Has any director ever cared less about criticism than Ridley Scott? In a new interview, the Napoleon filmmaker has a hilarious response to those questioning the movie’s historical accuracy.
The director, who has also been behind films including Gladiator, Blade Runner, and more recently The Last Duel, has coined a reputation for being outspoken in the last few years.
Alongside criticizing the film industry in general, Scott has also had more than colorful responses to journalist questions he’s been asked in various interviews.
This time, Scott’s potential historical inaccuracies surrounding his latest film Napoleon – starring Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby – has prompted a humorous new response to add to his repertoire.
Ridley Scott tells viewers to “get a life” over historical inaccuracies
During a profile interview with The New Yorker, Ridley Scott urged critics of historical inaccuracies in new film Napoleon to “get a life.”
Ridley Scott reacts to those criticizing the historical inaccuracies in ‘NAPOLEON’.
“Get a life.”
(Source: https://t.co/LUGJRWjgi5) pic.twitter.com/byo3JCl4J2
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) November 6, 2023
The question was asked in response to a series of TikTok videos uploaded when the first trailer for Napoleon was released, with TV historian Dan Snow prying into the smaller details of why Napoleon’s story wouldn’t have unfolded in that way.
“If you want to really understand Napoleon, then you should probably do your own studying and reading. Because if you see this film, it’s this experience told through Ridley’s eyes,” the profile indicated Phoenix had already said during an interview with Empire Magazine earlier in the year.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
“We found that he’s a split personality,” Scott explained of Napoleon’s personality. “He is deeply vulnerable, and while doing his job he’s able to hide that under a marvellous front. His forceful personality was part of his theatre.”
During the interview, Scott also revealed that he “didn’t have the courage” to include more explicit scenes of Napoleon’s personal life, such as finding blood in his stool – which could actually have been related to Bonaparte’s horse riding.
The New Yorker interview also alludes to similarities between Napoleon’s world and how Ridley Scott viewed portraying it, with Napoleon Oxford scholar Michael Broers weighing in on what he saw.
“He’s not un-Napoleonic himself,” Broers said. “When he’s there, he’s in charge, and you have complete confidence in him. He dishes it out, and he can take it.”
Napoleon heads to theaters on November 22, 2023. Check out our other TV & Movies hubs below:
Will there be Firefly Lane Season 3? | Beef Season 2 | Monster Season 2 | Will there be Ginny and Georgia Season 3? | Stranger Things Season 5 | Florida Man Season 2 | Obsession Season 2 | The Sandman Season 2 | The Lincoln Lawyer Season 3 | Heartstopper Season 3 | Virgin River Season 6