Should the new Napoleon movie have been in French instead of English?

[RyanEC]

https://youtu.be/OAZWXUkrjPc

As a enjoyer Of historical films and as a Francophile I am glad that a big movie about Napoleon is being made.

It is an American Hollywood movie directed by Ridley Scott and starring Joaquin Phoenix.
While watching the trailer I couldn’t help but to wonder if it would have been better for the movie to be in France with French actors.
It seems insensitive to make a movie about the Emperor of France but made in English.

French people can watch a subtitled or dubbed version but it seems somewhat disrespectful to make it in English originally.

[Julie4]

I'm French and it doesn't bother me to be honest. I'll go and see this film. A French historian wrote about the trailer for this film


"History is never better than when it is transfigured by great artists, demonstrating its vigor and intensity.


The execution of Marie-Antoinette, the riot of Vendémiaire 13, a libertine evening under the Directoire, the Battle of the Pyramids, the coup d'état of Brumaire 18, the coronation, Austerlitz, the Russian campaign: the trailer leaves nothing out, revealing a wealth of splendor. The images of the battle reproductions are equally spectacular, living up to Hollywood's expectations. Some historical errors have already been pointed out. Of course, but what does it matter? They are probably deliberate - how could a film with such a budget be made without a historian? - and made to enhance the spectacle. After all, cinema isn't reality and, more incredibly, viewers know it. So why impose constraints on an entertainment film? Which doesn't have to be true, just plausible. "


It's not the USA's fault that France can't produce a decent film about one of its most important men.


Besides, there's another reason for me to go and see this film, and that's to see the image that the Anglo-Saxons have of Napoleon. I've already got my own idea, but it'll be interesting.

[RyanEC]

Thanks for your point of Julie.

I hope the movie turns out to be good.

[alice55]

Historic movie made by Hollywood are always shit, they don’t respect anything and they dont even use actor of thé country

if you want to Watch a movie about napoleon better Watch thé one with Christian Clavier, it’s made in France with some of the best French actor that exist.

Thé movie made by American make le think of the one about Marie Antoinette …the actress was not autrichian and much too thin for the roles. No French people Watch those movie they re only made for American.
i dont understand why Hollywood don’t get French actor for this movie they definitely have more than enough money to do do …

[RyanEC]

I understand Hollywood usually messes up these types of movies.

I’ll still give the movie a chance though.

Thanks for you suggested for the Christian Clavier Napoleon movie.
I have actually been looking for good French movies to watch to help me with learning French.

[Anonymous]

No, I think this is ridiculous.

It's being made by English speakers for an English speaking audience, that is why it is in English.

What you are suggesting is that the people fronting the money, hoping to make a profit, should take the chance that the target audience will still watch the film even though almost all of them will have to use subtitles so that a tiny minority of the audience who mostly speak English don't have to, that is a bad business model.

This film will no doubt be littered with absurd inaccuracies of all types and many of them will go entirely unnoticed by you because it will be outside your knowledge / experience and unlike the French speaking English there won't be a good reason for it.

I do however appreciate the sentiment, for example I think it was a good choice in 'Better call Saul' and I think also 'Breaking Bad' that some of the scenes were in Spanish, this was a reasonable trade off, it added to the flavour and feel of the series and as these were infrequent sequences it was not particularly a hardship that I had to read subtitles to understand what was being said.

[Lynx122]

I'm sure there's French movies about Napoleon. If Hollywood is making the movie they can make it English if you want a French movie that's just as good then someone from France should make it. I think you're being overly sensitive.

[VforVindication]

As a french Canadian (not french from France) i really don't mind it at all. Joaquin Phoenix is a great actor for the role in my opinion. But a french from France would probably have been more accurate though.

[VforVindication]

My last phrase is wrong. I meant, but a french made movie about Napoleon from France would have been more accurate.

[Anonymous]

It looks good but there is one actor that I'm only watching it for

[RyanEC]

Which one.

[Opinion Owner]

Tahar Rahim

[purplepoppy]

At least he's still white.