Review 700 Napoleon

 

Napoleon is a spectacularly marvellous historical epic, a fascinating character study and 

 

The film is a personal look at the origins of French military leader Napoleon Bonaparte (Joaquin Phoenix) and his swift and ruthless climb to Emperor, viewed through the prism of Napoleon's addictive, volatile relationship with his wife and one true love Empress Josephine (Vanessa Kirby).

Part Historical epic, Part character study, Napoleon drips with spectacle and period detail. Opening with the execution of Marie Antoinette (played not by Kirsten Dunst, but by Catherine Walker who had a brief but memorable appearence as Anna Wintour in Scott's last film House of Gucci), Scott takes us on a  It is a portrait of the legend that Napoleon forged for himself

Once again, Ridley Scott's craftsmanship is on full display. He stages gripping action set peieces   The cinematography is gorgeous and captures the grandeur and elegance of France in the 1700s, the locations; France, Austria, Russia, are magnificent, the costumes are colourful, the score by Martin Phipps is lush and beautiful, the production design is marvellous (recreating Europe in the late 1700s and early 1800s). The make up is rich and immpecably detailed.

Napoleon Bonaparte is not an intrinsically likeable person, yet Joaquin Phoenix brings such a loads of charm  He also brings to life the Emperor's charisma and you believe others would follow him into battle. He’s petulant, stubborn, ruthless, determined and the film gives us no reasons for why he is this way or make an apologies. There are occations when Phoenix is clearly channeling Commodos from their last collaboration.

Vanessa Kirby is very much the heart of the film playing Empress Josephine. She is the one woman who is able to keep him in line and one the straight and narrow 

Rupert Everett is rather good in the later half of the film playing Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington.