Joaquin Phoenix Wears a Napoleon Skinsuit

When Ridley Scott’s Napoleon, starring Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon and Vanessa Kirby as Joséphine was announced, I was thrilled. I cannot recall my first encounter with the Corsicangeneral but due to some of my research into 19th century German philosophy, I’ve been led to read more about Napoleon Bonaparte. 

I found his story and the period so fascinating, that since 2017, I’ve been reading books or listening to podcasts about the Napoleonic era. Given my background, I’ve been particularly interested in Napoleon’s complex relationship with his Catholic faith and the Catholic church. 

So, although I’m no historian, I am confident that I can say one or two things about Napoleon, certainly about Scott’s biopic Napoleon. There were many reasons to get excited about Scott addressing this subject in a full-fledged movie. 

First, Scott’s directorial debut, The Duellists, is set in France during the Napoleonic

Wars, and garnered admiration and respect for its historical accuracy. Second, Scott

has a knack for the epic, as proven by his film Gladiator. It seemed that all the ingredients were there for a good, if not a great movie. At last, the story of Napoleon would get the treatment that it deserves.

It’s regrettable to say that the movie’s reception has been tepid. However, it is complicated to establish with precision why the movie disappoints based on the discourse around the movie among both movie critics and historians. 

Historians were not thrilled with Scott’s movie given its gross historical inaccuracies, and Scott’s comments regarding historians are very controversial. Among movie critics, the reception can be best described as lukewarm.

Personally, I had mixed feelings about the movie, and I found myself somehow between the two camps. Accordingly, I want to start with the elements that I found satisfying. The movie is for the most part beautiful to look at, even with Scott’s constant use of a bluish-grayish filter. 

I appreciated Scott’s recreation of famous Napoleonic paintings throughout the film, some very well-known ones like The Coronation of Napoleon (1807) or lesser known as Napoleon Bonaparte inspecting a mummy at the pyramids (1801). 

Some battles, like the Siege of Toulon (1793) and the Battle of Waterloo (1814), are epic. These two battles, which bookend the entire movie, are highpoints of the movie, although not for their historical accuracy. 

I respected certain subtle moments where we got a glimpse at some lesser known facts about Napoleon. For example, the movie shows Napoleon’s favorite sign of affection, pulling one’s ears; Napoleon as a man seeking peace at all costs (Treaty of Amiens, 1802); a glimpse at Napoleon’s inner motivations in his words before signing his first abdication (Treaty of Fontainebleau, 1814), and many more.

Unfortunately, there are many reasons to be disappointed as well. A movie titled “Napoleon” carries a promise, namely, a story about why, after almost 200 years, we should care about the story of this man.  One might expect a movie that shows why there is so much written about Napoleon or why we continue studying Napoleonic France in 2024. 

Sadly, the movie does not deliver on these promises. Phoenix’s portrayal of Napoleon gives you no clue as to why several generations of soldiers would follow him to the ends of the earth or die for him: he has no charisma, no presence, and no magnetism; on the contrary, he looks bored and disinterested.

Ultimately, the movie disappointed me because I knew too much about the main character. Perhaps it fares better if you go in with no previous knowledge. Accordingly, I’m not hopeful that the 4-hour director’s cut, which is going to be released this year, will change my perception of this movie. In any case, I can still look forward to Steven Spielberg’s miniseries currently in development. On the other hand, if you want to discover a much different portrayal of Napoleon, I recommend reading Napoleon Bonaparte: An Intimate Biography by Vincent Cronin or Napoleon by Georges Lefebvre. Watch movies like Napoleón (1955), Austerlitz (1960) or Waterloo (1970); the 2002 miniseries Napoleon; and subscribe to the Age of Napoleon podcast. In these sources you will find a compelling and gripping story of heroic deeds, human weakness, victories, and defeat, namely, reasons why the name Napoleon continues to draw our interest.