How ‘Napoleon’ Coronation Scene Was Inspired By Jacques-Louis David’s 1807 Painting
variety.comJazz Tangcay Artisans Editor “Napoleon” costume designers divvied up their tasks, with Janty Yates concentrating on French civilian wear and David Crossman on evolving military outfits.
The Ridley Scott epic follows Napoleon Bonaparte’s (Joaquin Phoenix) rise from general to emperor. Along the way, he meets and falls in love with Josephine (Vanessa Kirby).
The recreation of the battle of Austerlitz is a highlight of the movie. For that, Crossman dressed the Russian infantry in green and the Russian cavalry in white.
The Hungarian infantry wore various shades of brown, and Napoleon’s army was in blue. Crossman says his goal was to make the looks as varied as possible, so it didn’t fall flat. “A lot of the time, it’s the hats that distinguish,” says Crossman. “We mixed in civilian pieces into the uniform, particularly on the French, because they were the bankrupt army, and they had no money.
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