By Aranyak Goswami
Ridley Scott is one of the celebrated maverick directors who is known for directing big spectacle movies, especially war movies or any movie enterprise where there might be a degree of grandiosity and chances for a visual and aesthetic extravaganza. However, his films are also supported by solid drama and deft acting performances interlaced with big emotional upheavals. Ridley loves to be part of ventures that are part of a historical milieu but always portrays historical events in his light and his perspective which might not be echoing historical accuracy.
The overall audience reaction to the movie has been divisive. People of French origin have found the movie to be superfluous, emotionally volatile, and a caricature of a representation of their greatest war heroes ever. Whereas to a primarily English-speaking audience, it seemed awe-inspiring, sincere, satirical, and visually stunning.
Any movie only holds ground when the central character carries the weight of the whole movie on the shoulder of his/her acting prowess. When you make a biopic on a person whose life and work a matter of great historical significance and impact then the portrayal must be brought to life on screen by an artist who has a monumental charisma and commitment to getting transformed in the role that requires honesty, commitment, and diligence of the highest level.
Joaquin Phoenix who played the role of the protagonist in the movie has that level of prodigious talent, charisma, and commitment to the essay role. His powerful enactment as the efficient scheming, benevolent leader ultimately a power-hungry despot with a comical as well as tragic disposition added several shades of dynamism to the representation of one of the most charismatic characters in history of all time.
Joaquin has been supported well by a great supporting crew consisting of Vanessa Kirby as Empress Joséphine, Tahar Rahim as Paul Barras, and a host of others who have provided adequate credence solidarity, and relevance to the screenplay. One prominent theme of the movie is the poignant and turbulent love story between Napoleon and Josephine. The chemistry between Joaquin and Vanessa is electrifying and explosive as both are powerhouse performers. They bring a sense of genuine sincerity to their performances and are deeply interested in each other’s lives.
Apart from eclectic performances, the movie is supported by impeccable editing, great music, and huge staging. The way epic war scenes have been shot bears testimony to the great technological prowess of the director and his crew who has shot every scene exquisitely with intricate detailing.
Great music by Martin Phipps has added to the theme and gravitas of the movie and also elevates the movie at every stage. The cinematography by Dariusz Wolski exports us to the world of erstwhile France.
Nowadays the craft of filmmaking has been elevated to a great extent given the great amount of technological innovation happening along all corners. Hence usually tent pole Hollywood movies with expansive budgets excel in technical aspects of the movie.
Hence great technological prowess as a part of cinematic accomplishments is not a distinctive achievement. However, what matters is the artistry and eloquence with which you can narrate your tale and add technology to create an atmosphere and intrinsic beauty associated with the narrative of the film. Ridley has been able to establish a part of this transformative atmosphere with great success.
Now the question arises is the movie with all its greatness, a poignant exposition of artistic greatness, or does it have its limitations?
The answer is indeed that there are some criticisms as well. It is good to display Napoleon as a fleshed-out human character stripping him of some of his greatness and dislodging him from his pedestal as one of the greatest rulers in French history but some of his portrayal has been a tad derogatory undermining some of the best achievements of this extremely charismatic man.
Also, the stress of the movie has been so much on the clandestine relationship between the characters of Napoleon and Josephine that some parts of the narrative and character development of supporting artists have not been fleshed out well. This has led to the decrement of the relevance of the movie. Other than this shortcoming the movie works beautifully for me. Hence my final verdict is that the movie might have its historical liberties and limitations, but it is indeed an entertaining aesthetic experience for cinephiles.
Rating: 4/5