ASpider

Napoleon is just about worth watching as a cinematic achievement. However, the plot is so focused on Josephine that it seems as though Bonaparte himself wrote it. There is no mention of Napoleon's schooling, which no doubt gave him a sense of inferiority and the desire to prove his doubters wrong. Nothing is really done with his desire to increase opportunity for all and to reduce the dominance of undeserving monarchs. Marshal Ney wears glasses and stares. That's it. There is no inkling of combined arms tactics at all: the cannons fire, then the infantry shoot a few times and insanely charge at eachother, then the cavalry commit suicide. But worst of all, beyond the unnecessary changes to battle scenarios that were dramatic enough in real life, they made him a doubting, crying beta male. A design choice to make him "sympathetic" I suppose, but it leaves us watching a charismatic and visionary leader reduced to a Jokeresque adolescent. The French will be appalled. I can only conclude that the director has some burning desire to annoy the French before he retires.

This movie stands out for being different but it feels as though the writer/director was so focused upon it being different that he neglected to make it a coherent story. Rather than truth being peeled open as the movie progresses, further layers of ambiguity are added. This leads to a rather unsatisfactory ending. It still gets a 7 for the strong nautical vibe and how uneasy it made me feel, which I much prefer to the boredom I have been left to deal with watching other mainstream movies of late, but don't watch this if you are easily disgusted!