Sir Ridley Scott has responded to criticisms regarding the historical inaccuracies in Napoleon.
The upcoming biopic sees Joaquin Phoenix assume the role of the famous French leader, charting his rise to power as well as his relationship with Empress Josephine (Vanessa Kirby).
Following the release of the trailer, several historians pointed out that certain events – namely a battle at the Pyramids of Giza and Marie Antoinette’s appearance at her execution – were historically inaccurate, with a TikTok video subsequently going viral.
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Scott, who is no stranger to historical dramas following works such as Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven, was in a bullish mood when talking about the debacle, telling The New Yorker that the detractors needed to “get a life.”
Whilst the legendary filmmaker seemingly had little time for complete authenticity, he did reveal that he strived to accurately portray the central character’s fiery personality, with the director working closely with his lead star on the portrayal.
“He is deeply vulnerable, and while doing his job he’s able to hide that under a marvellous front,” said Scott of the historical figure. “His forceful personality was part of his theatre […] Who was this person, and why was he vulnerable? And it was this woman called Josephine.”
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With Napoleon now ready to hit cinemas, Scott’s attention will turn to Gladiator 2, which sees Paul Mescal play the role of Lucius, the son of Lucilla and nephew of Commodus, who were played by Connie Nielsen and Phoenix respectively.
Nielsen is set to reprise her role in the sequel along with Derek Jacobi and Djimon Honsou, with the new cast including Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal and Joseph Quinn. Plot details have largely been kept under wraps thus far, with the release date currently set for November 2024.
Napoleon will be released in cinemas on November 22.
Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.
