“Napoleon” director Ridley Scott dismisses critics: “The French don’t even love themselves”

Ridley Scott has generally been dismissive of critics who criticized his upcoming film Napoleonespecially French.

While his big screen epic starring Joaquin Phoenix as the embattled French emperor and Vanessa Kirby as his wife Josephine the veteran director has earned rave reviews in Britain, French critics are less enthusiastic The figaro says the movie could have been called “Barbie and Ken Under the Empire”. French GQ called the film “very clumsy, unnatural and unintentionally clumsy” and Le Punt Magazine in which the biographer Patrice Gueniffey quotes the film and describes it as “very anti-French and pro-British”.

When the BBC asked him for an answer, Scott replied with his usual swagger:

“The French don’t even love themselves.” The audience I showed it to in Paris loved it.”

The film’s world premiere took place this week in the French capital.

Scott added that he would tell historians who questioned the veracity of his stories:

“Were you there? Oh, you weren’t there. How do you know?”

The film, whose story is spread over six different but equally large battle scenes, was shot in an impressive 61 days and runs for 2 hours and 38 minutes. Scott told the BBC that he wanted to keep the running time under 3 hours:

“If you start saying, ‘Oh my God,’ and then say, ‘Jesus, we can’t eat for another hour,’ then it’s too long.”

Scott, a veteran of big screen hits alien Unpleasant gladiator And Black Hawk belowHe said he couldn’t resist telling Napoleon’s story: “He’s so fascinating. Adored, hated, loved… more famous than any other man, leader or politician in history. How can you not want to go there?”

And its star Joaquin Phoenix, who first worked for Scott 23 years ago gladiatorshared that he was excited to work again with a director he was still grateful for:

“The studio didn’t want me gladiator. Ridley was even given an ultimatum and he fought for me and it was just an extraordinary experience.