6.090 minSeason 1 • Episode 4
LatestA masterful soldier, tactician and statesmen, Napoleon Bonaparte's courage and love for his country sees him rise from an unpaid general consumed with ambition to the most powerful man in Europe, then his fall, and exile.
Acting
Malkovich's Talleyrand steals every scene through sheer venomous elegance.
Production
Battle recreations that actually understand military tactics, not just noise.
Costume
Those bicorne hats deserve their own supporting credit.
Creators
Yves Simoneau, Max Gallo
Christian Clavier
Napoléon Bonaparte
Isabella Rossellini
Joséphine de Beauharnais
John Malkovich
Charles de Talleyrand
Gérard Depardieu
Joseph Fouché
Heino Ferch
Marquis Armand de Caulaincourt
Claudio Amendola
Maréchal Joachim Murat
Anouk Aimée
Letizia Ramolino
Alain Doutey
Maréchal Michel Ney
Ennio Fantastichini
Joseph Bonaparte
Alexandra Maria Lara
Comtesse Marie Walewska
Jacques Brunet
Roger-Ducos
Jean-Gabriel Nordmann
Roederer
André Chaumeau
Louis XVIII
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Christian Clavier also played Napoleon in a French comedy film—this version was his dramatic redemption arc. The man literally built a career on one historical figure.
This 2002 miniseries dropped right when Napoleon revisionism was heating up, offering a more personal portrait against the 'great man' mythology. The casting of Depardieu and Malkovich specifically signaled 'prestige TV' before that was even a phrase.
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