Is this Ridley Scott's Waterloo?
It is almost exactly 200 years since Napoleon died. But the general and dictator still fires the imagination. Including those of cult director Ridley Scott, who has now dedicated a monumental work to him. Especially his love life.
What actually came first? The movie or the hat? Well, in purely physical terms, it was definitely Napoleon's hat, which was recently auctioned off in France at a fabulous price of 1.932 million euros. The fact that the headgear was traded at such a high price could also have something to do with the fact that its famous owner, who died a good 200 years ago, is once again the talk of the town because of a movie.
Not because of just any movie, of course, but because of the new film by cult director Ridley Scott. After the "Alien" and "Blade Runner" icon last mingled with the fashion designers of the 20th century in "House of Gucci", the 86-year-old is now turning his attention once again to truly historical material in "Napoleon". In a way, this brings him full circle. After all, his first major feature film "The Duellists" in 1977 was also set during the Napoleonic Wars.
Cinema version and "director's cut"
The wars of the French general and emperor naturally also play a role in Scott's current biography, but only a subordinate one. First and foremost, "Napoleon" is not a battle painting applied with a thick brush, but an attempt at a personal approach to the man who mutated from revolutionary to dictator and was to subjugate almost all of Europe for a time.
As a result, the historical classification of Napoleon in the film is rather brief, not to say too brief. And this despite a running time of more than two and a half hours. Scott occasionally jumps back and forth between the various stages in the life of the Frenchman, who went from officer to brigadier general thanks to his military successes and from consul to self-crowned emperor thanks to his political unscrupulousness.
It is possible that the four-hour "director's cut", which the director intends to create later as part of the streaming exploitation of the film, will be somewhat more fluid. In the cinema version, however, the historical legacy of Napoleon Bonaparte, which includes achievements such as the "Code Civil" as well as millions of deaths on the battlefields, is a rather underexposed foil for another story: the love story between Napoleon (Joaquin Phoenix) and his first wife Joséphine de Beauharnais (Vanessa Kirby).
100 Napoleon hats
When the two meet, Joséphine already has a failed marriage behind her. While her ex-husband is executed in the turmoil of the revolution, Napoleon, who is courting her, is just beginning his meteoric rise. The relationship is actually a win-win situation for both of them: while her aristocratic connections help his social advancement, his position ensures her continued lavish lifestyle. He, in particular, is also deeply infatuated and raging with jealousy, while she takes a rather lax approach to marriage - she and Napoleon had married in 1796.
However, this is not the reason why their union ultimately fails. The reason for their separation was rather that Joséphine was unable to bear a child and thus an heir to the throne. This ultimately led to the couple's divorce in 1810. But even after his marriage to Marie-Louise of Austria, who had a son, Napoleon was never able to forget the great love of his life. Not even when, after his devastating defeat at Waterloo, he waits in exile on St. Helena for his death in 1821 ...
Scott spends a lot of time and effort drawing the odd character he ascribes to Napoleon. The fact that he can rely on Joaquin Phoenix in the leading role is, of course, a stroke of luck. At the latest since his Oscar-winning portrayal of the Joker, he knows his way around the portrayal of bizarre characters. And indeed, it is above all Phoenix who breathes life into "Napoleon" and ultimately makes the film well worth seeing - despite its shortcomings in the bumpy staging.
Is "Napoleon" Ridley Scott's best movie? Certainly not. Is the movie his Waterloo? Certainly not that either. The work is said to have cost around 200 million dollars. That's not a lot of money, but in the end no more than 100 Napoleon hats. That's what the movie should make at the box office.
"Napoleon" is now showing in German cinemas
The cinematic portrayal of Napoleon's life by Ridley Scott, titled "Napoleon," includes a significant focus on his relationship with his first wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais, played by Vanessa Kirby. Despite the historical context, Scott primarily aims to explore Napoleon's persona on a personal level, rather than providing a comprehensive battle painting.
Following the release of "Napoleon," there are plans for a four-hour "director's cut" to offer a more flowing narrative, which may provide a more detailed exploration of Napoleon Bonaparte's historical legacy.
Source: www.ntv.de
