Ridley Scott talks about directing Joaquin Pheonix in Napoleon: I like stress

“I like stress,” is how Ridley Scott described the experience of working with Academy Award-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix for his upcoming movie Napoleon. The two artists were collaborating after 22 years - they had earlier worked together in the 2000 film Gladiator which too was a massive box office success as well as a critically acclaimed film. Scott, while speaking with Reuters, also likened the Joker actor to ‘a toboggan ride,’ also adding that the working experience with the actor was ‘exactly the same’ as 23 years ago. 

I am like a child: Ridley Scott says about his direction process

While talking about Napoleon, Ridley Scott mentioned that he consciously wanted to return to a theme which he first explored in his feature film debut The Duellists in 1977. Scott stated, “In that film, I end on Napoleon Bonaparte. So, I wanted to go back to it completely with Napoleon. I enjoy that part of France and the whole ambience of that culture.”

Scott also mentioned that immense research went into designing every visual element of the film. “Every aspect of what you see from armoury to horses to saddles to hats, to the wardrobe, it’s all researched. I sit there like an octopus glomming all this stuff coming at me because they’ve researched everyone,” added Scott while also mentioning that such research from his team allows him to ‘not do anything.’ Scott further said, “I’m like a child, I look at picture books. I go ‘I like that.’”

Napoleon was filmed majorly during the pandemic

Napoleon, which required execution of elaborate battle scenes that recounted Napoleon’s conquests in Austerlitz and Moscow, and his infamous defeat in Waterloo, was particularly challenging to shoot because it was largely filmed during the pandemic. Scott, however, refused about facing any major problems. He added, “Since the beginning of the pandemic I’ve made The Last Duel, Gucci, Napoleon Bonaparte, and I’m halfway through Gladiator (2). We don’t stop. We ran that protecting it like an army.”

Napoleon, which premiered in London on Thursday, November 16, will hit the theatres in India on November 24.