Ridley Scott has never been one to take kindly to harsh criticism. Now, Ridley Scott is defending his latest film, Napoleon, from Bonaparte’s home country, France.
In response to the apparent wealth of French critics targeting Napoleon, Ridley Scott seemed to take a swipe at the country as a whole, saying, “The French don’t even like themselves…The audience that I showed it to in Paris, they loved it.” Regarding negativity, the BBC cited Le Figaro’s review that said “Barbie and Ken under the Empire”, while French GQ said the moment that featured French soldiers — with clearly Americanized accents — shouting “Vive La France” was “deeply clumsy, unnatural and unintentionally funny.”
When the BBC asked Ridley Scott if he had any words about those who are actively criticizing Napoleon’s historical accuracy, the director stated, “You really want me to answer that?… it will have a bleep in it.” Scott has actually responded to such criticisms before, telling those that spend so much time picking apart even just the trailer to “get a life.” He would add, “Were you there? Oh you weren’t there. Then how do you know?” Oh come on, Ridley, just throw a bleep in there, it’ll make you feel better!
Ridley Scott’s Napoleon currently has a 67% on Rotten Tomatoes. That’s far from Robin Hood and The Counselor but it’s pretty much guaranteed that the film is officially out of the running for contention at the Academy Awards. On the JoBlo front, our own Chris Bumbray gave Napoleon an 8/10, calling it “one doozy of a historical epic, anchored by Phoenix and Kirby’s powerhouse performances.”
The story of Napoleon Bonaparte has been told on the big screen a number of times before, most notably Abel Gance’s 1927 epic that still remains one of the greatest cinematic feats ever, although 1970’s Waterloo with Rod Steiger as Napoleon is worth checking out. And who can forget Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure?
You can decide for yourself if you’re on Team Ridley Scott or Team Self-Loathing Frenchie when Napoleon marches to theaters on November 22nd.
Are you anticipating Napoleon as much as when it was released? Or are the reviews about what you expected? Let us know below!
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