This feels like another film in the vein of Sir Ridley Scott’s "Kingdom of Heaven" (2005), something crafted for people who appreciate sweeping historical movies, not necessarily historians. It's possible that enjoying this one is easier if you don’t have a deep understanding of the actual events. The story begins with Marie Antoinette’s death and shows Napoleon Bonaparte (Joaquin Phoenix) observing from within a large crowd. He’s an officer relatively low in rank but ambitious, and he manages to convince his superior, Barras (Tahar Rahim), to adopt a strategy for freeing Toulon, which is under British control. This victory launches him on a trajectory that involves periods of love and conflict with the captivating Josephine (Vanessa Kirby) and a relentless ambition to conquer Europe. The story makes it clear how changeable royal power struggles, loyalty, deception, affection, desire, and outrageous hypocrisy can be, all presented in a vivid and colorful way. I wasn't entirely sold on Phoenix’s performance; perhaps because Rod Steiger was so believable in "Waterloo" (1970) that Phoenix occasionally seemed to be imitating him. Still, he clearly invested himself in the part, and the increasingly poisonous relationship with Kirby avoids becoming overly sentimental. Like Sir Ridley’s story of Jerusalem from eighteen years ago, he delivers some truly impressive battle sequences, and the cinematography effectively portrays the harsh conditions—both human and natural—that soldiers encountered as his empire expanded and contracted. While it runs for over 2½ hours, I felt the emphasis was uneven; a considerable amount of time is devoted to his ascent, then his downfall feels hurried. It’s possible this would have been more effective split into two parts. The film looks gorgeous, and the people responsible for the costumes and visual effects are almost certain to receive numerous awards. The acting isn't as remarkable, and although I like historical dramas, I worry that this one will be remembered more for its inaccuracies than for being a great portrayal of one of history’s most mysterious and imperfect tyrants.

Source on TMDB