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Ridley Scott’s magnum opus has been dragged through the dirt for the various historical inaccuracies seen in the film.Napoleon,starring Joaquin Phoenix was supposed to be a new venture into the historical leaders but it turned out completely differently.
With reports that Scott didn’t read a single book on the history of Napoleon Bonaparte and various comparisons, Ridley Scott has stirred quite a controversy. In recent reports, there have been accusations that Joaquin Phoenix compared Napoleon to Adolf Hitler while Scott defended the accusation by saying that it was his statement and the line was taken out of context!
When Ridley Scott Compared Napoleon To Hitler
In his defense, the director stated that the line was essentially taken out of context. Diving deeper into the history of leaders and dictators, Scott only meant that“any great leader is going to be involved in killing”.
Also read:“The man is not my father”: Before Ridley Scott’s Napoleon, Clint Eastwood Didn’t Take Lightly to Valid Criticism from Spike Lee That Led to a Feud
The ruckus around the statements was created due to the fact that there were no records of Napoleon Bonaparte committing an act of genocide (mass killing) in history. With the tag of“historical inaccuracy”on the head of Ridley Scott, the director talked about the issue in an interview withDeadline.
“I think I compared him, and it was a quote taken out of context about who one would compare Napoleon to over history. I started with Charlemagne, and Alexander the Great, and Marcus Aurelius.”
He further continued,
“Marcus Aurelius became very philosophical in his later years because I think as a human being, it probably came from guilt from the devastation he’d created around Europe to take it over and make the Roman Empire what it was. If you don’t think there was mass killing, you’re naive. So any great leader is going to be involved in killing.”
Having worked with the iconic director before inGladiator,Ridley Scottwas quick to correct the interviewer when they stated that Phoenix’s character of Commodus was a villain. Scott, on the other hand, stated that Commodus was the most sympathetic character of all time in his movie!
Suggested:“We can’t eat for another hour”: Ridley Scott’s Own Rule for Editing Ruined One of His Best Movies for Which Edward Norton Refused to Take Credits
Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus Was The Most Sympathetic Character!
Related:Ridley Scott Compares Terrible Cameron Diaz Film To Blade Runner For Failing To Take Off Among Fans
Fans might remember the iconic portrayal of Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus against Russel Crowe in the 2000 movieGladiator.Winning worldwide fame for his portrayal, Commodus is generally considered as a villain but not according to the veteran director himself!
“I’m going to correct you. I saw him as the most sympathetic character of all, in Gladiator. He was a product of neglect, total neglect of a father that he adored. He [Commodus’ father] kneels before the boy asking for forgiveness.”
The Martiandirector further stated how that scene changed the movie.
“That was fatal because the boy has never seen his father ask for that kind of close discussion. So he suffocates him. So from that moment on, I thought Joaquin was the most sympathetic person during the movie.
With historical inaccuracies and people criticizing the movie for being disloyal, Ridley Scott’sNapoleonturned out differently than what it was supposed to be. The film received a rating of 6.7/10 on IMDB and an average of 60% on Rotten Tomatoes and is currently screening in theaters across the world for people to see.
Visarg Acharya
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3261
Visarg Acharya is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on movies, with over 3000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past three years and a copywriter at a corporation. Visarg usually covers news and theories on the MCU and the DCU, with an emphasis on Avengers and Superman; Game of Thrones, and more.A Tarantino fan, Visarg, spends his time critiquing various directors’ filmographies and watching them with curiosity. Medieval fantasy like The Lord of the Rings or sci-fi movies like Interstellar, watching the latest horror movies, and listening to Hans Zimmer become his comfort zone. When idle, he can be found reading fantasy novels with a terrible cup of coffee in hand.
