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He was supposedly ultra charismatic, that was something that was very well documented... Who is going to follow Pheonix's man-baby version of Napoleon...

It is obvious that the british elites had their fun with this one. Lets face it, Scott hasn't done a good movie for so long. He even managed to destroy a story with so much potential as Robin Hood. The film emphasizes all the facets of Napoleon which denigrate his stature as a historical figure. Its more a parody than a epic. Truly, pure garbage.

To sum it up, this was made for English and American consumption. It's a mc-napoleon

Keep in mind, Napoléon was 5’6” and of average male height for the time. He was bullied at a prestigious French 🇫🇷 Military Academy because he was… 1. Corsican and didn't speak French well. 2. Focused on his academic military studies. The scene in Egypt where Napoléon is given a stepping stool to see Cleopatra is pure cinematic fabrication. However, England in particular used these cartoonish propaganda images to alleviate the fear of Napoléon being the “God of War.” We don't get to see how Napoléon became a great military strategist, leader, and statesman; his childhood, education, and the Italian Campaign. Everything feels truncated. This should have been a 4-6 episode mini-series. Love to see a well-financed French 🇫🇷 Film Production of Napoléon. 1/5 or 2/10 And, that's being merciful to this PowerPoint Presentation excuse for a movie.

The problem of the movie is it tries to condense 60 years of history into a single movie. You lose the early formative years of Napoleon which really developed him as a person. You miss out on so many important wars and the wars it does show are horrendously historically inaccurate. The movie does a lot of telling and not showing such as having people say he is like Alexander the Great but you never see moments which make you think that.

good review! the problem is that this movie was not going to please people like me who like history, I know enough about Napolean to be annoyed about this portrayal. This movie was also not meant for people who don't know anything about Napolean, since they be lost with the battle scenes and the sequence of the events. So, this movie was not made for anyone!

In so many films now I lose the suspension of disbelief in the course of the film. I have not seen 'Napoleon' but from reviews I have seen I am certain that this fate would befall me if I watched it. It only takes one major discrepancy with the historical record to ruin it for me. This depiction appears to be inarticulate and inartistic. It is undoubtedly a hodgepodge of hoary old chestnuts that doesn't begin to elaborate on what made Napoleon exceptional and one of histories most brilliant generals.

Great commentary - sound observations and well described. I love your passion and expressed disappointment and the multitude of topics you cover across the film. I think you reflect my own feelings and sadness regarding the story line of this film. I was a Major in the Australian Army and had studied Napoleon in some detail as an allocated study topic to review and present during one of my extended officer training courses. (The study was on Leadership - not 1700's field tactics!). I was enthralled with all he did both militarily and as Emperor of France following the chaos and misery of the revolution. The film suggests he took the position by force but this did not occur - it was all via official processes. Napoleon contributed greatly to architecture in Paris, made secondary school free and accessible to all, brought back a positive economy and trade for France, founded the Bank of France and introduced the Napoleonic Civic Laws which applied to all citizens and are the basis of our human rights today. He strove to weed out corruption in France and made laws which gave Government jobs to people based on merit and not traditional heritage. Amongst so much more, he was also the first leader to initiate waste services to keep cities clean. Of 76 battles (the film says 61) he participated in over his life, he won 67! Even Waterloo was largely a defeat due to one of his Marshals with a very large force, not being ready to advance (some suggest not wanting to) and taking too long to initiate despite being called to do so several times. He was a highly respected General and adversary to many nations. No doubt he caused the deaths of several million persons with his expansionary ventures, but as you state, one doesn't have to like this. It is what it is and it happened. History has to be told as it was based on the documented evidence and in the case of Napoleon, it is all very well recorded at the time of the events. No one gives two hoots about his marriage to the extent it should dominate a film. Your comments on the film are supported by me and by thousands of people who's notes I have seen in recent weeks. When I saw the clips for the forthcoming movie I was greatly excited and eagerly awaited it's release. I really couldn't wait given Ridley Scott was directing and the acting cast involved. After seeing it one evening, when it was over, several colleagues and I didn't say a word as we walked back to our accommodation. Not a word about the film even as we said goodnight. Not a word the next day. Thanks again for an all encompassing and authentic assessment of Napoleon (2023).

