Ridley Scott’s ambitious biopic Napoleon delves into the real story of the titular French monarch. Establishing himself as a military commander during the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte went on to cement his polarizing legacy as the Emperor of France. Building upon his eventful life, Napoleon stars Joaquin Phoenix as the lead character, described in its trailer as an emperor, lover, tyrant, and legend. This is Phoenix’s second collaboration with Scott, having played another historical figure in 2003’s Gladiator. While not as well-remembered as Napoleon and his depiction heavily fictionalized, Phoenix earlier portrayed the tyrannical Roman emperor Commodus.