MPAA Rating: R/Genre: Epic Historical Drama/Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby, Tahar Rahim, Ben Miles, Ludivine Sagnier, Matthew Needham, John Hollingworth, Youssef Kerkour, Phil Cornwell, Édouard Philipponnat, Ian McNeice, Rupert Everett, Paul Rhys, Catherine Walker, Gavin Spokes, Mark Bonnar, Anna Mawn, Davide Tucci, Sam Crane, Scott Handy/Runtime: 158 minutes
If there is one thing that still brings me a more than fair degree of satisfaction in my day to day it’s when a filmmaker of a certain age is still churning out movies with a vigor and passion that makes their younger counterparts green with envy and a person like me who grew up on their respective filmographies always smile with glee whenever they announce a new project. For the sake of this review, I think without question the filmmaker in question would have to be Ridley Scott. A man who, despite being a relatively young 85 years of age, has shown an incredible skill to say nothing of work ethic when it comes to fairly consistently bringing audiences movies over the course of the past going on 5 decades. Yet by movies I don’t just mean any ol’ movies by any stretch of the imagination. Rather, I mean movies that are either larger than life, vast in scope, impressively cast, ambitious in terms of their technical merits, or all of the above. Of course, when you take into account that this is the same Ridley Scott who has given us such gems of cinema as 2000’s Gladiator, 1979’s Alien, 2001’s Black Hawk Down, 1982’s Blade Runner, 2017’s All the Money in the World, 2021’s The Last Duel and House of Gucci, and 2015’s The Martian among other iconic examples I can’t really lie and say that the man hasn’t really had any success in what he has set out to achieve in his career. This of course brings us to his latest cinematic effort in the form of the new release 2023’s Napoleon and here is a movie that definitely has Scott very much operating within his comfort zone. By that I mean here is a grandiose historical saga that regaled an audience with the tale of the titular French emperor (some might argue tyrant, but tomato tom-ato and all that jazz) and which is given to us via Scott’s distinct cinematic perspective. To be sure, it might not come as that much of a surprise to see that Scott definitely touches on the things a story about Napoleon should including the fact that he was an incredibly intelligent general, an extremely passionate leader to the French people, and a most definitely head-over-hills lover to his wife Josephine. At the same time though, not only is this a completely loony blend of a psychological analysis and presentation that should be seen on the biggest screen that you can find, but it also sees Scott taking what could have been a typical biopic and just pushing it as far away from him as he possibly could. As a result, yes this slice of cinema is one that is more than just a degree messy to say nothing of eyebrow raising in regard to the degree of historical accuracy it is operating with. Having said that though, there is also no denying that with the aid of fairly well-done work on both sides of the camera that 2023’s Napoleon most assuredly might be more than a wee bit on the flawed side, but it is also nothing short of fairly consistently entertaining as well even as, much like its titular character, it does come up short in some ways more than others.
The plot is as follows: Taking us back in time to France in the long-ago year of 1793, Napoleon gets its riveting narrative underway at an event that, in another film, might actually be the ending. That being the guillotining of the infamous Marie Antoinette by the French people during the French Revolution. Yet in the case of our film, this is merely the beginning. This is because, amidst the crowd of French citizens watching this sight, there is one who might be worthy of mention. That being a young member of the French Army by the name of (get this) Napoleon Bonaparte. The reason that this young man might be worthy of mention incidentally is because it isn’t long after this incident that he is the successful leader of a particular military engagement known as the Siege of Toulon. A success that soon sees our intrepid and savvy hero on the fast track within the reorganized French leadership following the French Revolution being quelled. As he rises through the ranks and achieves a nothing short of phenomenal series of professional triumphs including the Battle of the Pyramids in 1798, we see that Napoleon also has time to make a few adjustments to his personal life as well. Namely the courting and eventually settling down with an aristocratic widow of some renown by the name of Joséphine de Beauharnais. A woman who, at one time, might not have given him the time of day, but who, upon seeing that this is a young man whose star to say nothing of status is very much on the rise, apparently finds him a worthy suitor (that and someone she can hitch her own status wagon to). Thus as Napoleon keeps embarking on successful campaign after campaign, it isn’t long before he finds himself wanting more than just mere glory and fancy medals for his achievements. Rather, he wants to be in charge. Not just of the men under his command dear reader, but instead no more or less than all of France. As a result of coming to this conclusion, we see that our hero makes a choice to embark on a new journey in life. One that, with the “love of his life” Joséphine by his side, will see him make a claim for power that will not only see him eventually become crowned Emperor of France by the Pope, but also see him usher in a new era of history. Not just for France, but for the world as well. As for what becomes of our hero to say nothing of his reign and even his relationship with his beloved Joséphine however that is something that you will have to discover for yourself dear reader…..
