Movie Review: Napoleon

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

An excellent historical epic from master filmmaker Ridley Scott. 

Even with the major set pieces this movie is first and foremost a romance. Luckly the relationship between Napoleon and Josephine is strongest part of this film. There is a wonderful chemistry between the two and whenever both of them are on screen. Yet the presence of the romance can even be felt in scenes that are not directly about the romance. The battle scenes and Napoleon's moments of melancholy are obviously driven by his love of Josephine. In fact, much of the film is narrated through Napoleon's love letters, where he shares in inner most feelings with her. The effect is marvelous, always making this film come back to its emotional center. It helps very much that Josephine is the most complex and interesting character in the film. This is just the type of role that Ridley Scott excels at bringing to the screen and Venessa Kirby gives a scene stealing performance. 

This film is also a pure visual spectacle. Naturally being the director of Gladiator (2000) and Kingdom of Heaven (2005), Ridley Scott knows how to deliver a battle scene. These battle scenes fully show Scott at the top of his game. They feel larger than life and very exciting. These scenes will simply have you glued to your seat and in awe. As larger and epic as these scenes get, they still never go overboard as to feel unbelievable. The climatic battle scene is simply incredible and helps leave the film on a wonderful note. Yet the visual spectacle is not just confined to the battlefield. The sets, the costumes and the cinematography are all simply wonderful to look at. 

This film's portrayal of Napoleon is sure to be a controversial one. In this department the film completely subverts the audience's expectations. This is not a larger-than-life Napoleon but a more subdued version. This is especially shown in Joaquin Pheonix's performance, which is surprising quiet and has a sense of unease to it. You even see many times here, where he is the one being controlled than the one in control. Not only this but his vanity and other flaws can make the character into a comedic figure. While some might complain that there are times when this film can take this too far (and there are), it is a truly fascinating subversion of what one expects for a historical epic that pays off quite well. 

This film definitely has a major flaw though. This is that with the focus being on the romance and the spectacle, many of the other story points can feel rushed and underdeveloped. This is especially true towards the start and the middle of the film. It can seem to jump from one historical moment to the next without giving these moments the time they need to fully shine. 

Despite any flaws, this is an excellent film that subverts the historical epic, while still understanding the appeal of it.