Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby, Tahar Rahim, Rupert Everett, Mark Bonnar, Paul Rhys, Ben Miles, Riana Duce, Ludivine Sagnier, Edouard Philipponnat, Miles Jupp, Scott Handy, Youssef Kerkour | Written by David Scarpa | Directed by Ridley Scott

“When the legend becomes fact, print the legend” – one of cinema’s most famous quotes from John Ford’s 1962 classic western The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. That quote can be used to describe how Ridley Scott has chosen to approach the story of Napoleon. Scott has chosen to ignore much of the historical accuracy in this historical biopic and that has caused historians to be irate and critics to be torn.

Joaquin Phoenix is Napoleon and throughout the film we get to witness his rise and fall across 32 years, from the beginning of the French Revolution to the eventual death of Napoleon in 1821. The first instance we get to see what Napoleon is all...