse, neighing and pawing at the air) at some desperate crisis in the battle. Make these young ladies cameo appearances to underscore the unsung part. We're trying to give Alex ideas for a smash hit while exposing, if you'll pardon the expression, the viewers to a taste of history in tantalizing morsels--if you get my drift.
Ha. I like your style. I forget that in the making of a history epic we can just make the history up as we go along.
Actually how much "making up" would it be? Every Hussar uniform I've ever seen would look better on a woman than a man. I'm trying to think of the French Marshall in the Peninsula who was known to have his mistress accompany him dressed as a hussar. The American Revolution (I was a sometime US History major) is replete with anecdotes of women literally stepping into the breech at some desperate hour. The celebrated but anonymous Molly Pitcher (the name given to the women who roamed the battlefield doling out water to the parched combattants) who literally stepped in to sponge out the gun her stricken husband had been manning on that scorching day at the Battle of German town. Or the women aboard HMS Victory who acted as powder monkeys along with the ship's boys that day off Trafalgar. As you well know History is not only written by the victors, its also written by men, most of whom where not present at the events they described. After reading Prof Kennedy's Rise and Fall ... I am convinced that the mobilization of women by the Allies was the deciding factor that won the war, it certainly shortened the length of the war. In any case, Sicario (Emily Blunt) and Atomic Blonde (Charlize Theron) are plausible examples of what a woman can do--not to mention Ripley (Sigourney Weaver). Ya know, Blucher ("the most single-mindedly aggressive general employed by any belligerent") was a larger than life and outstanding character in a time of larger than life characters and its not inconceivable that he would mobilize every man, woman, child or dog in a single-minded effort to achieve victory. You have to have women pushing ammunition carts through the mud after the horses are downed or running rations and water up to the men on the fighting lines and even defending the baggage or hospital trains from marauding light-horse. All these things have been reported and documented (various times and places), just without details. (During the 30 years wars there were oblique mentions that the women of the Landsknecht were more to be feared than the men--I assumed they were referring to the camp followers but maybe not. Like the cartoons from the period showing women carrying the men's weapons and accoutrements--but what if the men were walking wounded or sick, maybe the women were prepared to defend, or revenge the wounded? There wasn't a lot of quarter given in those days, or fine distinctions of non-combatants and I've been personally acquainted with some very rational women, in and out of uniform. I think, given his eccentricities, Blucher might be a perfect vehicle to show how women were indispensible--you don't have to overdue it, just show women pitching in when and where needed--everywhere. Besides I cannot get the vision of Sydney Sweeney dressed to the nines as a Hussar out of my mind! And seriously Harvey Keitel!