Kevin Brownlow/Coppola Napoleon

[srowley75]

Can anyone give me in a nutshell what the differences are between these two versions, and which is the more worthy of my time? I ashamedly admit I'm being somewhat lazy today and don't feel like scouring internet sites for a reliable opinion.

Years ago, I half-heartedly sat through the Coppola restoration (watching it on my 13" Zenith didn't enhance the experience, needless to say) and I recently acquired the Brownlow version by way of a friend.

I'd like to revisit the film by watching one of the two versions again, but I don't think I could stand to sit through both. With the enormous backlog of films I currently have, I don't want to devote 9 hours or more to single film, especially if watching both means revisiting the same material.

-Stephen

[rudyfan]

I do not know the exact figures, but Brownlow has found much more footage than was in the 1980 restoration now owned by Coppola/Zoetrope. I believe Brownlow's current running time is about 5 or 5 and 1/2 hours. So I expect there is significant new footage, but not available in the US and has not been screened on this side of the pond.

[Ann Harding]

If I were you, I would just ignore the Coppola version altogether (Coppola did nothing: he just used Brownlow's work and asked him to cut it to fit a slot at Radio City Music Hall). It's speeed up at 24fps and makes the movement ridiculous. If you have the longer version, it should be speed corrected at 20 fps. On top, Carl Davis's score is infinitely superior. Unfortunately the longer version that is circulating offers a very poor sound quality that doesn't show Carl Davis's work under the best condition.... Nevertheless, it's better than the Coppola one and you will have about 30 min more footage.
Anyway if you want to know more about the so-called Coppola version versus Brownlow's full restoration, read the following.
click: Here
(This is the part of the interview I did with Brownlow about it)

[Gagman 66]

srowley75,

Where did you friend get the Kevin Brownlow or Thames Silents version? It might be different than what I have? This version runs a 100 minutes longer than the Coppolla one does. Although, some of that is due to the slower frame-rates. I quite like the Carmine Coppolla score myself, but I agree that the projection speed is much to fast for this movie. The Thames version is superior in many ways. Though it would benefit greatly from a Fresh broadcast master.

My understanding is that a compromise was reached last year between Photoplay Productions and Universal for an Ultimate DVD release featuring both versions. Unfortunately, that no more then was agreed upon, and the Universal Studios fire destroyed all the 70 millimeter prints of the 1981 (Coppolla) theatrical re-issue. Although this had previously been out on DVD in Australia years ago. Now I am not really sure what is happening anymore?

[bdp]

I don't mind the Coppola version as such, and I don't think the projection rate is all that bad. I do think it a travesty that the most complete version cannot be made available; I'm not familiar enough with it yet to have an opinion of the Davis score compared to Coppola's. There's no reason both can't be made available to the consumer, in theory.

[Ollie]

I picked up the Coppola version years ago and, after discovering Coppola's poor behavior, I am ashamed to have it. I'm only keeping it in hopes we'll all receive the Brownlow version eventually, and I'll use that to remind myself of some small-minded famous person's snitty tirades.

[srowley75]

Want to thank everyone for their kind, helpful and direct responses. I asked this question on another list with very little knowledge of the overall type of work Brownlow did on this film (e.g., whether his restoration was more of a historical effort to preserve Gance's footage or whether it focused on remaining true to the director's actual vision) and this was how the person concluded his response:

So if you care to the film under the best conditions possible, and in the way it was meant to be seen, see the Brownlow. If you are doing it out of some sort of duty, don't ever bother. If you only looking for maximum entertainment, I suggest going into the menu and jump to the last reel. Then, after it's over, slip in "Dark Knight" and watch that. Twice.

I really have no idea what that meant - I suppose at its most complimentary, it was a weak attempt at humor and at worse, it was meant to suggest that I was some sort of ill bred mouth-breather for posing the question. Anyhow, I think the general tone of civility is one of the chief reasons that I visit this group more often than the others that I subscribe to.

-Stephen

[srowley75]

I picked up the Coppola version years ago and, after discovering Coppola's poor behavior, I am ashamed to have it. I'm only keeping it in hopes we'll all receive the Brownlow version eventually, and I'll use that to remind myself of some small-minded famous person's snitty tirades.

After having read more on all of the controversy, it made me very antagonistic to Coppola.

The only thing that bugs me is that the Brownlow recording I have doesn't preserve anything close to the aspect ratio of the widescreen sequence (though I believe even the Coppola version that I have isn't the true OAR either - but it is better). So I'll probably only keep the Coppola version on hand for that purpose. On top of that, I don't think it's Brownlow's latest restoration (from what I read this version is shorter than the longest cut of the film). But at least I will feel like I'm seeing the movie more as it was intended to be shown.

-Stephen

[Ann Harding]

The only thing that bugs me is that the Brownlow recording I have doesn't preserve anything close to the aspect ratio of the widescreen sequence (though I believe even the Coppola version that I have isn't the true OAR either - but it is better)

When Napoléon was shown on Channel 4 in the 80s, Brownlow chose deliberately not to show the triptych because it couldn't be done properly. So instead, he created a new ending by editing the last scenes. The Coppola DVD offers the triptych but it's heavily 'squeezed'. This is really a film to see on a big screen...