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Product Description

From the campaign that transformed the Corsican outsider into a French hero to his bitter, final defeat at Waterloo, NAPOLEON charts the course of the man who defied centuries of tradition and forced his will upon a continent. Adapted by Didier Decoin (Les Miserables, Jakob the Liar) from Max Gallo's bestselling novel, this epic production explores the private struggles, political intrigues and bloody battles that marked Napoleon's tempestuous rise and rule. Directed by Yves Simoneau (Nuremburg, Amelia Earhart), NAPOLEON boasts an extraordinary international cast featuring Isabella Rossellini, Gerard Depardieu, John Malkovich, and Christian Clavier.

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One of the Great Lives gets the full-scale miniseries treatment in this lavish international co-production (which aired on A&E). Even at a six-hour running time, there's barely room for all the extraordinary twists and turns of Napoleon Bonaparte's turbulent career as Emperor of France, from his brilliant early military victories after the Revolution to his megalomaniacal attempts to reign over all of Europe. While there are battle scenes galore, and court ceremonies staged with eye-popping pomp and circumstance, this production keeps returning to the intent, watchful face of Christian Clavier's Napoleon. The hawk-eyed, pint-sized actor appears born to play the role, and he draws out the humanity within the icon. Clavier dominates the film, although Isabella Rossellini's Josephine is heartfelt enough to convince you of the passion between these two, which later turned into a kind of pragmatic contract. (Hard to keep your love life straight when you're trying to rule the world.) John Malkovich, in his exquisite-decadent mode, provides amoral political advice as Talleyrand. Napoleon has the usual problems of international moviemaking, including the toneless line readings of supporting actors and the patchwork of accents. And it must move from A to B to C in predictable fashion, the curse of the historical biography. Abel Gance's silent epic Napoleon remains the cinematic standard for this life, but A&E's version gives a satisfying dramatic overview. --Robert Horton

Product details

Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.33:1
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ Unrated (Not Rated)
Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.75 x 5.5 x 1 inches; 3.68 ounces
Item model number ‏ : ‎ 2253161
Media Format ‏ : ‎ Multiple Formats, Color, Full Screen, Box set, NTSC, Collector's Edition
Run time ‏ : ‎ 8 hours
Release date ‏ : ‎ April 29, 2003
Actors ‏ : ‎ Christian Clavier, Isabella Rossellini, Gérard Depardieu, John Malkovich, Anouk Aimée
Producers ‏ : ‎ Adam Betteridge, Alex Marshall, Claude Léger, David Craig, David Rogers
Language ‏ : ‎ English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), Unqualified
Studio ‏ : ‎ A&E Home Video
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00008IOWU
Writers ‏ : ‎ Didier Decoin, Max Gallo
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 3

Best Sellers Rank: #17,667 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- #10,784 in DVD

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Pearl

Outstanding cast, sumptuous production. They don't make them like this anymore.

Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2024

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I vaguely remembered this airing on A&E years ago (before they became the cultural mecca of (meh) reality shows) but I had a hard time staying with it, due to commercials and work schedules at the time. My interest in Napoleon was reawakened after a very dismal movie at the theaters this fall, so I went back to find the good stuff. It took quite a while to get this DVD, but it is superb.

Gerard Depardieu is one of the producers and he found some of his friends to play some important roles. They are all great. I wasn't too sure about Christian Clavier at first. He seemed like too nice of a guy to be the mercurial French emperor but he grows stronger as it goes along. Clavier is helped along by the fact that is he a very good actor. Isabella Rossellini, one of my favorite actresses, is Josephine and she does a lovely job, giving depth and some fire to Empress, which I appreciated. Depardieu is Fouche, the cold hearted head of the French police. Depardieu gives some unexpected (and humorous) character turns as Fouche not only has to keep up with the Emperor, but also his archrival Talleyrand. Only one person could play the oily out for himself Talleyrand and Depardieu got his buddy John Malkovich for the part. Perfect casting.

The production is simply fantastic. A lot of the filming is done on the actual locations, including far off St. Helena. These things would all be done with unconvincing CGI these days. From what I could tell, everything seems to be historically accurate. There is an extras disk, which is very interesting, explaining how the battles were filmed. Also, no animals were harmed in this production. Bravo. That is a big reason I can never watch Waterloo again.

Thanks to the resurgent interest in Napoleon, this DVD set was not cheap and it was hard to find. But I don't mind paying more (if I have to!) to see a big time professionally done miniseries about a fascinating time in history. Everything here is first rate. Five stars all the way.

2 people found this helpful

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Roger

Vive L'Emperor!

Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2015

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A visually stunning production. A good cast enhances this very well done mini-series. Presented in four parts it manages to capture the flavor of the times and the Emperor's incredible life. Historical events are accurately shown for the most part, and if changed are done so in the spirit of the time. Even a large 400 hour epic like this cannot possible capture the many aspects of Napoleon's hectic life. The battle scenes are well done and manage to show key elements of the battles portrayed. The overall effect is worthwhile and a treat to the eye as it was filmed in many of the actual locales. One of the better TV versions of the Emperor's epic life.

5 people found this helpful

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Donald H.

