Summary

Ridley Scott’s movie Napoleon is unexpectedly comedic despite its dark and gritty subject matter. Vanessa Kirby believes that the absurdity of Napoleon’s life lends itself well to comedy, balancing out the darkness and cruelty of his regime. The movie’s cast found humor necessary to cope with the brutality and intensity of the world they were exploring.

There is a reason that Ridley Scott’s Napoleon functions similar to a comedy. The epic movie focuses on the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte and his relationship with his first wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais, so it would naturally possess a dark and gritty tone. However, many scenes are interrupted by a quick bit of humor. Even as a largely faithful historical depiction, Scott still manages to maintain comedic elements.

In an interview with IndieWire, Vanessa Kirby, who plays Joséphine, opened up about why Napoleon has so many funny scenes. She says the absurdity of Napoleon’s life from beginning to end lends itself well to comedy. Without an edge of humor, the darkness and cruelty of Napoleon’s war-driven regime might have presented too much of an extreme for viewers to comfortably watch. Check out Kirby’s quote below:

“I know that the intention was [for it to be], because of the extremity of the world and the intensity of that life of his, how dangerous it was, and how much risk was involved in all of it,” Kirby said. “I think, naturally, we felt that the other extreme, of that there’s this kind of absurdity, it felt kind of human in a way to have something that was that extreme and difficult with a strange humor. … We all laughed a lot through it, because [of] the brutality of the whole world for everybody, the sort of nature of what we were exploring, and so we had to laugh in between scenes.”

Why Napoleon Is Funny, Explained

Throughout the Napoleonic Wars, millions of people died when Napoleon’s France cut through the heart of Europe. The Empire stretched across the entire continent, and every new conquest meant a fresh and bloody battle. In the true story behind Napoleon, there was hardly much comedy behind the Emperor’s many decisive fights. His biopic, however, manages to turn the wars into a comedy of sorts.

Ridley Scott has created several historical epics, including Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, and 1492: Conquest Of Paradise.

By balancing brutality with humor, Scott develops a world that feels much more manageable than a relentless and gory display of cruelty. Instead of maintaining a tone of abject horror, Scott weaves in comedy to provide moments of mental relaxation. In that way, rather than leaving the viewer constantly on edge for over two and a half hours, Napoleon offers opportunities to unwind.

Related Napoleon Ending Explained Ridley Scott’s Napoleon highlights the titular subject’s life. From military campaigns to personal tidbits, we break down the biopic’s ending.

Moments of humor also contribute to the atmosphere that historical epics should set, as they allow for the depiction of Joséphine and Napoleon as more than just political automatons. They were important people who have left their mark on world history, but they were also human beings who could be the teller of and subject of jokes. The humor in Napoleon makes the characters feel like real people while easing the burden on audiences.

Source: IndieWire

Napoleon Release Date: 2023-11-22 Director: Ridley Scott Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby, Tahar Rahim, Ben Miles, Ludivine Sagnier, Matthew Needham Rating: R Runtime: 158 Minutes Genres: Drama, Epic Writers: David Scarpa Studio(s): Apple, Scott Free Productions Distributor(s): Apple TV+, Columbia Pictures