Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby and Tahar Rahim revive the story of Napoleon in front of Ridley Scott’s cameras.
We will notice similarities in the opening scene of Marie-Antoinette’s execution with her remarkable The Last Duel, with the treatment reserved for women and the deconstruction of patriarchy, sometimes implicitly, favorite themes of the brilliant 85-year-old filmmaker.
Since Ridley Scott is not afraid of incurring the wrath of the French, the Brit dares numerous historical rewrites, from the execution of Marie-Antoinette, which Bonaparte (Joaquin Phoenix) never witnessed, to the age of Josephine (Vanessa Kirby), the… However, she was older than her famous husband when she passed the pyramids, against which the future emperor never thundered his cannons, or as old as Joaquin Phoenix, almost twice as old as Napoleon at the time of the feature’s opening.
But it does not matter. Ridley Scott is not known for his respect for historical truth and we understand the artistic liberties the filmmaker takes. Because the biographical part of Napoleon is just a pretext. Telling a love story in 157 minutes that defied all conventions at the beginning of the 19th century. Also filming the general and then the emperor on the battlefields that brought him fame – including the defeats – from the capture of Toulon to the conquest of Egypt to the conquest of Russia, with one of the most memorable scenes being that of the English riders trapped in the icy water of a pond.
As we know, fights are the director’s trademark. Just think of Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, Kingdom of Heaven, Robin Hood and so many others. For Ridley Scott, Napoleon can be explained by his excessive desire to conquer and thus by his battles. We will therefore not know anything about his childhood, his reforms of French society or his political maneuvers, the script by David Scarpa (All the Money in the World by Ridley Scott, but also the very bad decree “Earth Day” of 2008) I would like I will not delve into these details, which are nonetheless important to understanding the man who crowned himself emperor in 1804.
Rumors are circulating that the Director’s Cut, which is rumored to be an hour longer, could be shown on AppleTV+ next year. Will this extra hour add what is so sorely missing? Not sure. For this we have to resort to Abel Gance’s “Napoléon”, which at five and a half hours offers an epic like no other… in black and white and in silent film, the film from 1927.
Napoleon hits theaters on November 22nd.
Rating: 3 out of 5