NAPOLEON

Cards on the table, I know shockingly little about Napoleon Bonaparte. Some of the basics, perhaps, but in terms of the details of his life, I know nothing.

Nor do I particularly care about historical inaccuracies in films. I did not watch Napoleon to be educated. If I’d wanted that I would have read a biography, or watched a documentary. I did not expect to come out of Napoleon with all my blanks filled in because that was never the films job.

No, as a drama Napoleons only job is to entertain, and boy does it do that.

Ridley Scotts depiction of Napoleon - here played by Joaquin Phoenix - is of ruthlessness and callousness. He also depicts him as an emotionally stunted, socially inept, man-child (something which historians - French historians in particular - have taken issue with).

His Napoleon is often played for comic effect, and it’s hard not to feel that Scott has approached this film with more contempt than admiration for his subject.

For his part Joaquin Phoenix leans into the comic tone well. It’s naturally not all slapstick violence and pratfalls - that would have been a tonal disaster - but each scene is played with a metaphorical side-eye to the camera, never missing an opportunity to show the mans ridiculousness.

Phoenix’s performance ultimately holds the film together. He is in almost every scene and is almost impossible to take your eyes off of. He commands the screen like his Napoleon commands the battlefield, demanding your attention and with a firm grip on what is playing out in front of him.

Ridley Scott has been quoted as saying the Phoenix was unsure, just days before filming, of what he was supposed to be doing, prompting the two to take a deep dive into the character, the script, and what Scott wanted. Whatever was discussed in these moments clearly worked, as Phoenix completely embodies the character. 

It is a classic example of a director and a lead performer being on the same page.

The battle scenes themselves - while not, so they say, historically accurate - are great fun to watch. The brutality is on full display, never shying away from the horrors of war, and is gripping to watch unfold. One in particular on the ice, which has been shown in the trailers, is an absolute masterclass in cinematography.

The fear and confusion of his enemy, and the tactical coldness of Napoleon himself, visceral. The sweeping camera work fully capturing every inch of the battlefield. They are thrilling moments and worth the price of a ticket all on their own.

Away from his battles the film centres on his marriage to Joséphine (Vanessa Kirby). Kirby is more than a match for Phoenix and her initial indifference of Napoleon - marrying for personal gain more than love - to her being worn down by him in her later years is expertly performed. 

Again there will be debates on her depiction, of the amount of love she felt for her husband, but Kirby takes Ridley Scotts version of the woman and makes it her own. In much the same way as Joaquin Phoenix becomes Napoleon, Kirby becomes Joséphine. 

The performance of the two leads keep the film going in moments where it might otherwise slump, I was concerned going in that while I would enjoy the action scenes the moments in-between would interest me less, but the chemistry between Phoenix and Kirby meant that this was never an issue. Instead I found myself looking forward to the moments where the two would be reunited.

Napoleon is a long film - coming in at 157 minutes - but because of the talents of those both on camera and behind it, it never lagged, and I never found myself wondering how long was left.

That being said I may still stay clear of the rumoured 4 hour cut that may be making its way to Apple TV.

Napoleon is an epic in every sense of the word. Big, spectacular and with an excellent cast. 

Much of your enjoyment will depend on how easily you are able to let go of the historical inaccuracies (or how much/little you knew in the first place), but if you are able to just let it wash over you, as a piece of drama rather than a piece of history, you will have an excellent time with it. 

And to anyone that does get hung up on the inaccuracies Ridley Scott has this to say - “Excuse me, mate, were you there? No? Well, shut the fuck up then”.

Not quite how I would have worded it but I take his point.