I watched the movie “Napoleon” from Apple with Joaquin Phoenix. It could be unique, but…

A new film “Napoleon” with Joaquin Phoenix in the main video was released abroad.

After the first viewings, viewers began to complain about the poor historical accuracy of the film. Director Ridley Scott did not ignore the French criticism:

Like the whole story, it was retold to other people. Napoleon dies, and ten years later someone writes this book. Then this someone takes the book and writes another. And as a result, 400 years later, you can see a lot of things made up in textbooks.

When I have problems with historians, I tell them: “Sorry, buddy, were you there? No? Then please shut up.”

— Ridley Scott

He also noted that audiences in Paris highly appreciated the film at its premiere.

We have already watched the film and are eager to share our impressions. How did the long-awaited new product turn out? It was created for cinemas and Apple TV+. Let’s figure it out.

A new look at one of the most eccentric personalities in history

What is the movie about: A personal look at the French military leader’s class and his swift, ruthless rise to the title of Emperor. A success story through the lens of Napoleon’s captivating, volatile relationship with his wife and true love, Josephine.

Have you read the description? So, already at this point I had a question during execution. The viewer sees Bonaparte’s development in a very compressed form. It feels like we briefly gave a brief excursion into history.

And at the same time, Napoleon himself turned out to be very peculiar. He does not try to reveal on the other hand that all bilateral cooperation agreements are concluded with Josephine. Their relationships came to the fore, and then only the emergence of the French emperor.

There are so many events in the film that the director simply does not notice the stop on something specific. The viewer simply advances the plot moves and remains with the scenes, be they large-scale battles or simple love affairs. Everything is mixed and intertwined poorly, you simply get lost in what is happening.

Due to the running time of 2.5 hours, you are constantly looking at changing locations, high-profile events, such as the burning of Moscow or the movement at Waterloo. They are staged perfectly, look large-scale and capture their atmosphere, but… there are too many of them, and they are not fully revealed, like Napoleon himself.

Despite the fact that he was played by Oscar-winner Joaquin Phoenix, his character turned out to be rather empty. As in the case of Jared Leto, who played the role of the Joker perfectly in Suicide Squad, but he simply had nothing to play with. This is what happens here too.

However, that could all change with the release of Napoleon on Apple TV+. The theatrical version lasts 2.5 hours, and the streaming version exceeds 4 hours. And it is at this moment that you can fill in the gaps that remain in the release version. The final film may turn out completely different, as was the case with Zack Snyder’s Justice League.

Due to fits and starts in the narrative, the viewer cannot see the whole image of Napoleon. This changes every now and then both in behavior and in the logic of its actions. For him to be stern and taciturn, it’s hard to shut him up.

However, Scott was able to show versatility Napoleon’s personality is precisely through his relationship with Josephine.

I was glad that there was some humor involved. We are shown not only an epic figure, but also a specific person with his own “habits” with a dose of self-irony.

Epic battles on site

What the film did well was the staging of the battles. You are literally transported to the scene of the battles and have learned to experience them for yourself. Yes, there are some reservations and, perhaps, historical inaccuracy, but everything was done at the same high level.

You you see and feel literally everyone flying past the camera of your space, every explosion, every shot. And this sometimes makes you feel a little uneasy – in a good way.

The music design also stands out. There isn’t much of a soundtrack here, but it’s laid out clearly and to the point. And it only completes all the epic paintings, making individual accents.

How the film turns out depends only on your attitude towards it.

“Napoleon” turned out to be a very peculiar film. As a biography it was not very successful, but as an epic biopic it was above all praise.

If you’re looking to see a new version of radically large-scale battles, you won’t be disappointed. They’re a real delight, a stunning production that takes Ridley Scott to the next level.

Unfortunately, it is still difficult to treat the script as well. He seems crumpled and collected in a hurry. However, everything may change with the release of the 4-hour version on Apple TV+, and I advise you to wait for that. To watch or not, as always, is up to you.