"Napoléon" (2002) TV mini-series

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Yves Simoneau

Writers:

Didier Decoin (writer)
Max Gallo (novel)

Release Date:

17 September 2002 (Italy)

Genre:

Adventure | Biography | 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:

Campaign | Army | Russia | French Soldier | Costume Drama

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:

"Le tricorne de Napoléon" (France) (working title)
"Napoléon" (Germany)
"Napoleon" (Europe: English title)

Runtime:

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

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:

In July 2003 dollars, the film costs $46,330,000 to make.

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:

Charles Talleyrand: Man was given speech to disguise his thoughts, and words to disguise his eyes. Don't trust anything, or anyone.

Movie Connections:

References Le souper (1992)

Soundtrack:

La Reddition du Marchal Ney (The Surrender of Marshal Ney)

You will buy it anyway

It is probably pointless recommending or not recommending this series as there are two types of people that are going to buy this: The Napoleon nuts like me and the period drama people. The latter will be in their element as the domestic sets are both lavish and authentic. There are also some remarkable likenesses such as Josephine, Murat and Caulencourt.

On first viewing I was left a little cold. I thought that at last a substantial amount of time had been allocated to this, perhaps the greatest of all individual subjects. However, if there is one thing that any expert on the subject will tell you, it is that there is no way that you can even begin to condense this subject into 60 hours, let alone 6. The worst mistake that this film makes is attempting to replicate the battles themselves. The camera angles pan across large expanses revealing (at best) eight or nine hundred extras. All this whilst regular references are made to 20,000 losses on each side (Austerlitz, Eylau, Essling and especially Waterloo). Sometimes, it is almost laughable and cheapens the rest of the film. The makers would have been much better off by excluding any military action and just leaving it to innuendo – after all, Borodino is just referred to by Caulencourt when in Moscow conversing with Murat.. Thank God they didn't try to replicate that terrible battle! So, the plus points: Napoleon: At first I thought that Clavier was miles off the mark. If, like me you have seen and were bowled over by Rod Steiger's rendition in Waterloo then this will get some getting used to. After all, Napoleon is a red-blooded Corsican genius, capable of flying off the handle at any time, exhausting his counterparts and friends alike. Not in this version. Yet, Clavier has one saving grace. He introduces a measured, human approach that we know Napoleon had to have had from time to time. Almost schizophrenic some might say (Megalomania is the preferred terminology). I don't prefer his interpretation of Napoleon's to Steiger, but it is warmer if not necessarily more Corsican. If we could introduce this to Steiger's approach you may have the perfect Napoleon.

The relationship between Napoleon and Josephine is also one of the better points of this series. Clavier's in-love out-of-love relationship is perfectly handled without the usual mushiness. Here is a relationship based on love, intensity, necessity and ultimately friendship and loss.

Finally, Caulencourt is dealt with in some depth, as is Fauche, Murat and Talleyrand. But where is Berthier, Bessieres, Augereau, Davout and Ney (who suddenly appears towards the end despite his Russian campaign heroics)? Holes? Yes. But unless we get someone with $500,000,000 willing to approach this subject with the endeavour it deserves then we are left with this kind of product. So overall, not too bad. Vive l'Emperor!