Napoleon Ridley Scott’s new historical epic,” is revealed as a magnificent spectacle tainted by inconsistent tone and narrative threads. Cast as the leader of France, Joaquin Phoenix gives a performance that borders on humor and drama, while Vanessa Kirby’s portrayal of Josephine feels out of place given the film’s jumbled narrative. Despite its aim to portray Napoleon’s legacy with brilliance and emotional depth, the film failed to provide a convincing and emotionally straightforward historical drama.
The film begins with Marie Antoinette witnessing a young Napoleon take on the icy guillotine blade against the turbulent backdrop of the French Revolution. Napoleon, a character characterized by erratic mood swings, an unstable personality, and an unquenchable thirst for power, is introduced to us by Scott.The film advances via Napoleon’s military victories and political maneuvering, starting with the siege of Toulon and ending with the battle of Austerlitz, which is where Scott really excels. Particularly the Austerlitz sequence has received accolades for its gripping performance, demonstrating Scott’s talent for staging dramatic and intense battle scenes
nevertheless, spite of the film’s a strike visuals, the movie tackles an additional problem: a story line that seems to be mosaic-like, collecting pieces without creating a cohesive whole. As has been noted in reviews, the film loses its smooth story due to shoddy editing, which makes scenes feel disjointed and abrupt transitions. This confusion has the biggest effect on Napoleon and Josephine’s moving romance. The film falls quick about standards and reduces the complicated nature of the characters’ connected relationships by failing to create a believable and mentally resonant attachment between it.
Napoleon is portrayed by Phoenix as an overly selfish and funny character, who eventually becomes the main focus of the story. Scene by scene, his tone strongly shifts, leaving viewers unsure whether or not to laugh at or feel sympathy for the hero. As intended, Scott’s satirical tones struggle to find coherence within the larger narrative, leaving viewers perplexed by the abrupt changes in tone. The comedy in the movie, which aims to be an underground component, regularly seems out of place and unconnected to the larger historical setting.
The film hides its larger goal of examining the void left by Napoleon’s death by eschewing in-depth character speculation in favor of a plan that reads like an efficient story. The movie ends unsatisfactorily because Scott chose to make fun of Napoleon and not explore his political impact in depth, missing the chance to offer a complex viewpoint on one of history’s most illustrious characters.
“Napoleon” gives up emotional connection in favor of beauty. Despite its visually catching moments, the movie leaves viewers confused by its incomplete storyline.
Napoleon
- Director: Ridley Scott
- Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby, Tahar Rahim, Ben Miles, Matthew Needham, Édouard Philipponnat, Rupert Everett, Catherine Walker
- Story line: The public and personal story of the greatest military commander and emperor of France and his passionate love for his adulterous wife, Empress Joséphine
- Run time: 157 minutes
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