Review | Napoleon | 2023
There are few modern filmmakers as uniquely adept at filming large scale battle scenes as Ridley Scott. From Gladiator to Black Hawk Down to Kingdom of Heaven to The Last Duel , Scott's eye for sweeping historical drama has earned him both critical acclaim and commercial success since his very first film, The Duellists , was released in 1977. So it would seem that Napoleon , a sprawling retelling of the life of the infamous French general and emperor, would be something that fits squarely within his wheelhouse. And it does, to some extent - but it also feels as though this time Scott has bitten off more than he can chew. Joaquin Phoenix stars as the eponymous ruler of France, tracing his career from an eager Corsican officer during the French Revolution to his death in exile in 1821. Scott's film traces his rise to power and his myriad military victories, along with his tumultuous relationship with his beloved wife, Josephine (Vanessa Kirby), whom he divorced in 1810 due t
