Visionary director Ridley Scott offers a curt response to criticisms of his Napoleon trailer from historians who point out its inaccuracies
Summary
- Ridley Scott dismisses criticism of historical inaccuracies in the Napoleon trailer with a curt response, suggesting he doesn’t care about adhering strictly to history.
- Scott’s focus in Napoleon seems to be more on delivering a compelling film with a standout performance by Joaquin Phoenix.
- While the trailer may have some historical inaccuracies, it remains to be seen how much the actual film deviates from history, but Scott’s priority seems to lie more in creating a captivating cinematic experience.
Napoleon director Ridley Scott reacts to criticism that the trailer for his upcoming film has historical inaccuracies. Starring Joaquin Phoenix as the titular French emperor, Napoleon is a historical epic tracking the rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte and his turbulent relationship with his wife, Josephine. Napoleon is set for release on November 22.
In advance of the film’s release, Scott responds curtly to the critique of the historical accuracy in the Napoleon trailer. As per The New Yorker, Scott was reacting to a TikTok from TV historian Dan Snow, who scrutinized the trailer’s historical integrity. Scott’s response to Snow’s commentary was short and simple: “Get a life.”
Napoleon’s Historical Inaccuracies Are Surprising (But Ridley Scott May Not Care)
Snow’s criticism noted Napoleon‘s several historical inaccuracies in the trailer. These included the fact that Marie-Antoinette “famously had very cropped hair for the execution” and that Napoleon “didn’t shoot at the pyramids” during the Battle of the Pyramids. If facts were skewed as such in the trailer alone, it reasons to stand that the biopic diverges far more from history in its 2-hour and 38-minute runtime than the few inaccuracies that were in the Napoleon trailer alone.
These seeming oversights may be somewhat surprising coming from a prolific director like Scott. Scott has directed other historically-based narratives including Gladiator and Black Hawk Down, so Napoleon is far from his first foray into based-on-a-true-story style adaptation. While it is typical for a dramatized history to fictionalize elements, Napoleon Bonaparte is a widely studied figure, making fallacious elements in Napoleon more easily visible.
From the shortness of his trailer response, however, it is clear that adherence to history is not Scott’s top priority in Napoleon. While the film may be a skewed vision of the French emperor, Napoleon will feature a tour-de-force performance from Phoenix, along with impressive cinematography work. Napoleon may not be the most faithful historical narrative, but perhaps Scott may not care much so long as the film serves its cinematic purpose.
Napoleon marks the second time Joaquin Phoenix and Ridley Scott have worked together, previously collaborating on Gladiator.
Source: The New Yorker
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