Movie of the Day: January 30, 2003

IMDb Movie of the Day
Napoleon Bonaparte once said: "History is the version of past events that people have decided to agree upon." In light of that comment, he would no doubt be charmed by the central idea of The Emperor's New Clothes, a film that takes a unique 'what-if' approach to the documented history of his life. The film opens at a familiar point in history: Napoleon (Ian Holm) has been defeated at Waterloo and exiled to the island of St. Helena for the rest of his days. From there, the story begins to diverge from the well-accepted history of the Bonaparte's life, as his advisors smuggle a commoner named Eugene (also Holm) onto the island, who, with his uncanny resemblance to Napoleon, is groomed to impersonate the ruler. Meanwhile, Napoleon assumes the persona of the unworldly Eugene in order to sneak off of the island and return to Paris, where, once Eugene back in St. Helena reveals to the world that he is not really Bonaparte, the people of France will return the real ruler to power. However, the plan goes awry when Eugene refuses to admit his true identity, leaving the real Napoleon penniless and stranded on the streets of Paris. Forced to live in the very society he designed and seeing the effects of his rule, Napoleon is rescued by a new acquaintance named Pumpkin (Iben Hjejle), the widow of the only friend who knew of his plan and true identity. When no one, including Pumpkin, will believe that Napoleon is who he claims to be, he begins to settle into his new life, promoting and organizing Pumpkin's fruit-selling business with the same energy that created his empire. (more)

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