Naturally, the story of Napoleon lends itself to some truly epic scenes – from glimpses of Revolution-era France to sprawling battlefields with impressive action set pieces. As Ridley Scott fans will know, the director is no stranger to executing some spectacular battle scenes, and his offering in Napoleon is no exception. Scott recreates some of Napoleon’s most famous battles – Toulon,Austerlitz,Waterloo and more – utilising a huge cast of actors who learned how to fight like the soldiers of the time in armies crafted by an expert military adviser. At the heart of it all, though, is that fascinating leader, the portrait of whom Scott and Phoenix worked tirelessly to craft. “We talked incessantly about who and what he might be, with Joaquin focusing on how he walks, how he talks, how he sits,” says Scott.
“We kept looking at portraits, which are fantastic.They are, in essence, photographs of the period.
“They are hardly flattering – you can stare at the man and know that an ego is coming to play.”
Napoleon came to cinemas at the end of November.
Photo: Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon
Photo: Cast of Napoleon
78 | mccarthyholden.co.uk
Made with FlippingBook. PDF to flipbook with ease