NAPOLEON opens November 22
As a ruthless, commanding military general and as the powerful leader of the French empire in the early 19th Century, Napoleon Bonaparte led a legacy that is undeniably larger than life. Therefore, it is only fitting that his life story should be experienced on the largest screen possible. Luckily, NAPOLEON – a new historical biopic from director and producer RIdley Scott and starring Academy AwardⓇ winner Joaquin Phoenix in the title role – will be available to see on IMAX screens at AMC Theatres.
A large portion of the film – which is being released on Tuesday, November 22 – focuses on Napoleon’s volatile marriage to Empress Josephine Bonaparte (played by Academy Award nominee Vanessa Kirby) and how the imperfect nature of their relationship affected his life on a personal and professional level. However, anyone who knows their history might expect that a film about one of the most successful military commanders in history should have its fair share of epic battles sequences and they would be absolutely right. The following is a breakdown of just three of the most explosive and exciting sequences from NAPOLEON that make it an absolute must-see in IMAX.
Siege Of Toulon
The moment that earned Napoleon Bonaparte fame and respect among his people was a legendary attack that came to be known as the Siege of Toulon. It was at night on December 15, 1793, when Napoleon – then appointed senior gunner and artillery commander – and an army of French revolutionaries arrived to capture a blockade at one of the French ports overseen by the Royal British military. He led the French to victory against the redcoats at Toulon.
The siege is the first major moment of action in NAPOLEON and first sign of the film’s authentic and uninhibited approach to showing the harsh realities of war at this point in history. It is also very telling of the spectrum of emotions that Napoleon – not yet at the level of power and prestige he was known for – must have been feeling at this moment.
Battle Of Austerlitz
The Battle of Austerlitz was also known as the “Battle of the Three Emperors,” as it involved armies led by Russian emperor Alexander I, Austria’s Francis II, and Napoleon, who had become the emperor of France by then. Taking place outside the Austrian town of Austerlitz on December 2, 1805, the deadly battle came to be known as one of the most important conflicts of the Napoleonic Wars and resulted in France’s victory against both the Russian and Austrian empires with thousands of casualties.
While the aforementioned Siege of Toulon sequence in NAPOLEON serves as the first sign of the film’s graphic depiction of war, the Austerlitz scene is its most unapologetically brutal and, yet, stunningly visceral. Without giving too much away, the sequence, which takes place on a frozen lake, is yet another that proves how cannonballs were very effective in helping Napoleon secure his victories. The scene demonstrates Napoleon’s ruthless means of defeating the opposition in both harowing and mesmerizing ways that audiences may find impossible to look away from, especially in IMAX.
Battle Of Waterloo
The climatic end to the Napoleonic Wars also marked the end of the Hundred Days War, which was the Seventh Coalition’s response to Napoleon reclaiming control of France after returning from months in exile on the Island of Elba. What brought this violent era to a close was the famed Battle of Waterloo, which saw the Duke of Ellington (played by Rupert Everett in the film) lead a union of armies to victory against Napoleon and the French army on June 18, 1815.
This devastating event in Napoleon’s legacy serves as an appropriately somber climax to the film, but by thoroughly exciting means. Even before a shot is fired, the scene is a wonder to look at, simply by the way the soldiers move about the battlefield in an almost balletic fashion. The carnage that ultimately ensues calls to mind the visceral authenticity that Ridley Scott brought to his 2001 modern war epic, BLACK HAWK DOWN, but fittingly applied to a 19th Century setting that makes you feel like you are present for this legendary event – with some credit given to the IMAX format, of course.
With previous releases like CHEVALIER and OPPENHEIMER, most would agree that 2023 has been a magnificent year for films based on important real-life events. However, audiences may be inclined to agree that no historical biopic to come out this year has truly managed to be bigger than NAPOLEON, which is why it deserves to be seen on the biggest screen possible. Experience the revolutionary life and career of one of Europe’s boldest figures in IMAX when Ridley Scott’s explosive epic comes to an AMC Theatres location near you!
NAPOLEON opens November 22
