Anytime someone talks about great leaders, they can’t do so without talking about Napoleon Bonaparte. Movies have already been made about this great leader, but one for the modern age will be coming this month with Ridley Scott’s Napoleon. The film will see the director reunite with Joaquin Phoenix, whom he last worked with over two decades ago on Gladiator. If anything, it’s about time someone took the task of chronicling Napoleon’s historic career, and with a portfolio as large as his, Scott is the perfect man for the job.
The film will cover the most pivotal points of Napoleon’s career, including numerous battles. It’s a daunting task to cover so much in just two hours, especially considering Scott’s got over 4 hours worth of footage, which will be released on AppleTV+. Given that it’s a large period covered in just a few hours, creative liberties will be taken. But not everyone has the time to go to the movies. Fear not, because this article will cover the gist of what to expect. This is the true story behind Ridley Scott’s film, explained.

Who Is Lady Josephine?

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Scott’s Napoleon will explore the conqueror’s early career to his downfall. From his earliest victories that distinguished him as a leader to his crowning himself as Emperor of France to his inevitable deposition and banishment, all will be seen through the lens of his volatile relationship with Lady Josephine, played by Venessa Kirby. The film won’t solely revolve around their relationship, but it’s important to the overall story and should be touched upon.
Josephine is often described as highly intelligent and a manipulative survivor. When the two meet, she has already been widowed after her first husband was put to death via guillotine during the French Revolution. She would marry Napoleon in the year 1796, but their marriage would be tempestuous, and they would annul their union in 1810, when Josephine could not bear heirs. Despite this, their relationship would become infamous for generations after.

Napoleon’s Career & Victories

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To tell Napoleon’s story, Scott dives deep into his roots, going back to Napoleon’s earlier career and victories that saw his stock rise considerably. At the start of the French Revolution, Napoleon led his troops to his first major victory in the Siege of Toulon. At just the age of 23, Napoleon devised the clever strategy to take the city from British forces by gaining control of a nearby hill, from which his troops could fire downwards on the enemy. This victory led to his promotion to Brigadier General. The Siege of Toulon secured the trust of the French Republic, solidifying his staunch opposition to the throne. He would later go on to defeat the Royalists in the battle of 13 Vendémiaire, which saw his victory achieved with canons as he and the opposition fought in the streets of Paris.
From there, Napoleon took control of the French army in Italy in 1796 and gained control of Austria by 1805 following the battle of Austerlitz. Two years later, he was in Egypt. The image of the General can be seen in the trailer and posters of Phoenix as the titular character standing with his back to the Sphinx. The plan for this campaign was to take over the region to gain a territorial advantage over England. However, his plan would not come to fruition as his forces fell victim to the bubonic plague, which led to their defeat at the hands of the British at sea and losing the Egyptian campaign.
Related: Ridley Scott Explains the Reasons Behind Gladiator 2’s Decades of Development

Napoleon Takes the Crown

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Upon returning to post-Revolution France in 1799, Napoleon took note of the changing political climate of the country and soon began imposing his brand of order. The governmental body put in place after the war was quickly losing power, opening an opportunity to take his status to even further heights. He soon formed a government known as the consulate and took control of the country. Napoleon faced continued threats from the royalists, including assassination attempts. But from danger comes opportunity because he used these to his advantage by using them to push for a more stable ruling system.
He officially crowned himself as Emperor, as seen in the film trailers, in a lavish ceremony officiated by the Pope on December 2, 1804. Napoleon would hold the throne until 1814, when he was deposed. The path to his ascension may have been paved with blood and violence, but his rule is credited with the development of the influential Napoleonic code, which established equal property laws and reduced the religious authority of the church in France.
Many still dispute his reign, with some seeing him as a glorious warrior and others a tyrant. The era in which he reigned is filled with controversy, much of which was a direct cause of his rule. However, modern-day France may not have come to pass without his leadership, as he established the current systems of education, justice, and government to lay the foundation for modern-day France.
Related: Best Actors Who Played Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon’s Demise

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Napoleon may have been riding high as Emperor, but his ascension only rallied his enemies even further to fight against him. The Third Coalition was a union between Britain, Austria, and Russia, forged between 1803 and 1805. Together, they handed Napoleon his most major defeats. The first was the naval battle of Trafalgar in 1805, a defeat Napoleon would later repay in Austerlitz the same year. Unfortunately, Napoleon would find defeat again in 1812 with his failed invasion of Russia.
The campaign saw Napoleon deal heavy losses to Russian forces in Moscow, but no supplies were left to feed his starving troops into winter. His loss drew backlash, resulting in his exile to the island of Elba in 1814. He would briefly regain control of France, but the final nail in his coffin as Emperor came from his final defeat when he lost the battle of Waterloo in 1815 due to a series of misunderstandings that led his troops to impale themselves against the enemy’s formations. He abdicated his throne and found himself banished for the last time to the island of St. Helena.
Napoleon would spend the last six years of his life under constant surveillance before dying of stomach cancer on December 15, 1821, at 51. Since his time, many claims have been made about his reign. Some saw him as a bloodthirsty tyrant, while others saw him a hero. The debate still goes on today. Scott will likely show both sides of the coin in his movie when it hits theaters on November 22. Whatever he was, he was one of the greatest naval commanders ever. Above anything else, Napoleon brought France glory. With over 77 battles won out of 86, he’s a man few could rival. But as history shows, it doesn’t take much to topple a king.