23 November 2009

Napoleon

Napoleon
Napoleon
Napoleon
Napoleon: The Greatest Movie Never Made, edited by Alison Castle, is a collection of ten volumes (Reference, Script, Production, Notes, Correspondence, Chronology, Text, Costumes, Location Scouting, and Picture File), and a poster, packaged inside an enormous, hollow book. It's outrageously expensive and extremely heavy (10kg), and is limited to 1,000 numbered copies (mine being #246).

Kubrick started pre-production for a proposed epic Napoleon Bonaparte biopic in 1968, and his research included collecting over 300 Napoleonic books (all of which are listed in Castle's bibliography), a database of 17,000 images (of which Castle reproduces 6,000; the full database is online), and 25,000 biographical index cards (of which Castle reproduces 100). The project was ultimately cancelled, however, after the box-office failure of another Napoleon film, Waterloo.

Castle's book, published by Taschen, features full reprints of Kubrick's Napoleon treatment and screenplay, and two drafts of his production notes. Selections from his thousands of letters, notebooks, and costume photographs are also included. Lengthy conversations between Kubrick and historian Felix Markham are meticulously and comprehensively transcribed.

After Kubrick died, his archive materials were displayed in a temporary Stanley Kubrick exhibition, and the permanent Stanley Kubrick Archive was established. The exhibition catalogue, published in 2004, contains a chapter about Napoleon (The Best Movie (N)ever Made, by Eva-Maria Magel), and Alison Castle's 2005 book The Stanley Kubrick Archives also includes a Napoleon chapter (The Epic That Never Was, by Gene D Phillips).

7 comment(s):

Anonymous said...

the price really intrigues me.. hehe.. mind the shipping too. but im just happy for you, what can i say..

Matthew Hunt said...

I pre-ordered early, so the book price plus courier was cheaper than the current RRP. But it's still by far the most expensive book I've ever bought.

Anonymous said...

it will still be the thought of having a wonderful book that counts. :-) enjoy your new books and don't forget to include them on your card catalogue ;-P

Matthew Hunt said...

Thank you! What card catalogue?

Anonymous said...

nah i just thought you had a card catalogue for your book & DVD collections.. theyre getting bigger and bigger enkk.. ;-) remember who's the librarian.

Matt J said...

You bought it?!! Merry Christmas ;)

Matthew Hunt said...

Matt, merry Christmas to you, too, thank you. Yes, it was an early Christmas present to myself. :-)

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