Napoleon
2023
**
Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby, Tahar Rahim, Rupert Everett, Ben Miles, Ludivine Sagnier, Matthew Needham, John Hollingworth, Youssef Kerkour, Sinéad Cusack, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Phil Cornwell
This biographical drama explores the rise and fall of the French military and political leader Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), and focuses on his military achievements, political ambitions, and the complicated relationship he had with his wife, Josephine. Stanley Kubrick researched Napoleon for years, but never got his project financed. David Scarpa's script squeezes the man's personal and professional life into 157 minutes. The film predictably feels rushed but also consistently unengaging. I won't try and write a history essay based on this film, because most of the time it's impossible to follow who, where, and especially why he is fighting at any given moment. Epics like Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, and Robin Hood have shown us that Ridley Scott knows how to stage a historical battle, but even those feel a bit mechanical this time.
