Filmmaker Ridley Scott responded to some of the reviews poured by the French critics about his upcoming film Napoleon, starring Joaquin Phoenix as the titular French ruler.

Some of the French publications like Le Figaro and French GQ had called the film "Barbie and Ken under the Empire" and "deeply clumsy, unnatural and unintentionally clumsy", while Le Point said it was anti-French and pro-British.

Reacting to the critics, Ridley said to BBC, "The French don’t even like themselves. The audience that I showed it to in Paris, they loved it." While mentioning about historians questioning the accuracy in the film, the director said, "Were you there? Oh you weren’t there. Then how do you know?"

Napoleon is penned by David Scarpa and  is backed by Apple TV in association with Sony Pictures Entertainment. It has Vanessa Kirby playing Josephine, the ruler's wife. The film will release in theatres on November 22.