However Ridley Scott‘s Napoleon turns out, an early consensus began emerging months ago that Joaquin Phoenix‘s titular performance is highly eccentric. Ditto Vanessa Kirby‘s as Josephine.
In an recent interview with Empire‘s Ben Travis, it’s mentioned that during an argument scene Phoenix’s Napoleon slaps Josephine — an unscripted improv, the actors have told Empire magazine.
“We were using the real words from their divorce in the church,” Kirby says. “When that happens, you can faithfully go through an archival re-enactment of it and read out the lines and then go home. But we always wanted to surprise each other.”
Phoenix: Kirby said “whatever you feel, you can do…you can slap me, you can grab me, you can pull me, you can kiss me, whatever it is.”
Kirby: “It’s the greatest thing when you have a creative partner and you say, ‘Right, everything’s safe. I’m with you. And we’re gonna go to the dark places together.’”
Consider a research screening reaction posted on 1.23.23 by World of Reel‘s Jordan Ruimy:
“In the first half hour Phoenix’s performance is mostly subdued and he speaks in either exposition or military orders, so we don’t have a great sense of the character either. After the Egypt part though the movie really takes off and becomes fantastic, I would say Scott’s best historical movie.
“Weirdly the movie I was reminded of most was Phantom Thread, because Napoleon and Josephine have this perverse but also funny and sad and abusive relationship. Kirby is great.
“The battle scenes are all huge in scope and unique and probably the best of Scott’s career.
“I wouldn’t say Phoenix’s Napoleon is whiny, but he’s an egomaniac and Phoenix does a great job of portraying that. The humor hit for me and it felt like it did for the rest of the audience, with the scene where Napoleon stages a coup being one the funnier scenes I’ve seen in a movie in a while.
“Overall it’s much weirder than I would’ve expected from Scott or the subject.”