Napoleon review: Hugely entertaining biopic despite historical inaccuracies

James Cox

Historians may be unhappy with Ridley Scott's Napoleon, but the director won't care as he's produced another hit.

The biopic of French emperor and conqueror Napoleon Bonaparte stars Joaquin Phoenix, who will be in contention for his second best actor Oscar against the likes of Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) and Leonardo DiCaprio (Killers of the Flower Moon).

One historian who made a five-minute video about historical inaccuracies in the film was met with an abrupt response from Gladiator director Scott, "get a life".

One critic pointed out that Napoleon did not fire cannons at the pyramids, but in fairness, he didn't speak English either.

Some reviews have also been poor, but this writer certainly disagrees.

Phoenix captures the bizarre aspects of Napoleon's character, along with the master general on the battlefield.

While it certainly ranks among his best performances, Vanessa Kirby's portrayal of Napoleon's first wife Joséphine de Beauharnais steals the show.

She captures the spirit of the woman who Napoleon spent his life devoted to, even after their marriage was annulled.

Kirby could well be in line for success come awards season.

The battle scenes from famous wars in Napoleon's era, in the likes of Toulon, Russia, Borodino and Waterloo are stunning.

In summary, if you're looking for a purely historically accurate biopic, it's not for you, but if you're looking for an entertaining one, it's well worth a watch.