Napoleon is among one of the big releases set to grace the silver screen in 2023. Directed by Ridley Scott’ and starring Joaquin Phoenix in the titular role, the film will depict Napoleon Bonaparte’s rise to Emperor of France, with enough combat sequences to keep those who enjoy a good fight entertained.
Just recently, the official trailer for the movie hit the internet, and while Phoenix shines in this new role, some folks are questioning this particular casting decision. There’s no denying that Phoenix is a brilliant actor, as we’ve seen him give stellar performances enough times to know not to question this, but whether or not he’s fit to play Bonaparte on the big screen is another matter entirely.
The biggest question in everyone’s mind is related to the Joker actor’s height, as some question if he’s short enough to accurately portray the French Emperor. Bonaparte was a notoriously short person… right?
Napoleon Bonaparte’s height
There are two things that the world has heard about Napolean Bonaparte. The first is that he was a French military commander and the second is that he was short. What most don’t know, however, is that Bonaparte was actually of average height for men in his time period, and the rumor about him being short seems to have spread due to a mix of British propaganda, confusion in metrics, and the fact that he was often surrounded by soldiers much taller than him.
Although we don’t have an exact answer to what Bonaparte’s height was, reports have cited him to be between 5’2″ (1.58 m) and 5’7″ (1.70 m) at the time of his death.
Joaquin Phoenix’s height
In modern times, the average height for men in the U.S. is around 5’9″ (1.75 m), which makes Joaquin Phoenix just a little bit below average. According to the actor’s IMDb page, he stands at 5’8″ (1.73 m), meaning he is indeed taller than Napoleon is believed to have been, but not by that much.
This makes Phoenix’s portrayal of Bonaparte in the upcoming movie more accurate than what we expected. Napoleon just might be what it takes for the world to realize that the French political figure was not as short as most folks think.
Those who wish to see Napoleon will be able to do so starting Nov. 22.