Ridley Scott has made so many iconic movies over the past few decades that it’s hard to list them all. However, some of the most prominent are: Alien (1979), Blade Runner (1982), gladiator (2000), Black Hawk Down (2001), Prometheus (2012), The Martian (2015), and House of Gucci (2021). His next project will be a return to the historical epic and possibly one of his most ambitious films in years.
Napoleon follows the life of the famous French general and Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte. It is distributed by Apple Studios on their streaming platform, Apple TV+, although it may have a limited theatrical release to qualify for the Academy Awards. It was written by David Scarpa, who previously worked with Scott on All the money in the worldand produced by both Scott and Kevin J. Walsh (Manchester by the sea, All the money in the world, Death on the Nile).
Napoleon: the conspiracy
The film follows the rise of Napoleon and the vicissitudes of his relationship with his wife, Empress Joséphine. In an interview with DeadlineScott said:
“Napoleon is a man I have always been fascinated by. He came from nowhere to rule everything, but all the while he was waging a romantic war with his adulterous wife Joséphine. He conquered the world to try to win her love, and when he couldn’t, he conquered the world to destroy her, destroying himself in the process.”
While not many specific details about the film’s plot are known, Napoleon’s life is, of course, well documented. He was born on Corsica, an island off the coast of France, into a family of small Italian noble descent. Corsica was an independent territory until it was conquered by the French in the year Napoleon was born. His family had fought in the war against France and as a young family he was a passionate supporter of Corsican independence. Napoleon didn’t start learning French until he was ten years old and, because it was his third language, he never quite mastered it. He maintained a distinctive Corsican accent throughout his life and had poor spelling in the language.
He eventually joined the forces of the French Revolution as a low-ranking officer and took part in the Siege of Toulon in 1793. There he became known for some strategic decisions that led to the victory of the revolutionaries. Napoleon fought several wars for France in Italy, Austria and Egypt over the next decade, making him a respected commander. In 1799, he launched a coup against the government and established himself as a dictator in all but name.
From then on, Napoleon waged an almost constant war with the rest of Europe, achieving one of the greatest series of military victories in history. He was eventually defeated at the Battle of Leipzig in 1813 and pushed into exile on the island of Elba in 1814. Before long he escaped, returned to France, again took over the country and was finally defeated for good at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. He was exiled in the mid-Atlantic on Saint Helena, one of the most remote islands in the world, where he died in 1821.
Napoleon: the cast
The role of Napoleon Bonaparte is played by Joaquin Phoenix (joker), Hair, gladiator), who is known for playing dark and troubled characters. In an interview with Deadline, Ridley Scott said: “No actor could ever embody Napoleon quite like Joaquin. He created one of the most complex emperors in cinema history in gladiator, and we’ll make another with his Napoleon.’ Napoleon’s wife, Empress Joséphine, is played by Vanessa Kirby, who played Princess Margaret in The crown and the arms dealer White Widow in Mission: Impossible—Fallout.
Their relationship was complicated by the fact that Joséphine Napoleon never bore children, leaving him with no heir. He once remarked about their relationship, “It’s a womb that I marry.” They divorced in 1810 and Napoleon remarried another woman who could bear a son. French-Algerian actor Tahar Rahim (A Prophet) plays Paul Barras, a leading politician of the French Revolution who headed the government directory when Napoleon launched his coup d’état; Barras was then sent into exile.
Everything else we know
The film will reportedly feature six key battle scenes. So far we know this will include the Siege of Toulon and the Battle of Marengo. The Siege of Toulon was Napoleon’s first major victory as a junior officer, as described above. The Battle of Marengo took place in June 1800, part of the War of the Second Coalition between revolutionary France and several other European monarchies. The battle itself was in northern Italy and saw Napoleon defeat Austria’s army despite his opponents’ surprise attack. It was a great victory and strengthened Napoleon’s power as leader of France after his coup d’état several months earlier.
The shooting is believed to have taken place in various locations in England, including Lincoln, Buckinghamshire, Blenheim Palace in Woodstock and Boughton House in Kettering. The shooting also took place in Malta, an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. There is Fort Ricasoli, a real fortress that was fought in the time of Napoleon. It will be used to film the siege of Toulon.
Publication date
Napoleon is still in production and is expected to be released next year.