"Napoléon" (2002) TV mini-series

Director:

Yves Simoneau

Writers:

Didier Decoin (writer)
Max Gallo (novel)

Release Date:

17 September 2002 (Italy)

Genre:

Adventure | Biography | Drama | Romance | War

Tagline:

An epic life.

Plot:

The year is 1816, and NAPOLEON, held prisoner by the British on the island of St. Helena, is telling the young English girl BETSY his life story...

Plot Keywords:

Army | Campaign | Russia | Napoleonic Wars | 1800s

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 2 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Christian Clavier	...	Napoléon
Isabella Rossellini	...	Joséphine de Beauharnais
Gérard Depardieu	...	Joseph Fouché
John Malkovich	...	Charles Talleyrand
Anouk Aimée	...	Letizia Bonaparte
Heino Ferch	...	Armand Augustin Louis, Marquis de Caulaincourt
Sebastian Koch	...	Marshal Jean Lannes
Ennio Fantastichini	...	Joseph Bonaparte
Guillaume Depardieu	...	Muiron
Alexandra Maria Lara	...	Countess Marie Walewska
Toby Stephens	...	Tsar Alexander I
Mavie Hörbiger	...	Marie Louise of Austria
Marie Bäumer	...	Caroline Bonaparte
Claudio Amendola	...	Maréchal Joachim Murat
Julian Sands	...	Klemens Metternich
Ludivine Sagnier	...	Hortense
John Wood	...	Pope Pius VII
Charlotte Valandrey	...	Madame Coigny
Florence Pernel	...	Madame Tallien
Jessica Paré	...	Eleanore Denuelle
Jean-Gabriel Nordmann	...	Roederer
David La Haye	...	Duc d'Enghien
Vincent Grass	...	Charles IV of Spain
David Francis	...	Hudson Lowe
Serge Dupire	...	Vicomte de Cambronne
Alain Doutey	...	Maréchal Ney
Florence Darel	...	Madame Récamier
André Chaumeau	...	Louis XVIII
Sylvain Corthay	...	Dr. Corvisard
Jacques Brunet	...	Roger Ducos
Fabienne Babe	...	Madame de Staehl
Natacha Amal	...	Madame Bertrand
Michael Cella	...	Valet
Tamsin Egerton	...	Betzy (as Tamsin Egerton-Dick)
Yves Jacques	...	Lucien
Roc LaFortune	...	Marchand
Jacky Nercessian	...	Roustam
André Oumansky	...	Sieyes
Julian Rachlin	...	Paganini
John Rado	...	General Waterloo
Philippe Volter	...	Barras
Derrick Brenner	...	Napoleon's Engineer
Ryan James	...	French Captain
Ivo Novák	...	Man in the pub
Harald Winter	...	Voice
Colm Feore	...	Voiceover (2002) (voice)
James Babson
Attila Király
Albert Millaire
András Stohl
Marie Tifo
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Grégoire Bonnet	...	Louis
László Bor
Philip Lenkowsky	...	Cipriani
Dimitri Michelsen	...	Eugene
Edward Olive	...	Chambellan
Léopoldine Serre	...	Petite fille
Tadeusz Sokolowski

Directed by
Yves Simoneau

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Didier Decoin		writer
Max Gallo		novel

Produced by
Adam Betteridge	....	associate producer
Michael Cowan	....	co-producer (as Michael Lionello Cowan)
David Craig	....	supervising producer: A&E
Gérard Depardieu	....	producer
Salim Fassi Fihri	....	executive producer
Jean-Marc Félio	....	producer: New Brunswick
Delia Fine	....	executive producer: A&E Network
Jean-Pierre Guérin	....	producer
Max Gusberti	....	co-producer
Marc Jenny	....	executive producer
Claude Léger	....	co-producer
Véronique Marchat	....	associate producer
Alex Marshall	....	associate producer
Jan Matjo	....	co-producer
Jason Piette	....	co-producer
David Rogers	....	co-producer
Yves Simoneau	....	associate producer
Kornél Sipos	....	co-producer
Marc Vadé	....	executive producer
Jonathan Vanger	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Michel Cusson
Richard Grégoire

Cinematography by
Guy Dufaux

Film Editing by
Yves Langlois
Isabelle Malenfant

Casting by
Zsolt Csutak
Martina Kubesova
Françoise Menidrey
Cornelia von Braun
Jeremy Zimmerman		(2002)

Production Design by
Richard Cunin

Art Direction by
Lionel Acat
Mónika Esztán
Rémy Jouvin-Bessière
Pierre Michon

Set Decoration by
Frédéric Karali

Costume Design by
Pierre-Jean Larroque

Makeup Department
Muriel Baurens	....	key makeup artist
Sabrina Bernard	....	makeup artist
Agathe Dupuis	....	hair stylist
Barbara Kichi	....	hair stylist
Barbara Kichiova	....	hair stylist
Klaudia Király	....	assistant hair stylist
Christine Larocque	....	wig maker
Serge Lavigueur	....	special makeup effects artist
Adrien Morot	....	special makeup effects artist
Gabi Nemeth	....	hair stylist
Michel Perrot	....	wig stylist
Gabriela Polakova	....	makeup artist
Fulvio Pozzobon	....	hair stylist: extras
Estelle Tolstoukine	....	hair stylist
George Tucci	....	special makeup effects artist

