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Two weeks before to the start of filming their historical epic “Napoleon,” Ridley Scott revealed to Empire magazine that Joaquin Phoenix felt completely lost. The picture is the long-awaited reunion of the Oscar-winning actor and filmmaker, who collaborated on “Gladiator” more than 20 years ago. In the film, Phoenix plays the lead role of the French emperor, while Venessa Kirby plays his spouse, Joséphine de Beauharnais.
Joaquin Phoenix allegedly told Scott, “I don’t know what to do.” Two weeks prior to the filming of “Napoleon,” they spent ten days “talking scene by scene.”
The Oscar®-winning performance of Joaquin Phoenix as the legendary French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte is told in the spectacle-filled action epic Napoleon. The film depicts Napoleon’s relentless rise to power through the prism of his addictive, volatile relationship with his one true love, Josephine, against a breathtaking backdrop of large-scale filmmaking masterminded by the renowned Ridley Scott. It also features some of the most dynamic and realistic battle sequences ever filmed, showcasing Bonaparte’s visionary military and political tactics.
Plot Summary
The Oscar®-winning performance of Joaquin Phoenix as the legendary French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte is told in the spectacle-filled action epic Napoleon. The film depicts Napoleon’s relentless rise to power through the prism of his addictive, volatile relationship with his one true love, Josephine, against a breathtaking backdrop of large-scale filmmaking masterminded by the renowned Ridley Scott. It also features some of the most dynamic and realistic battle sequences ever filmed, showcasing Bonaparte’s visionary military and political tactics. (watch trailer here)
Cinematography and Visuals
Dariusz Adam Wolski, the legendary cinematographer and Ridley’s cinematic partner, shot the film. The film contains thrilling action sequences. According to the acclaimed director, the fight scenes included 300 men, 100 horses, and 11 cameras. The main camera appears to be the ARRI ALEXA LF. Napoleon will also be released in 70mm and IMAX formats, despite the fact that it was shot entirely digitally. If this is the case, the final product will be scanned to celluloid in order to achieve a true film look. That would make it even more beautiful, as the visuals in the film are based on real epic battles that you’d definitely want to see on a large canvas.
Acting and Characters
Joaquin Phoenix stars as Napoleon Bonaparte in the Napoleon cast.
Vanessa Kirby joins the Napoleon cast as Empress Joséphine.
Tahar Rahim’s role in the Napoleon cast is Paul Barras.
Ben Miles stars in the Napoleon cast as Caulaincourt.
Ludivine Sagnier joins the Napoleon cast as Thérésa Cabarrus.
Matthew Needham’s role in the Napoleon cast is Lucien Bonaparte.
Catherine Walker stars in Napoleon as Marie-Antoinette.
Anna Mawn joins the Napoleon cast as the Archduchess Marie-Louise.
Youssef Kerkour as Marshal Davout
Phil Cornwell as Sanson ‘The Bourreau’
Paul Rhys as Talleyrand
Gavin Spokes as Moulin
John Hollingworth as Marshal Ney
Mark Bonnar as Jean-Andoche Junot
Davide Tucci as Lazare Hoche
Sam Crane as Jacques-Louis David
Édouard Philipponnat as Tsar of Russia Alexander I Scott Handy as Marshal Berthier
Historical Accuracy
The biopic, starring Joaquin Phoenix as a French soldier turned emperor, features some of the most famous European battles in history.
“This is not a documentary, that much we know! But it would be a great work of art,” historian and television host Dan Snow said in a five-minute TikTok post.
“Of the two hours and 38 minutes of the film, I think 38 minutes is accurate,” military historian Andrew Roberts told Sky News. Historians say that many scenes in the movie did not actually happen.
The scene in which Napoleon fires on the pyramids of Egypt caused particular outrage among scientists. Napoleon did not fire at the pyramids, and the so-called Battle of the Pyramids was not fought at the base of the pyramids. The Scholars also questioned Scott’s choice of Vanessa Kirby, 14 years younger than Joaquin Phoenix, to play Napoleon’s wife Josephine.
Because Josephine was six years older than Napoleon, the occupation caused “a wave of surprise among historians,” Catherine Astbury, professor of French at the University of Warwick, told The Conversation.
Box office collection
Made at a budget of $130-200 million, as of November 26, 2023, the 2023 film Napoleon has grossed $79.1 million worldwide. This includes $32.8 million in the United States and Canada, and $46.3 million in other territories.
| Domestic | |||
| Area | Release Date | Opening | Gross |
| Domestic | Nov 22, 2023 | $20,638,887 | $36,211,931 |
| Europe, Middle East, and Africa | |||
| Area | Release Date | Opening | Gross |
| United Kingdom | Nov 22, 2023 | $6,600,000 | $6,600,000 |
| France | Nov 22, 2023 | $5,144,949 | $5,144,949 |
| Germany | Nov 23, 2023 | $3,499,485 | $3,514,391 |
| Spain | Nov 24, 2023 | $3,300,000 | $3,300,000 |
| Italy | Nov 23, 2023 | $3,198,138 | $3,198,138 |
| Middle East | Nov 23, 2023 | $2,300,000 | $2,300,000 |
| Netherlands | Nov 23, 2023 | $1,597,597 | $1,597,597 |
| Belgium | Nov 22, 2023 | $1,200,000 | $1,200,000 |
| Poland | Nov 24, 2023 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Saudi Arabia | Nov 23, 2023 | $810,000 | $810,000 |
| United Arab Emirates | Nov 23, 2023 | $732,146 | $732,146 |
| Norway | Nov 24, 2023 | $358,755 | $564,715 |
| Czech Republic | Nov 23, 2023 | $386,079 | $449,885 |
| Türkiye | Nov 24, 2023 | $404,439 | $404,439 |
| Hungary | Nov 23, 2023 | $377,509 | $377,509 |
| Portugal | Nov 23, 2023 | – | $349,333 |
| Romania | Nov 24, 2023 | $305,551 | $305,551 |
| Slovakia | Nov 23, 2023 | $199,843 | $213,747 |
| Bulgaria | Nov 24, 2023 | $163,041 | $163,041 |
| Croatia | Nov 23, 2023 | $138,196 | $138,196 |
| Slovenia | Nov 23, 2023 | $66,654 | $72,890 |
| Iceland | Nov 24, 2023 | $55,400 | $55,982 |
| South Africa | Nov 24, 2023 | $39,216 | $39,216 |
| Latin America | |||
| Area | Release Date | Opening | Gross |
| Mexico | Nov 24, 2023 | $2,858,504 | $3,156,630 |
| Brazil | Nov 22, 2023 | $1,200,000 | $1,200,000 |
| Colombia | Nov 23, 2023 | $322,941 | $322,941 |
| Asia Pacific | |||
| Area | Release Date | Opening | Gross |
| Australia | Nov 23, 2023 | $2,656,495 | $2,656,495 |
| Hong Kong | Nov 23, 2023 | $276,364 | $279,879 |
Overall Impression
Scott portrays an ambitious character without a specific source of motivation and his rise to power without a clear direction as to how he reached it. Although the film tries to present an analysis of the male ego, this Napoleon is at best a caricature of a complex man with an American accent and a sour expression.
To know more about the real life of Napoleon, pls read here
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