There are some historical figures that virtually everyone knows, like Cleopatra, Einstein, and Shakespeare. In fact, some of them have become so ingrained into culture that their names and personalities become well-known descriptive phrases. One example is the term “Napoleon complex,” which is used to describe a man of short stature with an aggressive and domineering persona. We all know that this phrase stems from Napoleon Bonaparte, the famed French emperor, military commander, and not-nice man. (Interestingly, Bonaparte wasn’t that short at 5’6″, which was around the average height of a man during the period of time he lived.) But there are elements of his life that we may not know as well. Ridley Scott’s movie Napoleon aims to detail his rise to power and more with a trailer or two that put Joaquin Phoenix into action.
Warrior, emperor, general, genius, rebel, tyrant. Napoleon was many things, at least according to Ridley Scott’s vision. The trailers for this movie aim to capture all of them to the sounds of some excellent song choices, all while taking us through quite a visual feast. Whatever way this movie ends up portraying Napoleon; it certainly aims to be one powerhouse of a film.
To go along with the trailers, here’s the official synopsis for the upcoming Napoleon movie:
Napoleon is a spectacle-filled action epic that details the checkered rise and fall of the iconic French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, played by Oscar®-winner Joaquin Phoenix. Against a stunning backdrop of large-scale filmmaking orchestrated by legendary director Ridley Scott, the film captures Bonaparte’s relentless journey to power through the prism of his addictive, volatile relationship with his one true love, Josephine, showcasing his visionary military and political tactics against some of the most dynamic practical battle sequences ever filmed.
Honestly, Joaquin Phoenix playing Napoleon Bonaparte wasn’t on my historical movie BINGO card. But, after seeing the Napoleon trailer, he seems to embody Bonaparte’s power-hungry mindset incredibly well. Not to mention, the whole Napoleon movie cast seems to be bringing their A-game. Absolutely no one is falling short here. Napoleon will hit theaters on November 22 of this year, just in time for a Thanksgiving trip to the movie theater.
Originally published on July 10, 2023.
