Sep 25, 2019
Napoleon And Love: Josephine (1.2, Thames, 1974)
"I'm so against naturalness, aren't you? In all its dreary forms - like trees, and fields."
"What are you going to look at?"
"You. You're so marvellously..."
"Unnatural?"
"...artificial. The highest compliment that I can pay."
#Napoleon and love#Josephine#1974#classic tv#Philip mackie#Reginald collin#ian holm#billie whitelaw#Wendy allnutt#T. P. Mckenna#Tony anholt#Peter bowles#David Calder#Edward de souza#Robert East#christopher neame#Jonathan elsom#janet key#Jay Neill#Napoleon's career takes the main focus of this episode as he is mainly separated from wife Josephine. Off in Italy he proves himself an#Astute and successful military leader. Josephine however still has her own lovelife very much at the front of her mind..#It must be kudos to Whitelaw that she has made a character who is so totally and remorselessly devious and self serving#Somehow almost loveable at the same time. Holm is still very good but he is absent for some of the meat of this episode#And the episode rests on his company of fellow soldiers. Of these Bowles is perhaps the most interesting as boastful and#Foolish general who nevertheless retains a streak of ruthless honesty (when questioned by Mckenna on his sudden promotion since the first#Episode he responds quite simply that a lot of people have died). Some impressive sets and costumes distract from the fact that all of#Napoleon's major military achievements are occurring entirely offscreen. But it looks about as good as videotaped 70s TV can look#Except for the dreaded wig anyway. Oh and at one point Holm puts his hand in his jacket which is entirely incidental but did make me go#Heh heh heh.
