Ridley Scott, the master of compelling costume drama with a predilection for megalomania, takes us to one of the most exciting eras of political power games and human passions. We witness the breath-taking ascent of a man whom everyone considers an upstart yet becomes emperor of France. It is hard to imagine an actor more suited to embody Napoleon's ambivalent character than Joaquin Phoenix. Entirely his equal: the fantastic Vanessa Kirby as Joséphine de Beauharnais, who stands at the centre of a complex and passionate relationship not free of political intrigue and personal sacrifice.