The love that Napoleon has for Joséphine is made the sum of his entire personality. However, it is historical and factual nonsensical. It’s a very romantic vision of leadership. All of Napoleon's decisions as a leader according to Scott, were dictated by his passion for Joséphine. Later in the film he flees the Island of Elba again to recover Joséphine. Napoleon leaves Egypt to find Joséphine, whom he believes has a lover. Historians believe it happened centuries earlier. Though Napoleon’s troops were accused of defacing the sphinx nothing of the kind ever occurred. It’s supposed to be an allegory showing that Bonaparte had encountered no difficulty in defeating the Ottomans.
In one scene we see Bonaparte firing a cannon at the Pyramids of Giza. Some of the errors are so bad though they need mentioning. He took the same liberties with such films as “Gladiator.” Indeed, filmmakers role is different from that of a historian. Ofcourse Ridley Scott has never claimed to be a historian.
