Ridley Scott’s latest biographical war drama “Napoleon” has stirred up controversy among French critics, but the director remains unfazed by their unfavorable reviews. Starring Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon Bonaparte and Vanessa Kirby as Empress Joséphine, the film has faced criticism for historical inaccuracies and casting choices.
Some French publications have not held back in their critique, with French GQ describing the film as “deeply clumsy, unnatural, and unintentionally funny” due to French characters speaking in American accents. Le Figaro went as far as suggesting that the film should be titled “Barbie and Ken Under the Empire,” while Napoleon biographer Patrice Gueniffey accused Scott of presenting a “very anti-French and very pro-British” version of history in an interview with Le Point magazine.
Unfazed by the negative reception from French critics, Scott defended his film in an interview with the BBC, stating, “The French don’t even like themselves. The audience that I showed it to in Paris, they loved it.”
Despite the backlash, “Napoleon” premiered in Paris on Nov. 14 and is set for release in the United States and the United Kingdom on Nov. 22. Scott’s response to criticism has further sparked interest, with the director telling TV historian Dan Snow and other history experts to “get a life” in an interview with The New Yorker.
