Napoleon Falls Short

The new Napoleon film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Joaquin Phoenix in the titular role. The movie falls short, failing to capture the glory of the duos previous outing in Gladiator.
It tries to include too much and focuses on his personal relationship with Josephine, dividing the attention of the film between this and the historical events.

[@RoberttAvro]

I saw it the other day and thought it was terrible. I could not actually believe how inaccurate it was. For instance, the scene where Napoleon ordered cannon fire at the pyramids of Egypt. Completely made up, never happened. They just stuck that scene in there as a demonstration of white male disrespect towards other cultures, when in fact Napoleon was a leader in the preservation of Egyptian ancient history. Don't forget that it was the French who found the Rosetta Stone allowing the world to unlock the mystery of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. They were actually the first early modern Egyptologists. But instead of showing that they make up something completely fake instead. Awful movie, just awful.

[@marklivingstone3710]

Also doesn’t even mention Trafalgar or Leipzig…………which did happen but did show Wellington meeting Napoleon to have a chat……..which didn’t happen. It should have more accurately been called Joséphine

[@ThePiratemachine]

What a ridiculous way Marie Antoinette is portrayed. She didn't go to the guillotine that way at all. No, I was not there but there are plenty of reputable biographies that indicate she was not like that and was very brave. Antoinia Fraser's biog is one of if not the best.

[@Cravatron]

It felt like satire, blatant Angloid propaganda about a French historical figure.

[@biffstrong1079]

I'm not sure what scott was on about. He might have been trying to suggest the popular Napoleon was as useless as the populist Trump but there is no equivalence to be drawn here. Napoleon was one of the great figures of history who rode the wave of the french revolution to absolute power in France and finally in continental europe. He made an amazing return to power in France after 200 days in exile. At the head of less than 1000 men he took france back from it's installed Bourbon King in a month. This Napoleon on the screen would be incapable of anything the real Napoleon managed. He should have tried reimagining Elizabeth the I or George Washington and see where it got him.

[@calvingrondahl1011]

Waterloo was just about Waterloo. I saw Waterloo in 1970 in the theater. 👍

[@bsaneil]

And yet it gives us far more of a real insight into Napoleon's true character than this does.

[@biffstrong1079]

Covered the 100 days and tried very hard to be fair to Wellington and Napoleon and to a lesser extent Blucher, and most of all to historical accuracy.

[@broadband01]

watched it yesterday,not anywhere near as good as waterloo movie

[@biffstrong1079]

I liked Alexander and fell asleep during Lincoln. The french never shot the pyramids and brought a lot of scientists and historians to egypt to study . They found the rosetta stone which lead to the first translation of egyptian hieroglyphics and was invaluable in recovering the lost history of egypt. Their depiction of Austerlitz is inaccurate and in no way demonstrates Napoleon's military genius. Could have shown Borodino or the conquest of Italy, Prussia, Austria ,Spain, Russia. Gladiator is completely inaccurate at the end. You can't just choose what you like. He's remaking the 1960's movie "Fall of the Roman Empire" but he completely blows the historical impact of Commodus's reign and it's result. He puts forward the exact opposite message at the end of Gladiator. The senator pertinax was killed months after the death of commodus by the praetorian guard who then auctioned off the empireship to the highest bidder. Commodus's sister was killed by him a couple years into his reign for plotting against him. He was killed in his bed by a wrestler paid to do the job. This was the year of the five emperors followed by the reign of the barracks emperors. There is no republican or democratic phase in this period of roman history. This was utter Ridley scott fantasy happy ending. Joaquin Phoenix is too old to portray Napoleon. He was 26 when he met the 32 year old Josephine. He was 30 when he became first consul. He's 35 as emperor and 46 at Waterloo. He rewrote the legal code in france. He did love Josephine desperately. She was also desperate for a protector as her first husband was killed by the french government and she and her children had only survived because of the death of robespierre in 1794. He promoted scientific and democratic inquiry.

[@lynnienorris5776]

Forget History... Tired old Napoleon Craggy,and dejected! This is no War Hero Frowning and Whining?

[@Antares2]

Your opening might sound clever... but it would be outrageous to expect a movie to "reach the heights conquered" by Napoleon in real life. I haven't watched the movie yet, but to expect it to have the same effect on the world as the real-world events might be taking it a few billion steps too far. Just saying.

[@gamecube6]

Honestly having watched the movie I stand by his choice of words. I feel like he summed up my experience at the theater very well

[@MariaMartinez-researcher]

It is a super-production with a very large budget, an Oscar-winner leading actor, a multiple times Oscar-winner director. It appeared they were a match to the greatness of the subject, no matter the take: Napoleon as hero, as tyrant, as lover, as intellectual, as politician, his early years, his last years - every aspect is full of possibilities to make great movies - there are a bunch. This movie indeed fell short, not only in the expectations department, but in the cinematographic too. One can disagree with the point of view, but a biopic that simply doesn't tell a coherent story, it's utterly disappointing.

[@carausiuscaesar5672]

Argh🇫🇷!how could they get Napoleon’s date of birth wrong?!

[@ahappyimago]

Alexander was so much better than Lincoln.

[@pni2009]

The film is sh.t!