Napoleon – REVIEW

This ambitious cinematic epic was directed by Ridley Scott and surrounds Napoleon Bonaparte, one of the greatest generals and most infamous emperors in history, regarded as “the Caesar of his time”.

The movie commences in 1789, highlighting the events of the French revolution, the beheading of Marie Antoinette and the subsequent wars and conquests of Napoleon that followed. His rise to power is meticulously examined, and how he successfully waged war against various European nations. His famous romantic side is also explored, his marriage to Josephine and the infidelities within their marriage.

Joaquin Phoenix delivers a memorable performance as Napoleon, the shrewd and   ambitious French emperor and military commander who rose to prominence during the French revolution. At times there may be chuckles from the audience as he emulates Napoleon’s strange traits of behaviour.

The major problem with this movie is the historical inaccuracies throughout. Napoleon’s age and positions in the military are incorrectly stated. The most cringeworthy inaccuracy depicted was in the scene where Napoleon fired cannon balls at the pyramids during The Battle of the Pyramids, a major engagement fought during the French invasion of Egypt – this never happened.

Did the researcher assigned to the movie perhaps forget to take a history lesson? The question that arises is, is this being pedantic or is it important to keep the movie as accurate as possible? Should filmmakers purposely disregard historical accuracy for dramatic embellishment? A majority of people would agree that an historical epic should be historically legitimate else it’s not a real portrayal.

However, overall the movie is captivating, immersive and entertaining, so it may win disgruntled history buffs over.

The reported budget of US$200 million is evident on the silver screen. The cinematography is mesmerising and much time and costing must have been devoted in recreating the era so perfectly – the impressive sets and costumes, right down to dressing the masses of extras in the crowd scenes. 

The one element in the production which cannot be faulted is the impressive CGI, notably during the several gruesome battle sequences which heightens the barbaric nature of warfare during those dark times.

If you’re not a fact checking historian, you enjoy an action historical biopic and don’t mind a lengthy running time of 2.5 hours then this movie is for you. But if you demand the story of Napoleon Bonaparte with complete historical accuracy perhaps reading the history books may be the better alternative.

★★★1/2

In Cinemas Now