It turns out Ridley Scott was a big fan of Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker.
During an interview with Deadline, the filmmaker revealed that Phoenix’s stint as the iconic Batman villain was part of the reason he chose him for Napoleon. “I was blown away by his outrageous film Joker,” he said. “I didn’t like the way it celebrated violence but Joaquin was remarkable.”
“I thought he’d be an amazing asset to Napoleon, also in a commercial sense,” he added. “There were only two actors I had in mind for the role. I won’t mention the other one.”
Phoenix has been attached to the role of Napoleon since 2020 and recently appeared in the film’s first official trailer, pleasing fans with his stoic depiction of the iconic French military commander.
“I’ve always enjoyed the French way of life,” said Scott. “I’ve never forgotten the French summers. I loved Paris so much that I have an office there. My first film The Duellists was about Napoleon, though he wasn’t in it.”
He also revealed that he filmed Napoleon in just 62 days, a remarkable feat for a film like this. “Normally a film like this would be shot in around 110,” he confirmed. “I discovered years ago that eight cameras are eight times faster. Every department has to be able to keep up with my speed. Actors don’t want to hear the story of life before each take. I discovered that early on. A well-known Welsh actor once told me, ‘I love what you do because you move so quickly.’ You’ve got to know the geometry of the scene. If you don’t, it’ll be 3pm before your first shot gets rolling.”
Phoenix has a history with Scott after appearing in his Oscar-winning historical epic, Gladiator, as the power-hungry Commodus. “[He’s] the most sympathetic character in Gladiator, being the product of such a neglectful father,” explained Scott.
IGN’s Joker review gave it 10/10 and said: “Joker isn’t just an awesome comic book movie, it’s an awesome movie, period. It offers no easy answers to the unsettling questions it raises about a cruel society in decline. Joaquin Phoenix’s fully committed performance and Todd Phillips’ masterful albeit loose reinvention of the DC source material make Joker a film that should leave comic book fans and non-fans alike disturbed and moved in all the right ways.”
Want to read more about Napoleon? Check out how Ridley Scott started to think like Napoleon and get a good look at Phoenix in the Napoleon trailer.
Image Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing/Warner Bros. Pictures
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
