"Napoléon" (2002)TV mini-series

Director:

Yves Simoneau

Writers:

Didier Decoin (writer)
Max Gallo (novel)

Release Date:

17 September 2002 (Italy)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Romance | War

Tagline:

An epic life.

Plot:

The year is 1816, and NAPOLEON, held prisoner by the British on the island of St. Helena, is telling the young English girl BETSY his life story...

Plot Keywords:

Divorce | Russia | Prussia | Napoleon Bonaparte | Napoleonic Wars

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 2 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Christian Clavier	...	Napoléon
Isabella Rossellini	...	Joséphine de Beauharnais
Gérard Depardieu	...	Joseph Fouché
John Malkovich	...	Charles Talleyrand
Anouk Aimée	...	Letizia Bonaparte
Heino Ferch	...	Armand Augustin Louis, Marquis de Caulaincourt
Sebastian Koch	...	Marshal Jean Lannes
Ennio Fantastichini	...	Joseph Bonaparte
Guillaume Depardieu	...	Muiron
Alexandra Maria Lara	...	Countess Marie Walewska
Toby Stephens	...	Tsar Alexander I
Mavie Hörbiger	...	Marie Louise of Austria
Marie Bäumer	...	Caroline Bonaparte
Claudio Amendola	...	Maréchal Joachim Murat
Julian Sands	...	Klemens Metternich

Also Known As:

Napoléon (Germany)
Napoleon (Europe: English title)
Tricorne de Napoléon, Le (France) (working title)

Runtime:

380 min (DVD edition) | 357 min (4 parts)

Country:

France | Germany | Italy | Canada | USA | UK | Hungary | Spain | Czech Republic

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Spain:13 | Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Agadir, Morocco

Company:

A&E Television Networks

Trivia:

So far (2003) the most expensive European TV production.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Napoleon is with Eleanore Denuelle and his son to say goodbye, his hair is parted on his left side. When he leaves and turns around at the door, Napoleon's hair is parted on his right side.

Quotes:

Countess Marie Walewska: [kisses Napoleon's hand] Welcome, sire. A thousand times welcome. All Polish soil awaited to rise up, and -
[is lost for words]
Napoléon: And what?
Countess Marie Walewska: I don't know anymore. I've prepared so many things to say, but now that I see you, I'm lost for words.
Napoléon: So am I, mademoiselle. So am I. Which means we will have to see each other again, once we have both found the words we need. Would you like that?

Movie Connections:

References Souper, Le (1992)

Soundtrack:

La Retraite de Napoleon (The Retreat of Napoleon)

Excellent

Not all movies have the BEST graphics, and maybe this one didn't have graphics that would blow you away, but that wasn't really the point, and it looked fine, to me.

I caught part of this on A&E, recently. I watched a few minutes, then turned the channel to watch a regular show. I came back to it, and watched the end of the first half. The next day, I ran into the second part. I missed quite a bit, but watched the last hour, or so. I started craving the rest of it. I got online and did a search, found it was out on DVD, and made a trip to my local video retailer. I got the 3-DVD set and have since made a website devoted to Christian Clavier because I thought he did a wonderful job, and this movie made me a fan almost instantly. I've always liked Isabella Rossellini, and her role as Josephine was very convincing.

I've always been a fan of Napoleon movies, and I've seen several, but this one has to be the best. The interaction between Napoleon and Josephine and the action during the war scenes had me on the edge of my seat. Most people know how the end turned out, but that didn't stop me from thinking that things would be different.

I highly recommend this movie, in DVD format for the "making of" section. I wish I had watched this in high school because I would have learned quite a bit.

Go watch this movie!