Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), also
known as Napoleon I, was a French military leader and emperor who conquered
much of Europe in the early 19th century.
Born on the island of Corsica, Napoleon rapidly rose through the ranks
of the military during the French Revolution (1789-1799). After seizing
political power in France in a 1799 coup d’état, he crowned himself emperor
in 1804.
Shrewd, ambitious and a skilled military strategist, Napoleon successfully
waged war against various coalitions of European nations and expanded his
empire.
However, after a disastrous French invasion of Russia in 1812, Napoleon
abdicated the throne two years later and was exiled to the island of Elba.
In 1815, he briefly returned to power in his Hundred Days campaign.
After a crushing defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, he abdicated once
again and was exiled to the remote island of Saint Helena, where he died
at 51.
The film chronicles General Napoleon
Bonaparte's rise from captain to emperor, before his eventual downfall.
After commanding the French army to victories following the Reign of
Terror, Napoleon is made Emperor of France alongside his wife, Josephine.
Despite his love for her, she cannot bear him a child, and they later
divorce. Napoleon has a son with the Duchess Marie Louise of Austria,
but he retains his love for Josephine.
Napoleon invades Russia and is later forced to abdicate and go into
exile after losing many of his men and failing to defeat the Russian
army. He escapes the island he is exiled to after learning Josephine is
ill, but she dies before he can see her again. Napoleon later regains
the trust of his former troops and leads them into battle at Waterloo,
but the English forces defeat him.
Napoleon spends the remainder of his life in Saint Helena. His last
words were reported to be "France, Army, Josephine."
The movie premiered at Salle Pleyel in Paris on November 14, 2023,
and was released in the United States and the United Kingdom on November 22,
2023, by Sony Pictures Releasing's Columbia Pictures, before streaming on
Apple TV+ on March 1, 2024.
Watch the trailer and the full movie here:
The Full Movie