Ridley Scott’s look at French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte (Joaquin Phoenix) is divided into 3 areas: his enduring love affair with Josephine, his political ambitions and his military accomplishments. Scott manages to spend time with each of these, but it’s the relationship with his wife that’s the most powerful. This may be the best performance by Phoenix yet and his tender scenes with her (Vanessa Kirby) are the most compelling. His rise and fall to power is interesting. The battles effectively show off his skills, but the action often muddled, perhaps to show war’s chaos or just bad direction and editing. There are impressive grand-scale sequences and compelling intimate encounters, all thanks to Scott’s direction and the strong performances. The film seldom makes a powerful impact, but the unfolding of events make for a fascinating history lesson. 
(4 / 5)