“Napoleon”

Released theatrically November 22, 2023, director Ridley Scott's "Napoleon" feature, starring Joaquin Phoenix (“Joker”) and Vanessa Kirby (“The Fantastic Four”) earned Oscar nominations for ‘Best Costume Design’, ‘Best Production Design’ and ‘Best Visual Effects’, with Scott now readying his director’s cut, with a streaming runtime of more than four hours:

"...the film is a personal look at Napoleon’s origins and his swift, ruthless climb to emperor viewed through the prism of the addictive and often volatile relationship with his wife and one true love, 'Josephine'. 

"The film also captures Napoleon’s famous battles, his relentless ambition, and astounding strategic mind as a military leader, war visionary and war criminal.”

   

Historically Napoleon Bonaparte rose to prominence during the latter stages of the 'French Revolution' and its associated wars in Europe. As 'Napoleon I', he was 'Emperor' of the French from 1804 to 1815. 

His legal reform, the 'Napoleonic Code', has been a major influence on many civil law jurisdictions worldwide, but he is best known for his role in wars led against France, by a series of coalitions, during the 'Napoleonic Wars'.

Napoleon spread the ideals of the French Revolution, while consolidating an imperial monarchy.

Due to his success in these wars, often against numerically superior enemies, he is generally regarded as one of the greatest military commanders of all time, and his campaigns are studied at military academies worldwide.

Napoleon spent the last six years of his life in confinement by the British on the island of Saint Helena. An autopsy speculated he was a victim of arsenic poisoning.

There have been numerous films based on the life of "Napoleon", including Armand Assante  in "Napoleon and Josephine: A Love Story" (1987), Charles Boyer in "Conquest" (1937), Marlon Brando in "Desirée" (1954), Ian Holm in "The Emperor's New Clothes (2001), Dennis Hopper in "The Story of Mankind" (1957), Trevor Howard in "Eagle in a Cage" (1965), Stacy Keach in "The Man of Destiny" (1973), Claude Rains in "Hearts Divided" (1936), Rod Steiger in "Waterloo" (1970), Craig Stevenson in "Goya's Ghosts" (2006) and James Tolkan in "Love and Death" (1975).

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