8 Napoleon Movies You Should Watch After Ridley Scott's $220 Million Failure

May 2, 2024, 1:35 p.m.

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8 Napoleon Movies You Should Watch After Ridley Scott's $220 Million Failure

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Summary Ridley Scott's Napoleon movie failed to capture the intensity of Napoleon's life and was panned by critics.

Love and Death offers a satirical take on the Napoleonic Wars with accessible comedy and nuanced storytelling.

Master and Commander takes a unique approach by focusing on one man's experience during the Napoleonic Wars.

Ridley Scott is known for making historical epics, and while many fans were excited about the Napoleon movie, his take on the life of the dictator, it failed to capture the hearts and minds of audiences. Scott's film chronicles Napoleon's rise to power and centers his relationship with Joséphine, his first wife and constant companion through his life. Starring Joaquin Phoenix as the titular Emperor and Vanessa Kirby as Joséphine, many elements could have proved successful for the film. Unfortunately, it flopped at the box office and was panned by critics.

Other movies deal with Napoleon's impact directly and in conjunction with the lives of the people his wars upended.

The Napoleon ending illustrates what's wrong with the overall story and why it didn't have the emotional impact Scott intended. Although Napoleon had a famously tumultuous and violent life, one that cost the lives of millions, the pacing and stakes fail to capture this intensity. Other movies deal with Napoleon's impact directly and in conjunction with the lives of the people his wars upended. What makes them better than Scott's attempt is their innovative approach to the material that doesn't bore or frustrate the audience.

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8 Love And Death (1975)

Directed by Woody Allen

Since Love and Death was made earlier in Woody Allen's career, it avoids some of the self-indulgence that wracks his later projects. Starring himself and the incomparable Diane Keaton, the film takes a satirical approach to the subject of the Napoleonic Wars and their impact on the Russian people. Drawing heavily from Russian epic novels like War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, Love and Death pokes fun at the melodrama of such literature, critiquing the concept of patriotism to the point of extreme sacrifice.

Allen is clearly influenced by the work of early comedians in films like Chaplin and the Marx Brothers, making the movie an obvious choice for any cinephile.

Despite its imbuing elements of surrealism and lots of high-minded philosophizing, Love and Death is one of the more accessible films about Russia during the Napoleonic Wars because it takes the form of a comedy. Allen is clearly influenced by the work of early comedians in films like Chaplin and the Marx Brothers, making the movie an obvious choice for any cinephile. Though it's by no means historically accurate, this is part of the fun of the film, and it serves as an excellent companion piece to the relentless darkness and doom of other films in the oeuvre.

Watch Love and Death on MGM+ or rent on Apple TV.

7 War And Peace (1956)

Directed by King Vidor

The early adaptation of Tolstoy's novel starring Audrey Hepburn isn't a perfect retelling, but its dedication to the tragedy and romance of the story is deeply moving. Unfortunately, many fans and critics couldn’t overlook the fact that Henry Fonda played Pierre Bezukhov when Fonda was much too old for the role and Hepburn herself. Additionally, significant changes were made to the source material, but for a standalone adaptation of War and Peace, it would be nearly impossible not to make these concessions. Already three and a half hours long, the film attempted to include everything it could.

It's considered one of Audrey Hepburn's best movies thanks to the material her character, Natasha, provides her with. Napoleon and his attempts to claim Russia and all of Europe start as a feature of the background since the romantic entanglements of the characters are front and center. However, as the plot progresses it becomes clear that war is what drives the characters to act the way they do, and their actions are a metaphor for the changing nation. Though it only focuses on Napoleon during his invasion of Russia, his temperament and development are just as important to the story.

War and Peace (1956) is available to rent on Apple TV, YouTube, and Prime Video.

6 Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World (2003)

Directed by Peter Weir

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available 2013's Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is a Drama and Period War film directed by Peter Weir and starring Russell Crowe. The release is an inward look at Captain Jack Aubrey, a captain of the Royal Navy, who is tasked with intercepting a French craft.

Most stories that attempt to take on the wars and this arduous period of history try to make the narrative as broad and sweeping as possible.

Russell Crowe is Captain Jack Aubrey, a man in the British military fighting against Napoleon's army, and thanks to his turn as Maximus in Ridley Scott's Gladiator a few years before, Crowe was more than up to the challenge of taking on another historical epic. Though Crowe will not appear in the upcoming sequel, Gladiator 2, there are still plenty of films to fill the void of a Scott epic starring Crowe. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is loosely based on the book series by Patrick O'Brian.

It tells a fictionalized version of events that could have occurred on the high seas. The history of the conflict between the French and British is long and deep-rooted in each country's military encounters, and looking at the Napoleonic Wars through the contained lens of a British Naval ship was an interesting approach by the filmmakers. Most stories that attempt to take on the wars and this arduous period of history try to make the narrative as broad and sweeping as possible. Instead, Master and Commander uses one man's experience and allows it to become universal.

Related 10 Wildest Gladiator 2 Theories That Could Actually Happen Theories about Gladiator 2 include who certain cast members are portraying and what historical figures and events will play into the movie's plot.