Stanley Kubrick's movie about Napoleon was axed by the execs and would have probably been a masterpiece, instead we get this character assasination piece from Ridley Scott.

Also, Napoleon being short is a long debunked myth. He was picked on when he went to military school because of his thick Italian accent. NOT because he was short.

I am French, born and raised in Paris, and if you tell me this was supposed to be Napoleon, it feels to me like an English caricature puppet marinated in an English mild sauce. This Phoenix actor was wrong for the part, he had no passion, no charm. You can tell this was made by an Englishman, it was pure anti-French propaganda, pure junk. You gave a realistic review I think. The English actress, Barbie-Josephine, was pretty, like an icy English rose, but not as a warm blooded French temptress, and Josephine was born in Martinique on top of that - there is no chemistry between this actress and Napoleon, nothing. It’s hard to get into the Revolution spirit when the movie starts with Edith Piaf singing…Also, when Marie Antoinette was beheaded Napoleon was 24 years old. Phoenix looks 50 from the beginning to the end of the movie, just too old (plus Napoleon never saw that as he was not in Paris at the time, and Marie Antoinette’s hair had been cut…). It was bland and boring. Napoleon seen by a Brit - like if a Chinese director made a movie on President Lincoln and talked only about his relationship with his wife Mary, who had mental issues. The film shows a vulgar man, like an animal. Napoleon was a book worm, read thousands of books, was immensely intelligent and surrounded himself with competent generals - where are they in the film? No it was a tiktok movie made by a clueless Anglo director who should concentrate on his own British history and leave our French history alone, merci beaucoup.

You are daft if you think Phoenix’s performance was miles better than Kirby’s. Phoenix’s Napoleon was stiff, awkward, uninspiring, and was garbling his words when he wasn’t mumbling. He had the same, straight “stoic” face the entire film and acted like he had a personality disorder. Literally everything you criticize Kirby for, Phoenix is guilty of as well, from the lack of emotional range, to the woodeness, to the modern speaking style. The way “gutter” just falls out of his mouth like *”guddur”* in his important coronation speech makes me wince every time. You are working way too hard to absolve Scott of responsibility for this mess. “He needs a good script;” HE is the one that must approve the script, and obviously he approved of this one judging by how arrogantly he dismissed criticism of the inaccuracies. He is responsible for getting the best performance out of the actors, and if they don’t live up to their potential, that’s on HIM. This is his baby to bear. No one else’s.

I have to say, the comments on this video are so uniquely awesome, there's so many smart, funny, informative and downright clever things you guys have written. I think the KZfaq bar just raised. I'm super surprised and grateful, and have loved seeing how many sharp thoughtful people are still out there. If you're new, join the party. This is where honesty has come to play 🙏💪

You called it. Well said. Merry Christmas to you also - and all your French and English girlfriends. Just like to add one thing - Marie Antoinette was also made to look ridiculous. All her enemies save the painter David were in spite of themselves impressed with the quiet bravery and grace with which she went to her death. This picture should have been called "Diary of A Love affair" or maybe "Carry On ( To ) Waterloo." Sid James would have made a great Napoleon in this film.

Totally agree with your analysis of the disappointing 2023 Napoleon movie. Please watch the 1970 movie Waterloo and also the 2002 miniseries on Napoleon which are much better.

The problem with the farcical movie "Napoleon" is that an actor and a role for a character of the Slave Morality sort is cast into the role fitting for a man of Master Morality that Napoleon Bonaparte himself was. The Republican Basis for Monarchy, the Senate & the Monarch as imperial Tribune of the People IS the Roman Way, and Napoleon faithfully promoted this formula of the SPQR as the First Consul and Emperor of the Franco-Italian European Empire. The one key difference arising from the basis in morality between Napoleon and Hitler is that the former harbored a positive life-goal while the latter only a negative life-goal, which is the difference between ancient statesmanship mastery and modern quasi-religious demagoguery for slaves.y

I totally agree. I really dont care a damn about Napoleons relation to his wife.

Phoenix was wooden , too old and mis cast. It’s like he was playing ‘the joker’ version of Napoleon. Zero chemistry between Phoenix and Kirby. Napoleon was adored by his men and the only interaction we see between him n the soldiers is when he’s handing out half a baguette to them!

