Napoleon Review: A Spectacle of War Without Emotional Depth

• Release date: November 22, 2023
• Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby, Tahar Rahim, Rupert Everett, Mark Bonnar, Paul Rhys, Ben Miles, Riana Duce, Ludivine Sagnier, Edouard Philipponnat, Miles Jupp, Scott Handy, Youssef Kerkour, John Hollingworth, Abubakar Salim, Thom Ashley, Jannis Niewöhner, Julian Rhind-Tutt
• Genre: Biography, History, Drama, War, Action
• Director:  Ridley Scott
• Producer:  Mark Huffam, Ridley Scott, Kevin J. Walsh
• IMDb rating: 6.6/10

Detailed Review of Napoleon

Ridley Scott made a big war movie called "Napoleon." It has awesome battles, but the story isn't very strong. Scott is good at making things look nice. The story is not deep and it doesn't have strong feelings. Even though the explosions are good. The movie doesn't flow smoothly.

The big problem is with David Scarpa's script for "Napoleon." It tries to tell all of Napoleon Bonaparte's life in one movie. It goes quickly from his start in the French Revolution to when he died in 1821. But it doesn't dig deep into these big events. Joaquin Phoenix, who plays Napoleon, feels like a ghost in the movie. His partner, Josephine (Vanessa Kirby), seems flat and empty. 

The movie starts with the Siege of Toulon. An exceptional scene showing Napoleon's rise. But, it doesn't show his human side often. Also,  it doesn't have many deep emotions. They try to make it passionate by focusing on letters between Napoleon and Josephine. But it doesn't really do well.

Josephine is supposed to make the movie feel warm. Whereas, it's hard to understand her character. The movie doesn't show much about how she affects Napoleon. Also his worries, or the politics. It's disappointing because the movie only gives facts. It also misses a chance to understand the characters. 

Phoenix acts in a controlled way, and the battles look amazing in the movie. The best part is when there's action. But the story doesn't stick together well. When the movie gets to Waterloo, we still don't get who Napoleon is. 

Even though Ridley Scott usually has big ideas. "Napoleon" feels a bit small and not put together well. If you like war movies you might still enjoy them. They look cool, but it doesn't meet expectations. Instead of showing Napoleon being strong in tough times. The movie leaves us feeling like it missed chances and didn't reach its full potential.

 

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