Joaquin Phoenix charges forth for glory in Ridley Scott’s ‘Napoleon’
“Success is the most convincing talker in the world.” So sayeth the legendary Emperor of France and 18th century military genius Napoleon Bonaparte, and now his legendary life is brought to the cinema canvas by visual filmmaking maestro Sir Ridley Scott in Napoleon. And this will be an epic cinema event that needs to be witnessed upon the big screen.
Watch the full trailer below:
Here’s the official synopsis:
An original and personal look at Napoleon’s (Joaquin Phoenix) origins and his swift, ruthless climb to emperor, viewed through the prism of his addictive and often volatile relationship with his wife and one true love, Josephine (Vanessa Kirby).
Sir Ridley Scott is no stranger to epic film productions, having directed the likes of Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator, American Gangster, All the Money in the World and The Last Duel, and Napoleon is the revered filmmaker at his best. Scott brings audiences into the turbulent and revolutionary times that followed France’s Reign of Terror and which would find a talented, capable and ambitious young general who claws his to power by conquest and cunning.
Tapping into his acclaimed ability to bring worlds to life, Scott has not shied away from the opulence and scale that Napoleon’s life demanded, and this work is bathed in the beauty of Neo-Classical design and the gunpowder and musket flair of the roaring battles that followed it. With its mix of political intrigue, a deeply personal and romantic drama, and some of the most jaw-dropping battle scenes ever brought to the big screen, there can be no mistake that Napoleon will be an event movie for 2023.
Phoenix is riding high following his Academy Award-winning performance in Joker, and having re-teamed with Scott for Napoleon, the two of them produce something very special. Phoenix is both equal parts commanding and frightening with his lively performance as the legendary Corsican general who rose to command all of France, and he owns every bit of the screen. History offers him plenty of intensity with this role, and it’s an utterly transformative performance for the actor.
Playing off of Phoenix is rising star Vanessa Kirby who steps into the role of Napoleon’s one true love, Josephine. A passionate woman, who is firey in both love and temper, Kirby excels in the part, and this glamorous historical figure gives her an incredible performance. As her husband’s power grows ever more dominant, their relationship strays and fractures, leading to some very real tension for the two of them. Of the complex and often times flawed relationship that they shared, Scott said “Napoleon is a man I’ve always been fascinated by. He came out of nowhere to rule everything—but all the while he was waging a romantic war with his adulterous wife Josephine. He conquered the world to try to win her love, and when he couldn’t, he conquered it to destroy her, and destroyed himself in the process.”
Napoleon’s vast scale and operatic narrative is sure to sweep audiences up in its production, and this is a production that was made for the big screen. With its lavish set design, oppulent costuming, period rich detail and more than 16 battle scenes that include legendary campaigns such as The Siege of Toulon and The Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon is a film audiences will not want to miss out on.
Brace yourself for glory when Napoleon arrives in cinemas on November 23.
Image: Sony Pictures