Now right off, it should be noted that the work done behind the camera on this particular cinematic outing is by no means terrible yet does have a few things here and there working slightly against it. For starters, this film might possess a quite decent-size 158-minute runtime yet in many respects it feels like what we are getting here is less a thorough analysis of this legendary historical figure’s life and times and more of something in the vein of a highlight reel for this iconic individual with more than a handful of things either brushed over or historical liberties in general being taken during the aforementioned runtime. To be sure I know that there is a 4-hour cut of the film that is going to drop on Apple TV+ later on, but if Killers of the Flower Moon was willing to go to theaters with its own gargantuan runtime, you’d think this one would have no qualms about doing so as well. Fortunately, within that 158-minute runtime, there are quite a few things worthy of praising. For starters, we see that with Scott’s dependable hand at the helm, we are able to see the cost of Napoleon’s reign on both the world to say nothing of the French people in general in a manner that is both merciless and unhesitatingly visceral in equal measure. Alongside that, we are also treated to no less than 6 combat sequences which are without question a key standout to the work done behind the camera. Indeed not only will they leave you in equal measure jaw agape and on the edge of your seat, but they also show that Scott is still very much an expert at conjuring up taut and engaging moments while also showcasing for us a truly terrifying time period in history. We as movie goers are also treated to a rather intriguing depiction of the main character that makes for quite the intriguing and nuanced dichotomy of both admiration and revulsion respectively. With that said though, the script does fall flat in a few aspects namely how there is some dialogue that becomes accidentally comedic and/or exaggerated which then takes us away from the gravity of key points in the film. One thing the script does get fairly right however is in regards to the relationship that existed between the titular character and his beloved Joséphine. Indeed not only does the film really capture the degree to which the pair and their romance were constantly in the public eye, but it even makes it feel astonishingly timely given how so many celebrities nowadays go through the same thing that this iconic pairing did. As well-done as the relationship is depicted, it should be noted that some of the more carnal moments between the two do very much give off the vibe of being cold and graceless. Yes, history tells us that the marriage between these two was quite the rollercoaster ride since they were capable of being madly in love and then absolutely loathing one another at the drop of a hat. Even so though, it is not easy to figure out if the levels of frigid and inept on display were intentional on the part of Scott and his team or if they couldn’t figure out how to make it work in the story so they decided to go the unintentionally hilarious route with these moments instead. Ultimately, even when taking into account the truly gorgeous work from both the set design and costume departments, if I can pinpoint the exact ailment infecting the work done behind the camera, it would have to be inconsistency. This is because whilst sections of this film are truly spectacular, they are often negated by parts that either go on longer than they need to or are nowhere close to the aforementioned moments’ level of quality. Thus the work behind the camera is by no means awful, but it certainly is by no means perfect either.