I don't understand how you can blame the actress. Napoleon himself seemed to be the problem to me, and Phoenix's acting was way more irritating.

Hated it. If I looked at my watch one more time I was outta there. Low energy. Poor script. No suspense. No drama. Characters that were important were left out and there were plenty of opportunities to create suspense that weren't taken particularly the Robespierre part and the decision to split his forces before Waterloo. His generals might as well been cardboard cutouts and some are not even mentioned. Murat for example. Kutuzov and Blucher two interesting historical figures are not mentioned. I felt like I was on a field trip with a teacher reading cliff notes.

WaterLooser 💦 🚽 of a film 😅

Great video again. Looking out for your next live stream.

Would have loved to of seen Stanleys version. Full metal jacket is amazingly good.

I think biopics are often, at best, pointless. At worst they're indulgent, self-important crap.

If the movie is about Napoleon and Josephine relationship, then im not getting something or the movie fails. If the movie is about how miserable the war is, then im not getting something or the movie fails.

Who wrote the script ? A 12 year old :/ 😂

RS version of Napoleon was a hit piece on the French historical figure.

Everybody is saying the same thing. I'm a history buff and so glad I was warned.

I'm going to say it now. There needs to be a corrective to this garbage and it needs to be suitably epic YET highly historically accurate, but it needs to be something more akin to the BBC's War and Peace tv series adaptation. Something that covers the length and breadth of Napoleon's life, possibly even with multiple actors playing Napoleon at various stages of his life. Assuming the series is not a French / multinational production (which would be ideal imho), an obvious contender for an English language version would be Timothee Chalamet as the young Napoleon, as far as I'm concerned anyway.

I kind of feel you have to be the maker of a new "Napoleon" in the near future, because I think your hart feels how it should be done... You know what passion is, and you know your movie his❤

without a doubt Kubrick would have nailed it.

If only Sean Bean was in it.

Josephine by the time she met Napoleon was already a widow and tried to get her status up the society mainly through wh*ring around and this is pretty well documented! I won't argue whether or not she had some feelings or passion for Napoleon but i seriously doubt it as he was after all a perfect trampoline for her and she continued her way even after they got married! So don't be too quick to judge. Phoenix in my opinion was totally lost and just sleep walked through at least the first one hour of the movie. And by far he was one of the worst cast for this part as it brought even more melancholy to his character and more historic bs with him looking like a dad to Kirby even in early years while in fact Josephine was 6 years older. And it was him actually that did not change facial expression between crowning himself an emperor or conducting a battle. Anyway this movie is a total crap for so many reasons: castrating Napoleon making him look like a total loser who would simply bomb the pyramids to deal with his complexes after which would crawl back to his cheating wife...that's pure bs on so many levels. Not to mention the scene when he is back from exile that actually inflicts the idea that the french are a bunch of melancholy cry babies who would follow someone no by the measure of his skills, charm and leadership but because he's the most depressed guy in the whole world

Well.... You can google it a bit more :) Napoleon was not particularly small. Wellington was shorter lol Yeahh....google it! But you are more or less going places with the psychology angle. Just, it did not come from his height. More like from his idea that he should have been very important in his home island of Corsica and feeling Corsica should be independent in his youth. At his start, Napoleon was fighting to show it to the french. And that´s where he comes from at the start. It does seem to change. He has a character arc. As he becomes more established in France, he starts to like some of the ideas behind the french revolution. He likes the meritocracy idea. He wants the best people to get to the highest places. And he does have this kind of idea that he is the best. So, obviously, he thinks he should really embrace the revolution and take control because he should be the one in charge. Just, this is not so much coming from his height. Never was :) It was coming from how he felt disrespected as a young corsican in the french military academy. How that motivates him to become introvert and to just focus on being the best student possible. How he then wanted to fight for Corsican independence and was very much unable to be successful there. So he gets a huge chip on his shoulders.

Film is an epic fail and a complete disaster! They did the big man Napoleon wrong -/ character assignation … wtf … feel bad for the French 😢

The title is 100% correct.

Kingdom of heaven Director’s cut is a proper masterpiece thought Theatrical version one can argue that it’s inconsistent, confusing and as a result boring

If anything, this flop of a movie will encourage people to read up about Napoleon Bonaparte's unique accomplishments and the extraordinary times he lived in.