5 The Count Of Monte Cristo (2002)

Directed by Kevin Reynolds

The classic work of French literature, The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas has long been an important iteration of the adventure genre. In 2002, when the film adaptation was released, adventure films were at a high point of popularity, allowing for the traditional French tale to be given new life and exposure in international markets. Jim Caviezel plays the protagonist, Edmond Dantès, a young man who loses everything and must claw his way back into French society to find the woman he loves and get revenge on those who betrayed him.

The events of the story are kicked off by Edmond encountering Napoleon during his period of exile. Though Napoleon is a compelling figure to analyze, his control and influence on the French people are just as intriguing. Edmond and his friends as well as enemies have all been touched by Napoleon's reign, his wars, and his eventual fall from grace. As a work of fiction, The Count of Monte Cristo is surprisingly nuanced in its depiction of the French upper class as they struggle for power in the wake of Napoleon's failed promise.

The Count of Monte Cristo is available to rent on Apple TV, Prime Video, and YouTube.

4 Désirée (1954)

Directed by Henry Koster

Just a year before Jean Simmons and Marlon Brando would reunite as part of the cast of the movie musical Guys and Dolls in 1955, they played lovers for the first time in Désirée in 1954. Brando makes an interesting Napoleon, as the suave and debonaire characters he usually plays aren't in line with the cultural perception of Napoleon. Désirée wants to make Napoleon into a man to be envied and an aspirational figure, even as his romantic overtures are soon revealed to be empty.

Instead of focusing on the love story between Napoleon and Joséphine, the story most closely follows the life of Désirée Clary (Simmons).

Instead of focusing on the love story between Napoleon and Joséphine, the story most closely follows the life of Désirée Clary (Simmons). Désirée and Napoleon were engaged before he was crowned Emperor. Though they become estranged and Napoleon betrays her and her husband many times over, Désirée can't bring herself to stop loving him. While this makes for excellent drama, it detracts from the anguish caused by Napoleon and lessens the impact of his dictatorship on the lives of the common people.

Désirée is available to rent on Apple TV, Prime Video, and YouTube.

3 Waterloo (1970)

Directed by Sergei Bondarchuk

The follow-up to Bondarchuk's epic adaptation of War and Peace, Waterloo, was a new insight into Bondarchuk's lifelong fascination with Napoleon and the Napoleonic Wars. Waterloo stars Christopher Plummer, Rod Steiger, and Orson Welles along with many other notable actors. As the movie was filmed in English, it was a significant departure from the previously Soviet-centric Bondarchuk had taken on in the past. Despite this, the movie is dedicated to portraying both sides of the conflict fully, and Steiger is clearly having fun playing his bombastic version of Napoleon.

Christopher Plummer played hero and villain roles throughout his career, and as one of the major players on the British side of the battle, he shines. Plummer brings dignity and assurance to his role, something the film could use more of across the board, as the sweeping nature of the piece can make it difficult to keep all parts of the story straight. However, the stakes of the battle are never lost on the audience, as the Allies face off against Napoleon with the grim awareness that this could be their last stand.

Waterloo can be purchased on Amazon.

2 Austerlitz (1960)

Directed by Abel Gance

Unfortunately, it faces some of the same issues as Napoleon, in that it requires considerable edits and is most concerned with its visuals and aesthetics rather than tight pacing.

Of all the films that cover Napoleon's life, Austerlitz is the most similar to Scott's Napoleon because it directly chronicles much of both phases of Napoleon's life. He was a considerably different man before and after he took the crown, but Austerlitz makes clear how driven by ambition he was, and how precarious his rise to power was. Unfortunately, it faces some of the same issues as Napoleon, in that it requires considerable edits and is most concerned with its visuals and aesthetics rather than tight pacing.

However, the titular Battle of Austerlitz and its recreation on screen is one of the highlights of the film, and the enormous ensemble cast that fleshes out the intricacies of Napoleon's world is enjoyable to watch. Surprisingly, Orson Welles lent his skills and reputation to the project as the character Robert Fulton. The role was based on the real figure hired by Napoleon to make the first iterations of the submarine. While Austerlitz remains quite true to the confirmed events of Napoleon's life, it still includes plenty of drama and intrigue.

Austerlitz can be purchased on Amazon.

Related Ridley Scott's Napoleon Story Repeats A $165 Million Bomb's Biggest Mistake Ridley Scott's Napoleon movie is a hugely ambitious project with a wide-ranging story – repeating a precedent from a 2004 box office bomb.

1 Bondarchuk's War And Peace (1966 - 1967)

Directed by Sergei Bondarchuk

Directed by and starring Sergei Bondarchuk the famous Soviet filmmaker, his four-part adaptation of War and Peace is considered the definitive iteration of the novel. The film is a traditional epic in every sense, taking several years to film and released in installments from 1966 to 1976. Though the 1956 War and Peace has its merits, it can't be compared to Bondarchuk's work. Though each of the three main characters gets a section of the film, part three is entirely dedicated to Napoleon's invasion of Russia.

The time, money, and dedication it took to make War and Peace and have it become a cultural touchstone is a testament to Bondarchuk's skills. It won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and its impact on Soviet culture and metaphor for the state of political unrest cannot be overlooked. The battle sequences don't cut corners and can be difficult to watch, but they are made just as important as the romance and personal dramas of the central characters. The best way to get a full experience of War and Peace without reading Tolstoy is to watch Bondarchuk.