Ridley Scott’s name comes with a long cinematic history and multiple awards for iconic and unforgettable films, such as “Gladiator,” “Thelma & Louise” and “Blade Runner.” But over the years, the director lost much of his former glory with projects that, despite their huge budget and stars, did not resemble what he had previously presented on the artistic level.
This year, cinema audiences have been waiting for his latest film, “Napoleon,” which at first glance appears as if it is a strong return for “Scott” in a film that belongs to the war films in which he excelled previously, especially with the award-winning Oscar award Joaquin Phoenix stars in the title role. But as of this writing, the film has not been able to generate revenues that cover its budget.
The film received a relatively low rating of 58% from audiences and critics alike. Viewers on the Rotten Tomatoes website praised the “wonderful acting and action scenes,” but blamed it for its inability to “present a complete picture of the man despite his long time.” On the same site, critics unanimously agreed that the film is a “funny epic.”
Conflict
The film is based on the history of the French leader.Napoleon BonaparteA hero for its events, as it deals with the period between the year 1793 AD and the outbreak of the French Revolution, which paved the way for Napoleon’s rise to power, and ends with the latter’s death after his multiple defeats, whether outside his country or even within it.
The history of Napoleon is very dramatic, with his rise on the shoulders of the revolution that overthrew the monarchy, then his personal inauguration as emperor, and his preoccupation with producing an heir to the throne of France. The same throne that he quickly lost in a more dramatic way.
Napoleon’s biography inspired artists to create many films, television series, and even paintings, so the first question that will be asked before watching this film is: How will Ridley Scott present the story of Napoleon, the details of which most viewers know?
Scott chose to divide his film narratively into two parallel lines, the first dealing with the war battles fought by Napoleon and his armies, and the second his volatile relationship with his wife, Josephine, a French noblewoman whom he met after the revolution stripped her of her social status, killed her husband, and nearly put her on the guillotine.
In cases where films present multiple narrative lines, the filmmakers are careful to balance them, so the film does not appear as if it is divided into two separate films, which appeared with the film Napoleon, whose battles can be deleted to become a story of love and betrayal similar to Turkish soap operas, and this can be deleted. The relationship and biography of a military leader remains rare.
This imbalance was reflected in all the elements of the film. For example, there is a clear contrast between the depiction of war scenes and palace scenes. The former is one of its most important strengths, as Ridley Scott excelled, as usual, in planning battles and the movement of groups, so it was breathtaking, especially the final battle between the two French armies. And the British, and the battle on the borders of Russia and the snow that breaks under the feet of horses and warriors, which brings to mind the most beautiful scenes from his previous films, such as “Gladiator” and “Kingdom of Heaven.” As for the scenes of the palaces that brought together Napoleon and his wife, they were dull and focused only On the Emperor’s infatuation with Josephine as a teenager, the latter’s multiple infidelities, and her inability to produce an heir.
No chance for Joaquin Phoenix
The viewer expects from a film bearing the name of one of the most important military leaders in history that we are facing an action driven by character development, but what happened in the film Napoleon is exactly the opposite, as it only presents his passion for both Josephine and power, which turns from one to the other without any preface.
David Scarpa’s script did not give the character any real dimensions, only one advantage and one defect, and left the actor Joaquin Phoenix unable to move, which led to great confusion and his dependence in many parts on the characters he had played before, so he borrowed the passion of “Commodus.” With the authority from the movie “Gladiator”, glimpses of the madness of “Joker”, and sick love from the character “Johnny Cash” that he presented in the movie “Walk the Line”, but all of them appeared not original or connected to the movie.
Ridley Scott was famous for his interest in the female characters in his films, even devoting some of them to them only, such as “Thelma and Louise.” However, in the movie “Napoleon,” he gave a wide space to the Empress “Josephine,” who was presented by “Vanessa Kirby,” but without any real elements of the character that would help the actress to… Exploit this space. Josephine in the film is nothing but a very attractive woman who is passionate about her beauty, the admiration of others, and the power that she obtained because of her relationship with Napoleon, a completely single character without complications related to distinguishing between good and evil, so this opportunity came as a calamity for the actress instead of becoming a blessing that pushes her artistic career forward.
It is difficult to doubt Ridley Scott’s talent after this rich career that has influenced thousands of cinema lovers, but it is possible to doubt his ability to develop and maintain the continuity of this talent, as his works in recent years have oscillated between only good and disappointing, and they all have in common that they are films of great quality. With a big budget starring famous actors, but with scenarios that seem incomplete and characters that are not developed enough, his latest film, “Gucci House,” starring stars such as “Al Pacino,” “Lady Gaga,” and “Adam Driver,” failed critically and commercially.
The film “Napoleon” represents a new faltering step in Ridley Scott’s career. It is a film that oscillates all the time between seriousness and comedy. We find the wonderful scenery of war battles and the turmoil of marital relations in the palace scenes side by side. It is a film that deprived its heroes of carefully drawn characters, so it failed to gain admiration. Critics and viewers.
