War on Screen: Napoleon

To mark the release of Ridley Scott’s 'Napoleon', hear from our panel of experts as they discuss how the Napoleonic Wars and its key players have been portrayed on screen.

In the 200 years since his death, the French Emperor has held an enduring place in the popular imagination. Many attempts have been made to create a film about Napoleon, including an abandoned project developed by director Stanley Kubrick.
 
This November, Ridley Scott takes on the challenge and releases a new biopic that attempts to tell the story of one of the greatest opponents the British Army has ever faced.
 
To mark the release of the film, join a panel of historians and film industry experts as they discuss what it takes to make a film about the Napoleonic era and consider why Napoleon and his legacy continue to capture the public’s imagination.

About the panel

Dr Matilda Greig (Chair)

Matilda Greig is the National Army Museum’s Napoleonic historian. She has previously written about the autobiographies of Napoleon’s soldiers in her book 'Dead Men Telling Tales' (Oxford University Press, 2021) and is currently co-editing a second book on how Napoleon’s memory has developed since his death through theatre, film, art and objects.

Paul Biddiss

Paul Biddiss was the chief military advisor on 'Napoleon' (2023). Having spent 24 years in the Parachute Regiment, Paul began his military advising career on 'Fury' (2015). Since then, he has racked up a huge list of film and TV credits including '1917' (2019), 'Vanity Fair' (2017) and 'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny' (2023).

Dr Laura O’Brien

Laura O’Brien is an academic at Northumbria University. She has previously taught at the University of Sunderland and Trinity College Dublin. One of her fields of research explores visual representations of Napoleon and Napoleon in popular culture, with a focus on Napoleonic performance in French theatre and film from the 1790s to the present.