Ridley Scott’s Napoleon

At the end of the credits of Napoleon, there is a brief dedication for Lulu, Ridley Scott’s dog. My guess is that the poor mutt died of shame after watching this pile of dross.

It is difficult to think of anything positive to say about Napoleon. That is surprising, given Scott’s previous offerings include Blade Runner, Thelma and Louise, and Gladiator. The French Revolution is portrayed as only an orgy of ritualised sadistic murder. Napoleon’s victory at the battle of Toulon is said to have fixed his military reputation, although his much greater success in the Italian campaign (ignored in the film) was more important in the long run.

His expedition to Egypt provides some opportunity for impressive scenery, with pyramids popping up everywhere, and gives scope for Josephine to demonstrate her infidelity while he is away. His relationship with Josephine is portrayed as the bedrock of Napoleon’s life. Even if that is true, the first scene when they meet, when Josephine spreads her legs in front of him, is tacky to put it mildly.

Joaquin Phoenix, no doubt a good actor, can’t do anything with the second-rate material he has to work with. As an antidote, look at Rod Steiger’s excellent performance as Napoleon in Sergei Bondarchuk’s Waterloo (1970).