The news that after revisiting a true French story in The Last Duel, Ridley Scott will amend with a biography on Napoleon Bonaparte excites history lovers. And it gets better! None other than Joaquin Phoenix will be the French Emperor, marking the return of working with the director after Gladiator, 22 years ago, where he played another emperor, the feared Commodus. In fact, for which he deserved an Oscar.

Filming for Kitbag (Edited in 2023: Napoleon) will start now, in January 2022, and according to the director there will be six big battles. Dealing with Napoleon’s life adds to the list of biopics for the director, who loves a true story.

To play Napoleon’s great love, Joséphine, the chosen one had been Jodie Comer, who was in The Last Duel, but, due to scheduling conflicts, the actress had to be replaced by Vanessa Kirby, the eternal Princess Margaret of The Crown. It has everything to be an incredible film and filming starts next month and should enter the Apple TV Plus platform.

In the script signed by David Scarpa, we will remember the rise and political ambitions of the French general, as well as his tragic and unhappy love story with Joséphine de Beauharnais, who had a prominent role in the political rise, but, like great love stories, not ends well. According to Ridley Scott, the connection and dependence of the two are not only complex but also remarkable for History.

While Joaquin’s choice to play Napoleon is right, the two choices for Joséphine are curious, after all, she was six years older than the general, a widow, and a mother of two when she met him. Both Jodie and Vanessa are in their early 30s and are over 10 years younger than Joaquin. We will have to use our imagination.

Napoleon Bonaparte was only 20 years old when the French Revolution took place, and at the time he was serving in the French Army. Brilliant strategist, he was General at just 24 years old and, at 35, Emperor.

Joséphine entered Napoleon‘s life when he, at the age of 26, was already making a name for himself, but not yet having the power he would later achieve. Short and without manners, he fell in love with the widow of a nobleman who was executed by guillotine, a woman with an elegant and refined posture. According to his own writing, she was the first to inspire a feeling of security in him and he fell head over heels in love with her.

Joséphine de Beauharnais was married very young to a nobleman, in a union without love or stability. After her husband’s execution, unable to survive, she was financially dependent on her lovers and they were all powerful, extending part of their prestige to her. At first, the future emperor approached her out of her interest, but in a short time, he no longer knew how to live without her. He proposed marriage, but she was hesitant to accept him because she didn’t love him yet. She changed her decision for logical reasons: she was getting old and without a livelihood. It was the right choice.

Napoleon was obsessed with his wife. Their love letters, written on the battlefields, have survived time. Joséphine, at least in her early years, kept other lovers. After the military victories, there was a first crisis of jealousy between the two because of this open relationship, with the husband threatening to file for divorce, but in the end he ended up forgiving his wife and the marriage gained strength.

As a leading military and political leader, Napoleon was King in practice, but not officially. That changed in 1804 when he crowned himself Emperor. Sadly, the consequence was losing the love of his life.

Little by little, the relationship was reversed and from being indifferent, Joséphine began to have fits of jealousy towards her husband’s lovers (“she doesn’t understand that my lover is Power”). They fought constantly but reconciled quickly. As a woman who knew the rules of her time, the Empress knew that her days were numbered. At the age of 46, she could no longer provide an heir so necessary to create and maintain the Napoleonic dynasty. Her despair was futile as she knew her husband well and knew he would get what she wanted anyway. In this case, a child.

No sooner said than done. Even suffering, in December 1809, the two divorced so that he could marry an 18-year-old girl. As he himself said, it was a “sacrifice for France”. They parted, still in love, but in accordance with Duty. According to the story, on the day of the farewell, they walked hand in hand in the rain until it was time to leave. Their lives would never be the same again. And Napoleon insisted that the ex-wife retain the title of Empress.

Napoleon got his heir but lost his lucky star. When he was exiled to Elba after his defeats, Joséphine despaired. She begged to accompany him but was refused. Six years after their separation, Josephine died at the age of 50, at home. Upon being warned, Napoleon locked himself in isolation for two days, without eating or accepting visitors. When he died seven years later, he was still thinking about his ex-wife. His last words were: “France, Army, Army Command… Joséphine”.

Brazil has a connection with the love of Napoleon. Joséphine’s granddaughter, Amélie of Leuchtenberg, was the second wife of Dom Pedro I, after the death of Empress Leopoldina. Because of her heirs, the royal families of Sweden, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden descend from Joséphine. But it was her love story with Napoleon that put her name in the history books and will certainly have a starring role in Ridley Scott‘s film. The result? We will only see in 2023…

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