I believe you've heard that the long-awaited film "Napoleon" by Ridley Scott, starring Joaquin Phoenix, has been released. After a long wait and many memes with "there is nothing we can do," my friend and I went to see the movie. We managed to catch it on the last day of a Model United Nations conference we were both attending, so we went in suits. In addition to that, I brought some "props": Napoleon socks and a bicorn hat, both purchased from the Invalides Dome in Paris.
The film began with a good scene of Marie Antoinette's execution, the only problem being that in reality, Napoleon was not present there. Later on, the movie covers the Siege of Toulon, the Battle of the Pyramids, Austerlitz, the Russian campaign, and Waterloo, with all the battles filled with very good special effects but lacking historical accuracy.
However, it didn't take me long to notice some much bigger issues than the very poor historical accuracy. The biggest problem was that the film caricatured Napoleon. Additionally, some scenes made the movie seem like a cheap comedy, with an excessive focus on Napoleon's relationship with his wife Josephine.
Napoleon was portrayed as immature, irrational, uneducated, insecure, and obsessed with his wife, which, with except for the latter, was not true. Worse still, the film suggested that Napoleon was controlled by his wife, and his military campaigns were more or less aimed just at impressing her. While scenes like the coup on 18 Brumaire were downright uncomfortable to watch, and the line "you think you are so great because you have boats!" can only be described as cringe.
Beyond all its problems as a film, the biggest issue is that it oversimplified, parodied, and distorted the legacy of one of the most significant figures in recent history. A man who showed extraordinary military genius and influenced European politics forever, with his legacy indirectly leading to World War I.
All in all, this film had the potential to go down in history as a great film with talented actors, but it will remain a mediocre film, far below expectations, and a disappointment filled with awkward scenes and forced comedy that at times invented historical facts or distorted existing ones.
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