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This biopic chronicles Napoleon Bonaparte's life story, his rise to power, and his famous relationship with his (mostly) beloved wife, Josephine. He spends his early years in battle and rises to popular acclaim through his prowess as a tactician, and his ability to rally people behind him. Eventually, amid calls from the people, Bonaparte is anointed as Emperor by the Pope, and he continues to win serious battles against the Austrian and Russian armies. Meanwhile, a drama ensues at home when his mother realizes that Josephine is unable to produce an heir, and she pushes Napoleon into an affair with a mistress who is able to do so.
Once he commands the troops to a devastating loss at Waterloo, Bonaparte is exiled to the island of St. Helena where he writes his memoirs until his death.
It was good to see Joaquin Phoenix execute this role so beautifully, as I find him hit and miss. There is no question that the three awards for which this film is nominated - all technical categories - are well deserved. Josephine's period piece dresses alone garnered the nomination, and the palaces in France did the same for Production Design. This Ridley Scott film will hardly go down in history as a great biopic, but if you have interest in the history of this time period, it's certainly worth watching.
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