A film exploring the life and temperament of Napoleon Bonaparte, focusing on his relationships with women, particularly his former wife, Josephine.
Begins in 1793, as the future military commander, world conqueror and cuckold witnesses the execution of Marie Antoinette with muted, meditative poise. The peasants and townspeople surrounding him froth at the mouth in exuberant fury.
He’s clearly taking the scene in as a means to plan his next moves, a cascade of tactics and strategies which form a path through the life of the legendary Short King (Emperor, sorry), whose name now bears the title of an entire psychological complex found in insecure, diminutive men. Scott takes us through 22 years of Napoleon’s life over the course of two-and-a-half hours (although, he’d like us to see all ), throwing up titles with names and dates to assist us in understanding the sequence of events. Of course,is less about Napoleon’s exploits than it is about the man and the myth—the temperament which made him infamous in pop culture, partly dictated by his absurd relationships with women, no more important than his former wife, Josephin
Napoleon Film Relationships Women Josephine