The return of the masters: How showbiz stalwarts are reviving Hollywood

The film industry is perceived as the domain of the young, but this year has brought a delightful twist with two veteran Hollywood filmmakers, both well into their 80s, shaking things up. While Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon has been met with critical and commercial acclaim, another Hollywood legend Ridley Scott, at the age of 86, is preparing to unveil his most ambitious project to date — Napoleon (November 22). It truly feels like witnessing a battle of the silver foxes. So what sets Scott's historical drama apart and makes it an important film of the year?

Creating a film that delves into the tumultuous life of Napoleon Bonaparte requires an extraordinary amount of audacity and creative bravery. Firstly, any filmmaker venturing into this territory inevitably invites comparisons with cinematic giants such as Abel Gance's monumental silent epic Napoleon (1927) and Sergei Bondarchuk's seven-hour magnum opus War and Peace (1966), often hailed as one of the grandest epic films in cinematic history.

Secondly, despite the tantalising potential for a cinematic portrayal of Napoleon Bonaparte’s life, no filmmaker in Hollywood has yet managed to successfully adapt it for the big screen. The legendary Stanley Kubrick, in his own time, made a valiant attempt that regrettably never came to fruition. He was ultimately defeated by the insurmountable costs of the monumental production.

Interestingly, Ridley Scott disclosed in an interview that he once came into possession of Kubrick's unused screenplay for the Napoleon film. In that biopic, Kubrick had aimed to encapsulate Napoleon's entire life, from birth to death. Scott didn’t agree with the approach Kubrick had taken and opted for a more precise focus. His sprawling epic, scripted by David Scarpa, delves into the intricacies of Napoleon's marriage with Josephine, providing a unique lens through which to examine the life of this historical icon. This premise makes the scenario really captivating and we can expect an intimate portrayal of the man behind the myth. It features the stellar Joaquin Phoenix as the infamous French emperor and Vanessa Kirby as his wife, Joséphine. The film's narrative spans the tumultuous years between 1793 and 1821 and encompasses six pivotal battles, including the iconic Battle of Waterloo. Interestingly, Steven Spielberg is now working on a seven-part limited series on Napoleon for HBO based on Kubrick’s unused screenplay.

Ridley Scott’s subject is undeniably ambitious and his remarkable achievement in shooting the entire film in just around 60 days is nothing short of stupendous. Napoleon has been test-screened a couple of times, with the reviews ranging from highly positive to mixed in nature. However, famous screenwriter Matthew Wilder wrote in an Instagram post recently that Scott’s film is “one of the best films I’ve seen in years”.

With an impressive portfolio of 27 films in his five-decade career, Scott has truly been a jack of all genres and styles of filmmaking. From science fiction masterpieces like Alien (1979) and Blade Runner (1982), to historical dramas such as Gladiator (2000) and Kingdom of Heaven (2005), and popular crime films like Hannibal (2001) and American Gangster (2007), Scott has excelled in diverse storytelling realms. Remarkably, some of his most impactful films have emerged in the last decade, including The Martian (2015) and House of Gucci (2021).

While often overlooked in this context, it's worth noting that Ridley Scott's debut film, The Duellists (1977) was also steeped in Napoleonic themes. Set against the backdrop of France during the Napoleonic wars, the film centres around a series of intense duels between two rival officers serving under Napoleon's command. It's an intriguing connection that underscores Scott's early exploration of this historical period and with Napoleon, Scott has come full circle.