Regents St Cinema Napoleon review

Walking into Regents Street Cinema to watch Napoleon, I had no idea what to expect. I knew he was French, wore a very particular hat, and was in the military. 

The Regents Street Cinema is connected to the Regent Street campus at the University of Westminster and I had been there once before to see a special showing of James Bond. It actually was the second date I went on with my boyfriend, so I was happy to go back, just for the nostalgia of it. The cinema is beautiful, and there is no bad seat in the house. Me and my friend Brenna got comfortable in the velvet chairs and sat back to watch whatever was going to unfold. 

First of all, it was exceptionally violent. And unexpectedly too. At one point a horse is shot with a cannon and its whole body explodes. When I saw it happen I screamed in the theatre with horror. There are also many, many war scenes, and in all you see bloody and violent murder, including drowning. 

Joaquin Phoenix does a great job portraying Napoleon. That is if you consider Napoleon to be a freaky, military obsessed, cuck. Harsh words, but indeed there are many moments where the relationship with his wife becomes very uncomfortable. She actively cheats, and he has a hissy fit before basically bowing to her and kissing her feet. It definitely added to his character in a way I certainly did not expect. The movie does a great job however explaining the timeline of events and emphasizing why they are important, and why Napoleon was such a significant figure in French history. 

Would I recommend the movie? Yes. Do I still think about the horse that got blown up and the moment where his wife made him say “I am nothing without you.” Yes. Go see if it you want to see a grown man throw a tantrum over being banished to a beautiful tropical island. 

All jokes aside, I would rate it a 7/10 for the beauty of the film and for the deep dive into Napoleons history and impact. 

7/10