Was Napoleon a Dullard?

The figure of Napoleon has long been an object of fascination, but the new Ridley Scott biopic makes one wonder why.

The film, perhaps inadvertently, partakes of the spirit of the times. The so-called Great Man Theory of history — that it is exceptionally talented men who bend events to their will — is out of favor. Accordingly, the movie renders the stereotypical great man, Napoleon, as doltish and uninteresting.