We’ve been on record as major fans of late-period Ridley Scott — the one-two punch of The Last Duel and House of Gucci hopefully settled the debate as to whether the master director had lost his touch (he hadn’t) — and his next film, the hotly-awaited Napoleon, looks to continue his hot streak. Depicting the life and times of the French Emperor, as well as his major military victories and tumultuous defeat (the Duke of Wellington sends his regards), Napoleon stars Joaquin Phoenix in the kind of role one can take when they’ve won an Oscar for a superhero movie but still need a big-ass challenge to go with that big-ass paycheck. It’s an Apple TV+ production, but we’re imagining the warm fuzzies you felt from CODA or Ted Lasso ain’t gonna be here, at least based on this trailer for the film that the tech giant dropped on Monday. But get your good glasses out of the case first, because you’re gonna want to luxuriate in every frame of this.
Peep it:
Here’s a synopsis, but if you’re interested in Bonaparte’s life, you can’t really go wrong with Andrew Roberts’ massive (and incredible) biography of the man:
“‘Napoleon’ is a spectacle-filled action epic that details the checkered rise and fall of the iconic French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, played by Oscar®-winner Joaquin Phoenix. Against a stunning backdrop of large-scale filmmaking orchestrated by legendary director Ridley Scott, the film captures Bonaparte’s relentless journey to power through the prism of his addictive, volatile relationship with his one true love, Josephine, showcasing his visionary military and political tactics against some of the most dynamic practical battle sequences ever filmed.”
Napoleon hits theaters on November 22, which is basically Scott’s corridor as far as massive-films-for-adults are concerned. It’ll hit Apple TV+ later in the year, and we’re willing to wager that either this or Killers of the Flower Moon will wind up with the bumper crop of Oscar noms. Unless one of them sucks, but that’s pretty unlikely.