By Filmmaker Ridley Scott is back in cinemas later this month with his historical drama “Napoleon” starring Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby.
A large-scale film, it details the checkered rise and fall of the iconic French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte through the prism of his addictive, volatile relationship with Josephine (Kirby).
85-year-old Scott aims to convey that he was both a visionary military and political tactician with the help of what’s dubbed to be some of the “most dynamic practical battle sequences ever filmed”. As it’s a biopic though, expect some creative license as well.
TV historian Dan Snow watched the trailer for the film and criticised its inaccuracies in a TikTok post. From “Napoleon didn’t shoot at the pyramids,” to Marie Antoinette’s hairstyle before execution, he took issue with several shots glimpsed in the preview.
Asked to respond to such fact-checkers in a new interview with The New Yorker, Scott was blunt as usual: “Get a life.” Scott and his team were thorough in their research, but all biopics take some liberties.
Phoenix himself previously advised Empire that those who want to know history should do their own studying and reading as the film is one “told through Ridley’s eyes.”
Sony will distribute the Apple Studios film in cinemas exclusively on November 22nd.
The post Scott Responds To “Napoleon” Historian appeared first on Dark Horizons.