When he executes his first siege, the last shot of the sequence sees blood (of someone he kills) smattered all over his face, as he covers his ears while ordering his men to open fire via cannon. But his relentless quest to expand his empire as an attempt to achieve greatness only blinds him. He's not shown as a sadist conqueror who revels in wreckage and bloodshed. But there's only one face that looks rather solemn –-Napoleon. A rather joyous music plays in the background as the oppressed celebrate the overturning of the throne. We see a clear shot of her head getting severed, and an official holding the lifeless head up in his hand for everyone to see. As she walks with pride towards her imminent end, the people of France boo her. The film starts with the guillotine execution of Marie Antoinette. He travels from the tributaries to the mainstream with Napoleon, but also makes sure to let his pro-peace stance known.
The filmmaker made his directorial debut with The Duellists (1977), a film set in that time, that even fetched him the Best Debut award at the Cannes Film Festival. Join Now Not Ridley's first tryst with Napoleonic Warsįrance during the Napoleon era is no new turf for Ridley Scott. Stay tuned with breaking news on HT Channel on Facebook.