Ridley Scott is both a genius and, to put it mildly, a mysterious man. Today he can shoot the magnificent “The Martian” with a solid and tense story, tomorrow, the dubious “Covenant”, which makes fun of “Alien” fans. As a result, no one knows what to expect from the director.
Fortunately, in Napoleon’s case, Scott was in good shape. He made a beautiful movie with epic battles and an outstanding performance by Joaquin Phoenix. It’s a shame that there are still major drawbacks.
“Napoleon”: where to look?
Unofficial screenings in Russian cinemas have already begun, although they are still few. The film was shot with the support of Apple TV+, so a digital version will be released there in the near future.
The video is available on Topkino’s YouTube channel. The rights to the video belong to Apple.
The big man couldn’t fit in 2.5 hours.
Making a film about a personality of Napoleon’s caliber and fitting it into the right moment is an impossible task. This is true if we take a specific segment: for example, we concentrate on one thing: the Russian campaign or the fall, where there will be a defeat at Waterloo and exile to the island of Elba. But Ridley Scott aimed for more: he spoke of almost all of Bonaparte’s life, from the capture of Toulon to his abdication of his throne.
At the same time, the director addresses not only Napoleon’s military career, but also his personal life. Meeting Josephine, the wedding, her infidelities, the breakup… all of this takes a long time. As a result, many key events are left unattended, throwing history into confusion. Here the allies are dissatisfied with Napoleon’s ambitions and ask him to moderate his ardor, but here he is already putting on the crown and making an important speech.
What happened? How exactly did he take power? There is no time to explain.
Napoleon played by Joaquin Phoenix
Photo: Apple
Wars were also approached extremely selectively. For example, the Russian campaign ignores the Battle of Borodino and other important events. It seems that Bonaparte reached the capital unhindered and was only shattered by the sight of Moscow in flames.
In the end, Napoleon appears to be a controversial biopic. It talks superficially about the life of the hero, and it is not a fact that the promised four-hour director’s cut will correct the situation. But if we evaluate Ridley Scott’s work as an epic drama, then he deserves applause.
All the battles are fascinating.
Photo: Apple
Beautiful and epic
The first frames of “Napoleon” make it clear: it is one of the most beautiful historical films. Authentic streets of Paris, fascinating costumes with many details, luxurious palaces, regular changes of location, from dirty German fields to Egyptian deserts. Everything seems so expensive that you can’t tear yourself away from the screen.
We must also praise the large-scale battles: there are fewer of them than we would like, but each one is magnificent. The camera often shoots into the sky and shows thousands of soldiers running into battle, screaming and falling after being wounded. The cannons fire incessantly, the cavalry rushes in from the flank, causing panic, the elite units calmly reform, luring the enemy into a trap.
An epic battle is in full swing
Photo: Apple
At the same time, the war is shown in the most ruthless way possible. In the first battle, a cannonball hits Napoleon’s horse. Blood, flying flesh, horror in the rider’s eyes – all this scares and creates tension. This is just one example; The film is full of situations of this type.
The combination of scale, beauty and bloodlust make the battles of Austerlitz and Waterloo one of the most spectacular episodes of 2023 cinema. Off the top of your head, you can’t remember if there was anything more impressive this year.
The soldiers idolized Napoleon.
Photo: Apple
It’s worth watching just for Joaquin Phoenix.
Perhaps the film does not show the most reliable version of Napoleon, but how can you blame this image if it was embodied by the brilliant Joaquin Phoenix? Still, the actor perfectly showed the character’s versatility.
Bonaparte scares his enemies with his gaze, but at the same time he himself trembles with fear when an angry crowd pounces on him. The soldiers idolize him, carrying out any order, but his wife humiliates him by cheating on him. The hero coldly watches the battle progress and shouts excitedly when the important Englishman rejects the offer. All these contradictions form a complex and attractive image.
Napoleon’s characteristic mockery turned out to be especially successful when he experiences the blows of fate and is surprised by defeats. Recently, the hero was emperor and is now exiled to an island. How can you not laugh at the absurdity of this situation? Joaquin Phoenix develops the character with a lot of memorable details, so it’s nice to watch.
Joaquin Phoenix is traditionally good
Photo: Apple
“Napoleon”: is it worth watching?
If you like historical dramas and large-scale battles, be sure to watch Ridley Scott’s film. The new film superficially tells the life of Napoleon, but impresses with its beautiful landscapes, its epic and his performances.
Rating of “Napoleon” – 8 out of 10
Appreciated
Incredibly beautiful landscapes and costumes. Joaquin Phoenix is great as always. The battles are fascinating.
I dont like him
The narration is too chaotic. There are not many important events in the plot.
Related materials
“House 2” for the rich: the new “Squid Game” was an embarrassment for Netflix
THE NAIS IS OFFICIAL EDITOR ON NAIS NEWS