Good, but a little quirky
Chris | http://lazywargamer.blogspot.com/ | 10/25/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"1805: The Battle of Austerlitz has a running time of 55 minutes, and is narrated by Brian Blessed, with expert commentary from David Chandler. The narration and the commentary are both top-notch. The map graphics are well done and easy to follow. The video does have two quirky elements however. The first is that much of the visual content comes not from period documents or paintings, but rather consists of Napoleonic battle-scene cuts from the Mosfilm 1960's production of War and Peace. The other is that personal accounts of events are presented by two actors in costume. Simon Kirk, portraying the Austrian Major-General Stutterheim, seems to do a reasonable job. Dominique Carrara's portrayal of the French Captain Coignet is a tad overdone, and his attempt to sound like a grizzled grognard is slightly exaggerated and a little campy. I have not decided yet if I find these two aspects of the film mildly entertaining or mildly irritating - maybe a little of both. But they do not really detract from the documentary in any substantial way, and the DVD is definitely a worthwhile purchase for anyone interested in the 1805 campaign."