Film Review: "Napoleon" (2023).

"He came from nothing. He conquered everything." This is Napoleon. This historical drama film directed by Ridley Scott, and written by David Scarpa. The film details the checkered rise and fall of the iconic French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, as well as his relentless journey to power through the prism of his addictive, volatile relationship with his one true love, Josephine.

In mid October 2020, the same day his film The Last Duel (2021) wrapped filming, Scott announced the film, at that point provisionally called Kitbag, as his next project for 20th Century Studios, which he would direct and produce from a script penned by Scarpa. Joaquin Phoenix was reportedly attached to star as the French general and emperor, marking his second collaboration with Scott after Gladiator (2000). In January 2021, Apple Studios announced its commitment to finance and produce the film, with shooting scheduled to take place in the United Kingdom in 2022. In September, Jodie Comer was attached to star as Josephine. However, in early January 2022, Comer revealed her departure from the film due to scheduling changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, Vanessa Kirby was announced as her replacement. In addition, the film had been retitled to Napoleon. The historian Lorris Chevalier, who worked on The Last Duel, became the historical advisor. By February, Tahar Rahim, Ben Miles, Ludivine Sagnier, Matthew Needham, Ian McNeice, and Rupert Everett rounded out the film's cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced and took place throughout England, France, Malta and Morocco. The film was shot under the working title Marengo, a reference to the Battle of Marengo in 1800.

The movie is distinguished by the uniform excellence of its actors, Phoenix, in particular, gives a performance of striking stillness and reserve. Phoenix's performance as the titular figure is actually worth the cost of admission, and there is exemplary supporting work by Kirby, Rahim, Miles, Sagnier, Needham, McNeice, and Everett.

Storytelling is sacrificed for spectacle, resulting in something breathtakingly epic yet partially unsatisfying and unfortunately forgettable. Even with the prospect of a four-hour director's cut, Scott's film remains a rather uneventful epic with a story that fails to completely engage. The film is an extraordinary work of art, an examination of the titular figure works because of sheer filmmaking prowess and good, old-fashioned storytelling. Any film daring to touch upon the life of the French military figure deserves to be appreciated for its candor & for its delicacy. Plus, come on, it's Ridley Scott. Scott's visual style and knack for epic storytelling carries us through, and makes his latest work passable, if not memorable, oversized entertainment. Scott's battles are ferocious things of grim beauty -- bloody, personal and deafening crashes of armored men and horses colliding at full gallop. Scott's interesting but uneven effort doesn't disappoint when it comes to Napoleon's sieges, which all has scale and a truly frightening quality. You may not leave the theater feeling better educated about history or enlightened about the titular figure, but you will leave satisfied that the filmmakers have delivered one-hundred-and-fifty-eight minutes of exciting, visceral cinema.

Simon says Napoleon receives:

Also, see my review for House of Gucci.