Impressive in the depth of this six-hour program and its attention to historical accuracy

Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2016

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A six-hour reenactment of Napoleon's life beginning in Paris in 1795 with John Malkovich portraying Talleyrand, his foreign minister and advisor. After the attempted assassination on Napoleon, the minister of police and others believed, based on flimsy evidence, that royalist duke d'Enghien was responsible, and he was executed. Josephine and his mother, Letizia, thought he was innocent and that Napoleon should have pardoned him. The surrender of French General Pierre Dupont and the defeat at the battle of Bailen, Spain, was followed by the Spanish people striking out at the French Army in Madrid on May 2, 1808. By sunset, 150 French soldiers were killed. This led to a brutal, savage war with atrocities committed on both sides, a type of guerrilla warfare. Napoleon went to Madrid in December 1808 to regain control. When no one heard from him for three days, they feared the worst. This scare and the assassination attempt prompted Talleyrand to urge Napoleon to produce an heir (son) or the overthrow of his monarchy was possible. This would guarantee the stability and continuity of his administration and government. Because Josephine was too old to conceive an heir, Talleyrand tried to drive a wedge between her and Napoleon. Talleyrand suggested to Napoleon that he consider Marie Louise, Archduchess of Austria, as a future wife. Napoleon was interested in Countess Marie Walewska of Poland for a time. She was devoutly religious and married with a 2-year-old son. She offered to sacrifice her principles, subordinate her dignity, and make herself available to satisfy Napoleon's carnal desires to curry his favor. She hoped that Emperor Napoleon had the power to wrest freedom and independence for Poland away from her enemies - Prussia, Austria, and Russia. Prior to going to Spain in 1808, Napoleon had defeated the Russians in the battle at Friedland. He convinced Russian Czar (Tsar) Alexander to sign the Treaty of Tilsit on a floating raft on the Nieman River in July 1807. The Czar joined the alliance forbidding European nations from trading with the British. The "Continental System" barred British ships from all ports under French rule and also barred neutral nations from carrying British goods to the continent. The Continental System not only ruined the British economy but all its European neighbors including Russia. The Russian Czar soon recanted the continental blockade against England. Further negotiations became futile when Napoleon demanded a sovereign and independent Poland. The Czar would not permit this. He viewed Poland on his border as a threat. Nor would he agree to constraining the Prussians and Austrians from acquiring weapons. So Napoleon in a strategic move married the Archduchess of Austria to ally France with Austria. Christian Clavier was superb in the role of Napoleon, and so was the acting of John Malkovich, Isabella Rossellini (Josephine), and Gerard Depardieu (Fouche - Minister of Police). The 94-minute "Napoleon and Wellington" documentary from Bonus disc III compares the lives of these two extraordinary military commanders born months apart in 1769. Extensive details and insights are presented about these two leaders, Wellington of Britain and Napoleon of France, whose careers culminated in the battle of Waterloo, Belgium. This battle is examined here in great depth. The only downside is the actors speak with a pronounced accent, so you have to listen closely to understand every word.

6 people found this helpful

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Mrs. Ermina E. Bosch

An Old Tale with a Twist...

Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2012

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Napoleon (TV Miniseries) (3-Disc Collector's Edition)
This miniseries has a strong French flavour and point of view. The casting, much of it decided by Depardieu who even had his own son play one of Napoleon soldiers, is exceptional: Isabella Rosellini as Josephine; Gerard Depardieu as Fouche; John Malkovitch as Talleyrand; all deliver astounding performances in amazing settings. My only comment is that Christian Clavier, the actor selected to play Napoleon, is too calm and collected and fails to depict Napoleon as a mass of boundless energy and motion, the true ectomorph that was Napoleon. But he still delivers a very creditable, intense performance. A good balance of Napoleon's personal and military life nicely intertwined: the story of a brilliant military hero at the mercy of his love for Josephine--initially an attraction for her many high placed social contacts and her womanly charms--as well as his very demanding, power hungry, large immediate family. A very well done series that attempts and delivers a lot. Well worth watching more than once.

8 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

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Serie de gran calidad pero no tiene el doblaje en francés como lo indicaba en la publicación.

Napoleón serie Dvd

Reviewed in Mexico on March 29, 2024

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Serie de gran calidad pero no tiene el doblaje en francés como lo indicaba en la publicación.

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Charles Séguin

Excellent sur toute la ligne

Reviewed in Canada on July 2, 2022

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J’adore l’histoire puis je suis très satisfait de cette mini-série!

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Cynthia GUILLUY

Napoléon

Reviewed in France on February 20, 2024

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Bonjour, j'ai bien reçu le DVD, il est bien en Français ! 2 DVD pour les 4 parties ! Bonne qualité d'image ! Bonne qualité audio (musique, voix,...) ! Les DVD sont bien arrivés en très bon état ! Je recommande !

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Chris leb

Magnifique film

Reviewed in Belgium on February 11, 2024

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Très beau film. Mr Christian Clavis a sont paroxysme. Cela prouve bien que les petits hommes font les grands acteurs.
Quelle prestance extraordinaire, Merci.

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Christina Couchman

Alles bestens

Reviewed in Germany on January 4, 2024

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Schneller Versand, gute Qualität

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Napoleon (TV Miniseries) (3-Disc Collector's Edition)

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Format	Multiple Formats, Color, Full Screen, Box set, NTSC, Collector's Edition
Contributor	André Oumansky, Alex Marshall, Claude Léger, Alain Doutey, John Malkovich, Claudio Amendola, Anouk Aimée, Adam Betteridge, David Craig, Delia Fine, Didier Decoin, Isabella Rossellini, Gérard Depardieu, Heino Ferch, David Rogers, Ennio Fantastichini, Marie Bäumer, Christian Clavier, Ludivine Sagnier, Gerard Depardieu, Max Gallo See more
Language	English
Number Of Discs	3
Runtime	8 hours