Napoleon

What’s it about?

A young French captain named Napoleon Bonaparte leads his forces to a series of military victories. His successes in battle lead to him taking control of the French Empire, while struggling to maintain control of his marriage to Empress Joséphine – and his own destiny.

The facts

• Directed by Ridley Scott (Blade Runner, Gladiator, The Martian)
• English language
• Runtime: 158 minutes
• Starring Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby

Why did it get this rating?

This film was classified by Te Mana Whakaatu—Classification Office.

Violence

A woman’s head is cut off in public after she is paraded through the street and pelted with waste. One of her executioners holds her severed head up to the crowd.

Several military battles are shown. Many soldiers and horses are killed or wounded in these scenes. Examples of battle violence shown include:

• Soldiers are hit by shells, bullets, and arrows; stabbed with bayonets; and pushed onto rocks far beneath them. One soldier is shown slitting another soldier’s throat.
• In one battle, soldiers and their horses drown in a frozen lake. The ice covering the lake breaks as they try to escape the shooting and shelling.
• A horse is shown being hit by a shell. A soldier later retrieves the shell from the horse’s bloody corpse.

In one scene, cannons are shot at citizens as they try to stage a protest. Many are killed or wounded. One is shown to have lost a leg from the cannon fire.

A man slaps his wife across the face in front of a crowd of onlookers. This occurs during a moment in which she is already being humiliated.

Sex scenes

There are two brief sex scenes. Sex is suggested, but not shown, in two other scenes.

A woman lifts her skirt up in front of a man, with her legs apart. Nothing under the skirt is shown.

Suicide

A man attempts suicide with a pistol. The attempt fails, but he is seriously injured. An onlooker puts his finger in the wound and mocks him.

Offensive language

Very little offensive language is used throughout the film. “F**k” and “sl*t” are mentioned.

Further information

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