Of course, the other big thing that helps this film work on the level that it is ultimately able to would have to come in the form of the work done by the talented cast in front of the camera. This (naturally) starts with the iconic Joaquin Phoenix in the titular role and, the fact that he is a few years older than the real-life individual he is portraying for us, he actually manages to prove himself a top-notch choice to present to us all the positives, negatives, and just straight out of left field oddities that were part and parcel to this iconically (or notoriously dependent on perspective) complicated leader. To be sure, Phoenix has long shown off a wonderful skill for disappearing into a role (his take on legendary country music singer Johnny Cash in 2005’s Walk the Line definitely qualifies) and in this film we see that this role is no exception to that trend as Phoenix gives us a take on Napoleon who without question is brilliant and who is definitely wanting the type of glory that he feels he, after all he has done, so righteously deserves (whether he did or not is most assuredly an argument for another time and place). At the same time though, Pheonix also presents Napoleon as someone who is not only someone who missed out when they were handing out the self-awareness, but who has no shame in pointing out everyone else’s distinct problems whilst remaining completely and utterly oblivious to the litany of faults that exist within himself. Above all though, perhaps the most significant way that Phoenix succeeds in his portrayal of this integral individual to world history let alone as a character in this slice of cinema about him is by making him, more or less, an overgrown toddler. Yes his skill in combat is unrivaled, but this is also a guy who will get in an petty argument with his wife or yell at someone “You just think you’re so great because you have boats!” to name a couple of examples. Suffice it to say that this character is the kind that Pheonix excels at and this is, flaws and all, one heck of a performance. Equally as great as Phoenix though is Kirby in the role of Empress Joséphine. Indeed, much in the same way that Napoleon can’t turn away from her character whenever she is in the room, that can also be said here for the work done by Kirby in the role. Yes, her character can provide Napoleon with the love he needs more than anything, but she also has quite a bit more power than she lets on and, as a result, can also put Napoleon in his place when he deserves it (and boy are there quite a few moments where that’s the case). Indeed this is a very tough yet sly character and one that Kirby manages to bring to life quite beautifully. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in remarkable efforts from such screen talents as Tahar Rahim, Ian McNeice, Rupert Everett (Claw from that 1999 Inspector Gadget misfire!), Ben Miles, and Matthew Needham among others it’s clear that this film might have issues, but the cast in front of the camera definitely does what it can to help make up for them.
All in all and at the end of the day is Napoleon “2023” a perfect slice of cinema? Honestly not even close so if that’s what you were hoping I’m sorry I have to be the one to tell you otherwise. With that in mind however, does that make this the worst cinematic effort since Ridley Scott decided to helm a take on the Christopher Columbus story entitled 1492: Conquest of Paradise or lead actor Joaquin Phoenix thought lending his voice talents to 2003’s Brother Bear was a wise career move? Thankfully no (though to be fair to the latter example it does to this day have some incredible work from Phil Collins on the soundtrack). Indeed make no mistake dear reader: this slice of cinema is one that is very much a bit of a mixed bag in a lot of ways, but by and large it manages to come together fairly cohesively whilst also managing to operate as another delightful example for its iconic helmer’s dependability behind the camera. I mean here is a film that is rivetingly and beautifully shot with a viscerality and fierceness that literally immerses you in this late 1700s/early 1800s world which you are seeing unfurl before your very eyes. Along with that, the work done by the cast of players in front of the camera definitely do their best to bring their respective characters to life in a way that definitely proves to be endlessly fascinating no matter how much screentime they are given. In those regards, this is most assuredly an intriguing slice of cinema that definitely gives off the vibe of being the kind of film that you don’t really see the land of movie magic go out of their way to bring to movie goers quite like they used to. At the same time though, this film is also tragically let down a fair bit by a runtime that really doesn’t permit the film to give this story the (for lack of a better word) time it needs to be told properly, a script that can’t really decide on a tone at moments where it really should, and a love story that will definitely make you raise an eye brow and not in an even remotely positive way at that. Suffice it to say then that with the aid of really good work, albeit uneven, on both sides of the camera, Napoleon might not be the definitive take on this historical icon’s life and legacy, but it also thankfully is by no means his cinematic Waterloo either. Make of that what thou will dear reader. On a scale of 1-5 I give Napoleon “2023” a solid 3.5 out of 5.
