Rent Napoleon on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: David Scarpa
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby, Tahar Rahim, Rupert Everett
Rated: R
Watch the trailer
Plot
An epic detailing the rise and fall of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and his relentless journey to power through the prism of his addictive, volatile relationship with his wife Josephine.
Verdict
The battles are absolutely amazing, unfortunately there's more to the movie. This hits many of the highlights, but with such a short time spent on those scenes we never get a solid foundation. The interpersonal scenes are just filler between the next battles. The production design and the way this brings history to life is impressive in every scene. This movie wants to do it all, and if it focused on one or even two battles it could have built a more focused narrative about the man. While I get a sense of Napoleon, I want to see more and I want to see interactions with more than just his wife.
It depends.
Review
The production values are never less than amazing. The battles almost make this worth watching. The scope and scale is impressive.
This movie wants to provide unique insight into Napoleon and uses his wife to portray the man behind the military victories. It also wants to cover several of his big battles. It ends up feeling like an outline of Napoleon's life. The battles are great, the scenes in between are lacking. This wants to show both sides of him, but it ends up feeling like two different people. This is a man that reshaped the world, but each battle incurred increased casualties. His ego caused him to keep pushing, thinking he couldn't lose as he couldn't be wrong. That aspect would be great to explore more in depth as a through line for this movie.
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| Joaquin Phoenix plays Napoleon |
This starts with the end of Marie Antoinette and a young Napoleon's siege of Toulon. It's an amazing sequence that unfolds amidst cannon blasts and fighting troops. He's ruthless, quelling rebellions with cannons, but he gets results and that propels him forward. When you win, it provides a lot of latitude.
Napoleon woos an aristocrat and marries Josephine (Vanessa Kirby). It really seems like she's just another conquest, a battle to win. Their relationship is contentious, and it's even a distraction when it takes him away from the battlefield. Of course he refuses to accept any criticism as he's the great war hero. He's crowned emperor by the pope. When he puts the crown on his head instead of allowing the pope to do it, it's Napoleon claiming absolute authority above God and man.
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| Vanessa Kirby, Joaquin Phoenix play Joséphine, Napoleon |
This moves so quickly through his life, hitting milestones, social escapades, and military battles. He's a great general, certainly a bit arrogant, though you can argue he's earned it with his victories. It's that arrogance that leads to his downfall. He loses a battle and claims he's incapable of making a mistake. That perfectly captures what he's become. He's coasting on the past. I'd love to see more moments like that, insight into the person.
The scale and scope of what this accomplishes is amazing. The battles are nothing short of epic. It's the only redeemable aspect of the movie as the size of the armies and the action is visceral. The scenes with his wife provide a unique insight, but it seems like a soap opera subplot just to be alluring.
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