Napoleon is a shockingly bad movie! I cannot think of a single redeeming minute of this lousy production! Joaquin Phoenix will live to regret making this cinematic shambles for decades to come!

Napoleons wife was 10 years older than him. But the film doesn’t emm😮

Napoleons Was an old man in Scot’s film. So many historical facts wrong.

Nah, you're wrong. Phoenix was awful in it.

"Mostly focused on his relationship with his wife." Yep... cuz, gotta make it appealing to females. That's literally it... This movie was made to target the general population, not people who are interested in history (especially accurate military history), which is why I won't even waste my time or money. It's just the typical, same old crap from the "entertainment" industry. First they target the ads to appeal to history buffs, who think "wow this is going to be great" Since we are not the majority of the population, this get us in there straight off to waste out time and money, Then the general population floods the theaters because their far too easy to entertain with the same old drama slop over and over, The movie makes a ton of money, and that's it.

No French speach? That's a bummer.

Lol, is it true Dylan Mulvaney actually played the role of Josephine??? If that's the case it should have been a smash hit!!!!All the Joker and Dylan freakazoids would have come out of the closet, to watch this abomination!!! Opportunity lost???!!!😂😂😂

the guy in drive was like that because his character was supposed to be like that.

Phoenix looks like he doesn’t wash, and his acting is dreadful. Except for Walk the line.

As I said before to other people, this movie shows more the vision of history the american mediocre middle class see history and European countries. A sort of fast food consumption of history, where everything is only surface level and characters are derived from a sort of fashionable cool trend of the moment. The depressed wrinkled Berlusconian Napoleon, who falls for the young virgin Queen. This film even shows the misoginy of Scott, who can't even accept to portray an old woman marrying a young men (Napoleon was younger than Josephine). Ridley Scott was never interested in portrying history and he even told us very clearly....

There is a ten part Napoleon series made in Europe about twenty years ago and it is in English. It is a lavish and accurate portrayal of his career, with several major stars such as Gerard Depardieu Highly recommended. The 2023 movie was just awful. Reply

Couldn’t agree w you more

Ridley Scott is no David Lean, great framing dosn't make a movie, Joaquin Phoenix has as much charisma as a toilet roll.

I don't mind documentaries that focus on an aspect of a famous person's life for example using M.Ali. There's 1000 documentaries about his boxing style, technique, fights etc but a doco. about his gf's and his sexual appetites is interesting and fair enough for me. The problem I have with Napoleon isn't that they focused on his love life but they got the character of Napoleon himself so wrong. A movie about Napoleon and Josephine is interesting but you want to do the character of Napoleon justice and the story itself must be interesting or it's just gonna fail. I haven't seen the movie but I've heard enough from other reviewers to understand that Napoleon has been potrayed as uncharismatic, autistic and a complete simp. Look from the sounds of it, he was quite into Josephine in history. That's fair but at least show some snippets of his charisma. See Waterloo from the 1970s for reference.

Great review thank you, i will not be seeing this tripe, sidenote napoleon was 5ft 6 inches tall and the avarage height for people at that time was 5ft 6-5ft 7 and napoleon was ridiculed for his corsican language not his height, and if scott wanted to model napoleon off an modern figure trump may have done the job well. love to all napoleonicas.

Good review... Ridley Scott made the Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius (in Gladiator) a manly, charismatic leader that Napoleon should have been. Men WILL follow men like Maximus into battle -not so much a tissue-thin smoldering, wussy like Scott's Napoleon. Also, consider that Scott and Cameron are BIG-TIME feminists and tend to have women on an equal or greater footing than any man. They also do this to attract women to the theater to see their movies but, it's a delicate balance that can be done but, Scott's Napolean shows you can go WAY too far and turn Napolean into a P-whipped man that is laughable to other men.

I really enjoyed you intelligent comment!😂❤

I'm pissed off that I spent my money on this shit. I mean, it cost me £30. Felt so let down.

Subscribed.

lol a great review

shy nervous needy cockroach hahah

good stuff. thank you.

The boring and dull napoleon

You are not real.

It's a great movie. You have no taste.

I was expecting it to be woke and queer at the very least but it had the ingredients for an epic but was utterly dreadful knob cheese