‘Make Napoleon as interesting as a superhero movie’: Ridley Scott and Joaquin Phoenix revisit the myth in cinema

There were Duelists, Kingdom of Heaven and The Last Duel. So many films that prove Ridley Scott’s taste for French history. Today, the English director goes even further and addresses the myth of Napoleon, the emperor who “Build Your Own Legend” As he told us at the Paris Army Museum, where his new opus was promoted.

23 years after the release of Gladiator, the director of Alien and Blade Runner reunites with Joaquin Phoenix, who he offers another role as the Emperor. And it’s Vanessa Kirby who plays Napoleon’s wife, Josephine, in this movie, which runs for over 2 hours and 30 minutes, and the longer version (we’re talking about 3 or 4 hours) will be released later on AppleTV+.

On our mic, Ridley Scott discusses his approach to the character of Napoleon, who has been the subject of over ten thousand books and whose rise and fall he follows from the death of Marie-Antoinette in 1793 to his death in May. 5, 1821

And, while the historical veracity of the feature film is being questioned by a few, he talks about the impressive battles of his new film, and in particular the Battle of Waterloo. Comparing them to his previous films, including Gladiator or The Fall of the Black Falcon, which, like Napoleon, are based on real events.

Also directed by France’s Tahar Rahim or England’s Rupert Everett, Napoleon hits our cinemas this Wednesday, November 22.

Commentaries collected by Maximilien Pierret at the Musée d’Armée in Paris, 13 November 2023 – Editing by Constance Mathews