MIDNIGHT REVIEWS Napoleon
Midnight Reviews features reviews and thought pieces written and edited by a parent, at night, after bedtime.
This afternoon’s movie…
“Want Moana Daddy. With Maui.”
“Okay, but Maui doesn’t turn up for a while, remember? We have to wait for him.”
“No, want Maui turn up now.”
“Okay, well I can skip the first bits and get to the Maui bits.”
“No, not skip. Want Maui in the first bits.”
“That’s not how it works. We can’t make Maui turn up.”
“Yes we can!”
Review: A wonderfully animated, fun-filled emotional ride that shows the benefit of teamwork and not rushing into things. The character of Maui turns up far too late though. If only he was introduced earlier, we could see more character progression, see faster development through the second act and not be driven mad by repetitive requests for ‘Maui now, Daddy.’
The evening review…
NAPOLEON
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Featuring: Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby
Synopsis: Ambitious French soldier Napoleon Bonaparte moves up in the world amidst political upheaval and bloody battle, until it all comes crashing down on his head (spoiler alert for historical events from the 1800s).
Review: First off, Napoleon is a big movie. Not just because of its official runtime of over two and a half hours, its coups, or its ferocious battles. These are events that helped shape the lives of people across Europe today. The massive scope is something Ridley Scott has done well throughout his career, but here his powers are on full display. I never knew what 250,000 men hanging round on a field looked like, but after the Battle of Waterloo, now I know.
Joaquin Phoenix is perfectly cast.
A lot has been made of historical accuracy. My own opinion of the matter is that, relatively speaking, a need for accuracy shouldn’t get in the way of the story. Do not go in thinking this is a Napoleon Bonaparte you can base a history exam on. But at the same time, it’s hardly as if Napoleon invents the tank, eats a Snickers whilst sat on a throne or yells ‘Cowabunga!’ charging into battle. This is a version of Napoleon, a version Ridley Scott is using to say something about the emperor’s place in history and others who were on the same level as him. He presents famous leaders as putting themselves and their flag above the people of their country. Leaders who, despite their armies doing the utmost to kill each other, ‘have better things to do than to shoot at each other.’
This is also not Gladiator, despite what marketing would have people believe. Whilst Maximus is pretty much a mythical character, an archetype of purest battle cries amidst grand talk of heavenly Elysium, Napoleon is much more real.
Joaquin Phoenix is perfectly cast. Whilst there have also been snippets from reviews that Napoleon classes itself as a comedy, I think it’s more that we’re being presented with a portrayal that makes him seem human. The idea of Napoleon, at least in England, is that he was larger-than-life (besides the whole being short myth), with most people thinking of him as a man of many battles, many successes and that he raised an empire that might put Alexander the Great to shame. That and a famous ABBA song. But this is a movie peppered with tiny moments that show Napoleon as a human being, who just happened to be extremely childish, unlikeable and cursed with an inner determination that drove him to help slaughter millions in order to spread lines on a map. There’s a wonderful moment where, in a hurry, Napoleon almost forgets his ubiquitous hat, before rushing back and grabbing it like I would if I forgot my keys.
It is the awkward Napoleon who knows what he wants, but not quite how to get it. Besides his apparently sound battle tactics (fire cannons at people until they’re happy to see you), Napoleon doesn’t quite know what to do with himself and there are other wonderful moments featuring him and Josephine (Kirby, also excellent) where the balance of power seems to shift continuously. Napoleon insists he is the most important person in the world, before standing awaiting orders from a naked woman waiting to sleep with him, presenting himself like a little boy, clumsily blowing candles out like it’s his eighth birthday party. It is an outstanding performance with Phoenix seemingly completely fearless in presenting Napoleon’s ego-driven moments, his rare tender moments, and the moments where he seems like a lost clown.
… worthy of any and all plaudits offered to it.
Vanessa Kirby, whilst not having as much screen time, quietly bides her time and presents a character who is doing the best with what she has. This is where parallels can be made to today. At one point Napoleon tells Josephine that she shouldn’t wallow in melancholy; that she looks nicer when she’s happy. A ‘you should smile more’ moment if there ever was one. With insistence being the thread line throughout her performance, Kirby presents Josephine as a steely realist. There’s a confidently directed and edited sequence where the film intercuts between military leaders directing battle plans and Josephine observing two preening swans. She observes it all.
The battles, especially one set on ice, in heavy snow, are tense and bloody, without being vulgar. We do not linger, but nor do we shy away. An Austrian soldier is dragged to his death into icy water by the very flag he was carrying mere moments before. Despite the size and importance of the film, this messaging is subtle enough and there is no time for eye-rolling over sledgehammer metaphors.
By the end of the film, it’s clear that despite everything that’s happened Napoleon doesn’t see any of the failures as his fault, and that he’d take more if he could. After the mammoth runtime I only wanted more, more of the detail of Napoleon’s life, more of how he managed to summon some strange charisma to persuade 125,000 men to follow him to Waterloo. I would gladly have sat there for two more hours or even two more days and taken in more of what Scott had to offer. A masterful film only a group of exceedingly talented individuals could come together to create, worthy of any and all plaudits offered to it.
