The world stands still when Ridley Scott comes out with a new film. From the trailers alone, Napoleon seemed to be a magnitudinous character study of one of the most vile dictators in world history. Starring a headlining powerhouse duo of Academy Award-winner Joaquin Phoenix as the ruthless general and Academy Award-nominee Vanessa Kirby as his wife, Josephine, it was a no-brainer that these two titanic actors were going toe-to-toe in the well-documented and horrifically toxic marriage of the Bonapartes. Despite fierce leading performances and Ridley Scott’s controlled vision, a decent portion of Napoleon seemed to have gotten lost in the editing room.

Granted, there is a much longer director’s cut on the way on Apple TV+, but the problem with Napoleon is that the film could have been at least ten minutes shorter. The two-and-a-half-hour behemoth of a film adopts a five-act structure in order to span the entirety of Napoleon’s rise to power, but not every minute is warranted. On the one hand, the abundance of sex scenes seems inconsequential to the overarching story Scott is trying to tell. On the other hand, they also illustrate the emotional detachment between Napoleon and Josephine, as well as Napoleon’s infamously bizarre promiscuity. Despite these elements being somewhat necessary for the characterization of Napoleon (this is a character study, after all), the necessity of these scenes did not stop me from nearly dozing off in the second act. Due to its hulking length and vast scope of history, Napoleon simultaneously excites and mildly bores, which makes the pace and structure quite messy throughout.

Fortunately, Scott’s prowess as a filmmaker shines through all things, and I found myself captivated and excited by most of the film. Napoleon opens with a stunning recreation of the French Revolution, where Marie Antoinette is captured and beheaded in front of the French populace. As the executioner gruesomely shows off Antoinette’s severed head, Napoleon watches in the audience. When it comes to depicting the ruthlessly violent nature of the French Revolution and Napoleonic era, Ridley Scott pulls no punches whatsoever. Napoleon freely indulges in mass murder, political suppression, and fascism without the slightest expression on his face, illustrating that he views these horrendous acts as duty rather than his own twisted sense of malice. 

To no surprise, Scott’s battle scenes are visceral and jaw-dropping, with Scott’s depiction of the Battle of Austerlitz being one of the best-directed scenes of the year. The sheer magnitude of this scene, let alone the whole film, is worth the price of an IMAX ticket. The imposing battle scenes are littered with thousands of extras, with more digitally added extras peppered throughout to display the tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of soldiers on the battlefield. The scale of every battle Scott directs is breathtaking as he flexes his innate ability to create the most grandiose shots possible, assisted by expert cinematographer Dariusz Wolski. The images Wolski and Scott capture are sublime and extravagant, with ever-changing color palettes and tones as Napoleon continues his conquest throughout the Eastern hemisphere. The film’s color grade shifts from striking oranges and yellows to subdued grays and blues, showing an incredible amount of visual versatility from both the director and cinematographer. Scott helms the screen with a striking sense of control, making it one of the most staggering blockbusters of the year.

A far cry from the typical Joaquin Phoenix performance, his Napoleon is reserved and vulnerable. He retains the signature eccentricities that make him such a fantastic actor, such as his peculiar mannerisms and vicious sexuality, reminiscent of his character in The Master, but with much more control and poise. He has his moments of franticity, such as an incredibly performed stunt falling down a flight of stairs that left my theater roaring with laughter. Phoenix’s Napoleon is a strange and hypocritical man and offers, quite honestly, an incredibly hilarious deadpan performance. Napoleon’s self-seriousness combined with his buffoonish antics outside of the battlefield creates laughable contrast in his character, as the film takes pleasure in poking fun at its idiotic and villainous protagonist. He may be an excellent military strategist, but in his marriage and political career, he is a total moron. In two vastly different leading performances this year, between Ari Aster’s Beau is Afraid and Napoleon, Joaquin Phoenix routinely proves his uncanny proficiency to fit into any genre possible, as his ability to command the screen is second to none. I firmly expect another Academy Award nomination for his performance. However, if anyone in this film is to be nominated in an acting category, I would choose Vanessa Kirby over Phoenix in a heartbeat. 

Vanessa Kirby’s portrayal of Josephine Bonaparte is magnetic and powerful, as she completely consumes every scene she is in. Her Josephine is wounded but steadfast, as her first husband was executed during the French Revolution. On the surface, she seems to be a pawn to be used by more powerful men like Napoleon, only for the relationship dynamic behind the scenes to be ultimately the opposite. While Napoleon gives Josephine material wealth and status, it is Josephine who controls Napoleon’s every whim, thought, and decision. She’s not manipulative, but she keeps the fragile Napoleon wrapped around her finger. Napoleon’s weakness is only accentuated by Josephine’s strength and gives mainstream audiences a behind-the-scenes look at the power structures within the French empire. From a distance, it seems like Napoleon is the one with power. Up close, the true power belongs to Josephine.

Boasting two powerhouse performances from two actors at the top of their game, Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby absolutely dominate this leviathan of a film. Despite faltering in some places, Napoleon is another monumental entry in an idiosyncratic filmography that could only belong to an auteur as skilled as Ridley Scott. Frankly, if Scott were not the one directing this film, it would not be anywhere close to as good as it is. With nothing to prove after nearly 50 years of fabulous filmmaking, Ridley Scott reminds us that he is, without a doubt, one of the greatest filmmakers of all time.