Controversy surrounding blockbuster Napoleon

Napoleon Bonaparte (played by Joaquin Phoenix) through the hands of Ridley Scott is a military genius and also a lonely dreamer full of weakness in front of his wife - Joséphine (Vanessa Kirby).

Scene from the movie Napoleon

Napoleon kept the audience glued to the silver screen for more than 2 and a half hours to follow all the developments in the life of the most brilliant emperor of France with a full range of emotions mixed between glory and humiliation, jealousy and forgiveness, possession and abandonment..., explaining why the French dictator was so aggressive but self-deprecating. The unwillingness to admit defeat in any form, whether in marriage or in the military, was Napoleon's main characteristic, making everything both humorous and pathetic.

Before passing away on May 5, 1821, Napoleon Bonaparte left only 3 words that encapsulated his entire life: France - Army - Joséphine.

Fierce controversy when the movie premiered

Director Ridley Scott once had a fierce argument with French historians over his decision to have the characters speak with an American accent in the film, not French.

Director Ridley Scott (left) and Joaquin Phoenix on the set of Napoleon

French historians believe that Napoleon started with a mistake: Napoleon Bonaparte witnessed the beheading of Marie Antoinette - something that never happened in history.

Historian Jean Tulard (90 years old), who has written dozens of books about Napoleon Bonaparte, said: "I admire Ridley Scott, but as a professor of history at Sorbonne University, I advise you not to watch this film." Tulard also pointed out that Napoleon never carried a sword at the Battle of Waterloo.

Another historian, Patrice Gueniffey, made more errors in the magazine Le Point . The film shows the dictator being present at the beheading of Queen Marie Antoinette, while Napoleon was leading the battle of Toulon, 700 km from Paris. He also claimed that the shooting of the pyramid in the film by Napoleon was a fabrication.

Military historian Dan Snow also identified inaccuracies in the $200 million production of Napoleon in The Guardian , saying: "Napoleon did not shoot at the pyramids in Egypt or witness Marie Antoinette being beheaded."

Writing in Le Figaro , journalist Romain Marsily, who teaches communications at Sciences Po Paris, commented: "Ridley Scott insults Napoleon, turning him into a trivial, stupid, ridiculous and tragic figure."

Ridley Scott "retorted" with a strong "gunpowder" smell in The Times that no current French historians lived in that era to confirm everything. Regarding the scene where Napoleon ordered his troops to fire cannons at the Egyptian pyramids, the director calmly replied to The Sunday Times : "I don't know if Napoleon ever did that, but it was the quickest way through cinema to prove that he... conquered Egypt!".

Historian Lorris Chevalier, Napoleon film history consultant, commented: "We have to accept fictional details, because each film is ultimately the artist's own work."

Actress Vanessa Kirby said: "Any interpretation of Napoleon is just through a prism, or a perspective. Just like every book you've ever read about the French emperor has a different perspective. This movie is no different."

Ridley Scott started his film career in 1965, becoming famous worldwide through the films Alien, Thelma & Louise, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, American Gangster, Robin Hood, House of Gucci . He won Emmy, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and received 4 Oscar nominations, of which Gladiator won Best Picture.

Napoleon was released worldwide on November 22 and in Vietnam from December 1 with the name Napoleon's Empire. The film has earned approximately 137 million USD worldwide and 805 million VND in Vietnam.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/tranh-cai-quanh-phim-bom-tan-napoleon-185231205001719413.htm