I, like all history buffs, was very excited when I learnt that Ridley Scott was directing a new film about the life of Napoleon. I went into the screening at the IMAX with very high hopes being a fan of many of Scott's films but I was bitterly disappointed. The relationship between Napoleon and Josephine was cartoonish and devoid of any emotional heart. Their relationship felt like a joke for the screen and very one dimensional. Considering it was the essence of the entire film it got boring very quickly indeed.
Some of the action sequences were well put together but it felt like the audience were just trudging through it. There was never any sense of peril because the wars and battles didn't serve the broader narrative of the film. Instead, we have ham fisted scenes in Egypt in front the pyramids just to tee off Napoleon recounting letters to Josephine and then learning about her new lover at home but because their relationship is so tedious to watch, the audience never care about it, making every boring interaction all the more frustrating.
I really, I mean really, didn't like the concept of Napoleon. It covered far too much ground, about 20 years + of history, in just over 2.5 hours and did it all by refracting every single event through the prism of a cartoonish and boring relationship.
Some of the action sequences were well put together but it felt like the audience were just trudging through it. There was never any sense of peril because the wars and battles didn't serve the broader narrative of the film. Instead, we have ham fisted scenes in Egypt in front the pyramids just to tee off Napoleon recounting letters to Josephine and then learning about her new lover at home but because their relationship is so tedious to watch, the audience never care about it, making every boring interaction all the more frustrating.
I really, I mean really, didn't like the concept of Napoleon. It covered far too much ground, about 20 years + of history, in just over 2.5 hours and did it all by refracting every single event through the prism of a cartoonish and boring relationship.