Where was the movie “Napoleon” filmed? The amazing UK locations behind Ridley Scott's historical epic

With his new historical epic NapoleonRidley Scott has gone full circle. His first film in 1977, Duelists, dealt with the same period of Napoleonic France but recreated it in the Dordogne region of France. This time, with bigger battles to show and a larger portion of French imperial history to capture, the legendary director kept the film local. Instead of France, Napoleon is depicted in England and Malta. “There's enough neoclassical architecture in England to make this possible, perhaps because a lot of the design that comes from France and England is based on Palladio's classical Italian architecture,” says Arthur Max, the film's production designer.

Residing in the UK, a Covid-era production, had obvious practical benefits, but it also reunited the director with some old favorites from Gladiator and other earlier films. Tour Scott Napoleon's itinerary below

(Boughton Manor in Northamptonshire).

Broughton Manor was built in the 17th century by the 1st Duke of Montagu, a former ambassador to France, and wears its French influences on its sleeve – especially the Palace of Versailles. In other words, a perfect place to film a Napoleon movie in March 2022 (not to mention a 2012 movie). Les Miserables). “It's like a French chateau on a beautiful estate, with hundreds of acres, with sheep and horses grazing and beautiful old oak trees everywhere,” says Max. “It was very special for that reason, so we decided to use it as Napoleon’s palace.”

Bournewood, Surrey

To recreate the Battle of Austerlitz, Napoleon's decisive victory over the Austrians and Russians in 1805, Ridley Scott returned to old stomping ground: the Bourne Forest in Surrey. And here he shot GladiatorThe opening battle, as well as scenes in 2010 Robin Hood. “It was like an old friend, an old pair of shoes,” says production designer Arthur Max. “We used many of the same areas and spaces we had before, but in much different ways.”

(Chorne Farm, Oxfordshire).

Churn Farm sounds like a place you'd do battle, and Ridley Scott has done just that, using this corner of the Oxfordshire countryside – part of James Dyson's agricultural estate – to stage his version of Waterloo. Napoleon It moved to the farm in April 2022 under the production name “Marengo”, with locals advised that “heavy machinery, cannons and gunfire” would be on site for a “large-scale battle scene”. The infantry was diverted, most likely to avoid stumbling upon curious dog walkers in the middle of Marshal Ney's cavalry charge. (Aside: Sergei Bondarchuk's 1970 blockbuster Waterloo Filmed on farmland in Uzhhorod, Ukraine.)

Fort Ricasoli, Malta

Another old Ridley Scott location revisited by the director NapoleonThis majestic fort dates back to the seventeenth century Gladiator It has been used in a variety of other epics (starred as Red Keep in game of thrones). In the film, it represents the French port of Toulon, which Napoleon captured in the 1793 military engagement that helped make his name. Ironically, the Maltese fort itself was captured from the French IRL in 1798 and ended up in British hands. Take that, Bonnie!

Hanckley Common, Surrey

Napoleon's infamous retreat from Moscow in 1812 required a suitably restricted location. Although the 'Retreat from Surrey' did not have quite the same effect, Scott's party found a place to organize the Grande Armée's tattered expedition back to France to the south-west of London. Filming took place there in March 2022, so of course the snow is fake. Scott has actually recreated these events once in his career – in 1977 Duelists – On that occasion the snow was so real, that the scenes during the retreat from Moscow were filmed in the Cairngorms in Scotland.

Lincoln Cathedral in Lincolnshire

Lincoln Cathedral in England stands in place of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, which was used Napoleoncoronation. The cathedral choir was even called in to sing in the scene.

Petworth House, West Sussex

A National Trust property, the 17th-century Petworth House served as Josephine's home, Château de la Ferté Beauharnais, in the film. It also hosted casualty party scenes, when wealthy survivors of the horror threw decadent parties. “Broadcast equipment, party debris and people had to be wrapped tastefully and carefully around the house and collection,” says Harvey Edgington, director of National Trust sites. “We removed more than 190 artifacts, including paintings, in which 21 specialists participated. It took about 6 days, and it was natural for us to close the property.”

Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire

No stranger to period pieces (F Transformers: The Last Knight), Blenheim Palace was used for interior shots Napoleon's The State Rooms of the Palaces of Fontainebleau and the Tuileries – plus some exterior shots. “It's a neoclassical building in the Palladian style – throughout, its scale, its materials, it's gorgeous,” says Max. “We found that we could use the exterior from several angles for several different countries, as Napoleon approaches Paris or returns from Moscow. Ridley is a master of that – you think, ‘How would it look different?’ But move some furniture, change the lighting and the angle and the camera lens, and you wouldn’t know.” never.

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