The Emperor's New Clothes (2001)

During Napoleon's exile on St. Helena, some loyalists hire a look-alike to swap places with the deposed emperor: while the impostor lives in luxury on the island, the real Napoleon returns to Paris in order to retake the throne.

Director:

Alan Taylor

Writers:

Simon Leys (novel), Kevin Molony (screenplay),

Stars:

Ian Holm, Iben Hjejle, Tim McInnerny

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ian Holm	...	Napoleon Bonaparte / Sergeant Eugene Lenormand
Iben Hjejle	...	Nicole 'Pumpkin' Truchaut
Tim McInnerny	...	Dr. Lambert
Tom Watson	...	Gerard
Nigel Terry	...	Montholon
Hugh Bonneville	...	Bertrand
Murray Melvin	...	Antommarchi
Eddie Marsan	...	Louis Marchand
Clive Russell	...	Sergeant Justin Bommel
Bob Mason	...	Captain Nicholls
Trevor Cooper	...	Leaud
Chris Langham	...	Maurice
Russell Dixon	...	Dr. Quinton
George Harris	...	Papa Nicholas
Niall O'Brien	...	Bosun

Storyline

Napoleon, exiled, devises a plan to retake the throne. He'll swap places with commoner Eugene Lenormand, sneak into Paris, then Lenormand will reveal himself and Napoleon will regain his throne. Things don't go at all well; first, the journey proves more difficult than expected, but more disastrously, Lenormand enjoys himself too much to reveal the deception. Napoleon adjusts somewhat uneasily to the life of a commoner while waiting, while Lenormand gorges on rich food.

---

Plot Keywords:

emperor | st. helena | impostor | disguise | ship | 

---

Taglines:

The world's most powerful man is about to fight his greatest battle... between love and glory.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for brief language

Details

Country:

Italy UK Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 December 2001 (Italy)

Also Known As:

A király új ruhája

Filming Locations:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$7,474 (USA) (14 June 2002)

Gross:

$569,435 (USA) (4 October 2002)

Company Credits

Production Co:

FilmFour, Mikado Film, Panorama Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

While the historical Napoléon Bonaparte never had the opportunity to say "They have changed my battlefield". It is reported that the Duke of Wellington said exactly that when he revisited the place after the huge Belgian memorial mound was erected there.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Napoleon Bonaparte: No, that's not it. That's not right. Let me tell you what really happened...

User Reviews

Outstanding!

This is a carefully crafted, beautifully acted "what if" story about Napoleon Bonaparte. It is literate, inventive, and has a beautiful music score to boot. The female lead, Iben Hjejle, is a revelation! I wish she would make more films outside of Denmark.

The story centers around Napoleon's exile after Waterloo, and a plot to have him escape (using a double), return to France to raise an army and regain his throne. But something unforeseen happens along the way, when his double, back on St. Helena, decides he is enjoying being Emperor Napoleon too much to give it up. That leaves the real Emperor Napoleon, secretly back in Paris, with a problem: nobody believes he is who he says he is...

Let's not reveal any more of the plot in this outstanding film (provided you can enjoy a movie with no nudity and cursing, and virtually no violence).