A Reel Review: NAPOLEON

Every year, there arrives a film based on actual persons or events that gets bashed for not sticking true to history. This is always an unfair bottom-line critique, as all that should matter is what we see on the screen, and objectively, any viewer with zero knowledge of the history should be able to take it in without spending hours in a library doing background research. Such is the case for famed director Ridley Scott’s NAPOLEON. 

 

Napoleon Bonaparte (Joaquin Phoenix), rises from an artillery officer to eventual Emperor of France by way of his military plotting and victories. He weds Josephine (Vanessa Kirby), whom he hopes will produce him an heir. 

 

Directed by Ridley Scott, NAPOLEON covers nearly 30 years of the life of one of history’s most famous figures. With such a wide scope, the film moves briskly and checks off the encyclopedia chapters with moments of drama. There is no central plot from A to Z, and the film moves episodically, from Napoleon’s early victories to his major ones, to his political manuvering that eventually lands him a golden crown. 

 

One connecting thread throughout NAPOLEON is his fiery relationship with Josephine. Despite his many efforts in the bedroom (which are nearly comical), Josephine is unable to bear a child for him. This leads to the most drama of the film and their relationship is one of Napoleon’s central drives. His letters home to her during his campaigns serve as a narration and provide backdrop and summaries of his battles, and her presence hangs heavy over everything. NAPOLEON becomes more of a love story than a war film. 

 

Ridley Scott still brings the fire when the film does have to move to the battlefields. The scenes are stunning in scope and execution, and will have audiences ducking for cover when the cannons ignite. Many scenes are based on famous paintings of the man himself and are brought to life in magnificently. Scott never shies away from the thousands upon thousands of lives lost during Napoleon’s wars, providing a pointed perspective on what the man was doing. 

 

Joaquin Phoenix does a lot of heavy lifting here. He and Scott thankfully avoids any “short-man” jokes, and instead focuses on the (ahem), mental shortcomings of the man; his insecurities are not glossed over and Phoenix delivers them. Vanessa Kirby is flat-out amazing. 

 

At only 157 minutes, NAPOLEON doesn’t hit upon every single battle or victory in the man’s historical career (some are merely mentioned), and his military genius is often set aside for more dramatic, character-driven bits. Some of this may drive history buffs crazy, but if we are to look at this as a movie (checks notes, it is), there is a thrilling, engaging, and in-places breathtaking film that has a lot to say about little dictators that make it big. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: See it