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Napoleon Review
Image Credit: Apple
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Directed By: Ridley Scott
Written By: David Scarpa
Runtime: 158 minutes
MPA Rating: Rated R for strong violence, some grisly images, sexual content and brief language
Joaquin Phoenix – Napoleon Bonaparte
Vanessa Kirby – Empress Josephine Bonaparte
Matthew Needham – Lucien Bonaparte
Tahar Rahim – Paul Barras
Rupert Everett – Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Ben Miles – Caulaincourt
Mark Bonnar – Jean-Andoche Junot
Edouard Philipponnat – Tsar Alexander
Miles Jupp – Emperor Francis II
Sinéad Cusack – Letizia Bonaparte
Sam Troughton – Maximilien Robespierre
Ian McNeice – King Louis XVIII
Ludivine Sagnier – Theresa Cabarrus
Catherine Walker – Queen Marie Antoinette
Director Ridley Scott attempts to deliver a large-scale historical epic with his new film, Napoleon. However, while Scott’s attempt does succeed in multiple technical areas and some impressive, realistic battle scenes, he fails to execute his vision of one of the world’s most famous military leaders and strategists. While Scott opts to focus on Napoleon’s tumultuous love life, the rest of the film turns into a choppy, disjointed mess.
Set in the aftermath of the French Revolution, Scott and writer David Scarpa document Napoleon Bonaparte and his rise to power. Through the years, and his prominent military victories, Napoleon ascends from an upstart young soldier from Corsica to one of the most cunning military leaders in the world. Eventually, as the balance of power shifts for the French Empire, Napoleon becomes the country’s new emperor.
As his reputation and victories increase, Napoleon courts a widowed noblewoman, Josephine, who was imprisoned during the Reign of Terror. In Napoleon, Josephine finds an opportunity to restore her family’s status and reputation following her husband’s arrest and subsequent execution. The two share a strange co-dependent relationship. Napoleon is desperate for her love and devotion, even as he mistreats Josephine and punishes her for failing to produce an heir.
Ridley Scott’s vision struggles to match his ambition, similar to Napoleon as a ruler. The first half of the movie is gutted and progresses in a very disjointed, rough fashion. The movie opens with a striking prologue, showcasing Napoleon witnessing the beheading of Queen Marie Antoinette (Walker). After that, the rest of Napoleon lacks cohesion, as it juts around Napoleon’s key victories during his subsequent rise through the ranks.
The film plays as if multiple sequences were removed from the narrative. Early on, Scott establishes a narrative device where key figures of France’s post-revolutionary government are introduced via naming subtitles. However, Scott abandons this device shortly after its first use as many key figures throughout the narrative are not given the same introduction. However, the film restores the subtitle names later, so the device is applied inconsistently. Other scenes, such as Josephine’s release from prison and the aftermath of the Reign of Terror, are rushed and not given enough time to breathe.
While focusing on Napoleon and Josephine’s bizarrely co-dependent relationship was an angle to take, the remainder of the film misses out on depicting aspects of Napoleon’s rule over France. Scott and Scarpa never truly establish how and why Napoleon can inspire such loyalty among his military ranks. Yes, Napoleon is a competent leader in battle, but the film never captures his magnetic charisma. Additionally, the attitudes and views of the French populace, and their support or lack thereof for Napoleon, never emerge during the experience.
The film subtly hints that Napoleon’s drive came from the heel and vision of an overbearing, controlling mother, Letizia Bonaparte (Cusack). While Letizia appears sparingly throughout the film, the idea is not fully explored or fleshed out, nor is Napoleon’s relationship with his brother Lucien (Needham). These characters constitute lost opportunities to offer further insight and exploration into the mind of Napoleon.
Joaquin Phoenix is a tremendous actor, but he appears miscast as Napoleon. He often looks confused about how to approach the role, and he never succeeds in nailing down the key aspects of his performance. Likewise, Scott appears unsure of how he wants to depict Napoleon. Phoenix’s performance frequently plays out awkwardly, and there is never a singular moment where the actor disappears into the role. Mileage will vary regarding whether the type of humor in the film succeeds or fails.
What is most frustrating about Napoleon is that Scott seems fixated on these awkward moments rather than establishing Napoleon’s cunning and keen intellect as a military leader. There is never a sense of the method to Napoleon’s madness in besting his opponents. Scott seems more interested in showing Napoleon having an intimate encounter with an unearthed Pharoah’s sarcophagus. Napoleon inquisitively peers at a mummified corpse. The general looks as if he possibly wants to merge with the ancient pharaoh or learn its secrets of becoming such a legendary ruler.
Vanessa Kirby is the film’s true standout as Josephine, delivering the film’s best performance. Kirby significantly outshines Phoenix throughout the entire picture, and Josephine is a far more relatable, sympathetic figure throughout the narrative. In Napoleon, Josephine sees an opportunity for her family to regain status and stability after a turbulent and uncertain period. Unfortunately, Napoleon is as volatile of a romantic partner as he is a ruler and military leader.
While the film does explore the Napoleonic Wars as Bonaparte leads multiple campaigns that help expand France’s empire and military strength, the conflicts among Britain, Russia, and Austria lack proper context. Tsar Alexander (Philipponnat) is present during the film, but the military conflicts are understated. The other actors in the cast do fair or competent work, but none of the performances except Kirby’s truly stands out.
Another big attraction for Napoleon is the battle sequences, which have an impressively large scale and are executed better than most of the film. The battle sequences, specifically the Battle of Austerlitz and the Battle of Waterloo, are adeptly shot by cinematographer Dariusz Wolski. They are recreated with brutal realism. The battle scenes’ main flaw is their lack of a stronger human element, other than Napoleon’s presence.
Scott has indicated that he’s working on an extended cut of Napoleon that will be available on Apple TV+ after the film’s theatrical release. That might very well amend many of the issues at work, but as it stands, the current version of the film never lives up in capturing one of history’s most important figures.
Napoleon will be hitting theaters first on November 22. It will be available on Apple TV+ at a later date.
