Scene from “Napoleon”
Photo: Sony Pictures. All rights reserved.
On Thursday (November 23rd) Ridley Scott’s long-awaited film “Napoleon” premiered in German cinemas. The historical film, with Joaquin Phoenix in the leading role of Napoleon Bonaparte, will also be available to stream on Apple TV+ after its time in the film palaces.
“Napoleon” tells the rise and fall of the legendary French general in all historical detail. Ridley Scott depicts the life of Napoleon Bonaparte and his steps to power through the prism of his captivating but unstable relationship with his one true love, Josephine. The film also provides insights into his visionary, military and political strategies, but of course also shows the battle scenes for which he was notorious as an army commander.
Trailer for “Napoleon”
Go to the cinema or wait for the stream?
Of course, the cinema experience stands on its own. But critics already had a lot to criticize about “Napoleon”. Because crucial areas fell victim to the scissors? Ridley Scott’s films are known to often be better in the director’s cut version, and that’s to be expected here too. The filmmaker agreed to shorten the historical film to 157 minutes as a theatrical version. Apple TV+, on the other hand, was pleased to later offer it exclusively in the four-hour original version.
Current reviews of the film have been mostly positive, but they also show that the shortened theatrical version seems a bit choppy – which isn’t all that surprising given that it’s shortened to 90 minutes.
There is currently no date for the historical film to start streaming, nor is it clear how long “Napoleon” will be on screens. Currently estimatedthat a publication in early March 2024 could be realistic. This would leave enough time behind the film, but it would still happen before the Oscars.