Desirée (1954)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Henry Koster

Writers:

Annemarie Selinko (book)
Daniel Taradash (writer)

Release Date:

17 November 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Romance

Plot:

The rise and fall of Napoleon Botaparte, Emperor of France.

Plot Keywords:

France | Napoleon Bonaparte | Napoleon I | One Word Title | Royalty

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Marlon Brando	...	Napoleon Bonaparte
Jean Simmons	...	Desiree Clary
Merle Oberon	...	Empress Josephine
Michael Rennie	...	Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte
Cameron Mitchell	...	Joseph Bonaparte
Elizabeth Sellars	...	Julie, Desiree's sister
Charlotte Austin	...	Paulette Bonaparte
Cathleen Nesbitt	...	Mme. Bonaparte
Evelyn Varden	...	Marie
Isobel Elsom	...	Mme. Clary, Desiree's mother
John Hoyt	...	Talleyrand
Alan Napier	...	Despreaux
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mary Stewart

Runtime:

USA:110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Cypress Point, Pebble Beach, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Average Shot Length (ASL) = 15 seconds

Quotes:

Napoleon Bonaparte: I want my family to be well established. Joseph, particularly. The rest must wait until the victorious culmination of my campaign in Italy.
Desiree Clary: And you think you can do with people precisely what you want? That life is as you say it is?
Napoleon Bonaparte: Have you ever heard of a thing called destiny, Désirée?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Munsters: Munster Masquerade (#1.1)" (1964)

Gorgeous languid costume peice ..very understated.

This movie is a feast for the eyes, and while slow paced and understated will be a very pleasant movie for some people.

This movie has good and simple characters moving through complicated situations that are easily understandable to most of us. The ex-girlfriend who's still a supportive friend, married to best and able friend who's conscience puts him in opposition to his lady's old love etc. etc.

Its a good romance/relationship film set in a gorgeous background using the vehicle of three real and outstanding characters to move through napoleonic history. I don't recall any gross historical errors so it may even be mildly educational too...

Its a VERY good movie, but it isn't exciting or thrilling or passionate or sexy or violent, but if you like your films to be visual feasts and can deal with the fact that sometimes emotions can be less than torrid and overwrought. and that humans have more subtle motives than sex and power.. You might like this