Production Management
Sándor Baló	....	production manager: Hungary
Daniel Boudreau	....	unit manager: Canada
Ginette Guillard	....	production manager: Canada
Marie-Hélène Lambret	....	unit manager: France
Frédéric J. Lozet	....	post-production supervisor (as Frédéric Lozet)
Bruno Perdrigeat	....	unit manager
Michal Prikryl	....	production manager
Gerhard Rupp	....	unit manager: Austria
Miklós Tóth	....	production manager
Marc Vadé	....	production manager
Bruno Vatin	....	unit manager: Eastern Europe

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Thierry Bouteiller	....	second assistant director: France
Olivier Breton	....	second second assistant director: France
Ali Cherkaoui	....	first assistant director: Morocco
Ali Cherkaoui	....	key second assistant director: Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary
Tamás Császár	....	first assistant director: Hungary
Karim Djerbi	....	third assistant director: Czech Republic
Gábor Gajdos	....	first assistant director: Hungary
Laurent Herbiet	....	first assistant director: preproduction (2002)
Mario Luraschi	....	second unit director
Frantisek Rezek	....	second assistant director
Dénes Sajgál	....	first assistant director: second unit, Hungary
Dominique Talmon	....	first assistant director
Andrea Taschler	....	third assistant director: Hungary
Tamás Vass	....	third assistant director: Hungary

Art Department
Donald Beaulieu	....	scenic technician
Pascal Chatton	....	first assistant decorator
Jean-François Corneille	....	set dresser
Mónika Esztán	....	assistant production designer
Sylvie Fennec	....	set dresser
Tomas Hais	....	set dresser
Radan Kapinos	....	props
József Kiss	....	construction manager
Jérome Lafargue	....	furniture and accessories supplier
Jacques Leguillon	....	set dresser
Lenka Pavlakova	....	art department interpreter
Réal Proulx	....	set decorator: Canada
Patricia Ruelle	....	painter
Patricia Ruelle	....	scenic artist
Patricia Ruelle	....	weathering painter
Béla Tollay	....	props assistant (2002)
Mirka Valova	....	art department interpreter (2002)

Sound Department
Justine Angus	....	supervising foley editor
Philip Barnes	....	dialogue editor
Steve Cook	....	sound supervisor: UK & France
Colin Cooper	....	adr mixer
Colin Cooper	....	foley mixer
Ivan Dumas	....	sound assistant
Csaba Erös	....	boom operator: Hungary
Susan French	....	adr editor
Frederic Gibert	....	assistant sound supervisor (2002)
Carl Goetgheluck	....	sound re-recording mixer
Max Hoskins	....	supervising sound editor
János Köporosy	....	sound mixer: Hungary
Claude La Haye	....	production sound mixer
Claude La Haye	....	sound mixer: Hungary, Morocco, Canada
Richard Lewis	....	sound re-recording mixer
Laurie McDowell	....	sound effects editor (2002)
Peter Murphy	....	boom operator
Louis Piche	....	boom operator: Hungary, Canada
Simon Price	....	adr editor
Szabolcs Stella	....	boom operator: Hungary
Trevor Swanscott	....	additional foley editor
Lauren Ana Walker	....	sound effects editor (as Roger Walker)

Special Effects by
Louis Craig	....	special effects supervisor
Jacques Godbout	....	special effects
Ferenc Hábetler	....	pyrotechnics supervisor
Eric-André Paquin	....	motion control technician
Eric-André Paquin	....	special effects technician
László Pintér	....	pyrotechnician
Péter Pozsonyi	....	special effects crew
Pierre Riverin	....	special effects technician: Canada
Sebastien Roussel	....	special effects
Ryan Storm	....	special effects technician
Attila Török	....	pyrotechnician
Ferenc Török	....	pyrotechnics supervisor
Attila Vásári	....	pyrotechnician
Antonio Vidosa	....	special effects foreman: Canada
Jirí Vojtech	....	special effects technician
Martin Williams	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Romain Bayle	....	digital artist
Romain Bayle	....	matte painter
Sébastien Bergeron	....	visual effects production supervisor
Benoit Blouin	....	digital effects artist
Xavier Bourque	....	digital compositor: Hybride Technologies
Marc Cote	....	motion control operator
Michael Cozens	....	animator
Anouk Deveault-Moreau	....	visual effects coordinator: Hybride
Mathieu Dupuis	....	digital compositor: Hybride
Thierry Fortier	....	digital artist
Balázs Harmati	....	motion control assistant
Timothy Heys-Cerchio	....	motion control operator: Hungary
Joseph Kasparian	....	lighting artist
Joseph Kasparian	....	senior textures
Nicolas Langlois-Demers	....	technical director: 3D character setup, Hybride
Jean Lapointe	....	digital compositor: Hybride
May Leung	....	digital effects animator: Hybride
Jonathan Paquin	....	3D artist: Hybride
Sean Stranks	....	digital compositor: Hybride
Jessy Veilleux	....	matte painter
Yanick Wilisky	....	computer graphics supervisor

Stunts
Ferenc Berecz	....	stunts (2002)
Sándor Boros	....	stunts
Stéphane Bourquin	....	stunts
William Chatel	....	stunts
Pascal Chemel	....	stunts
François Claudin	....	stunts
Patrice Cossoneau	....	stunts (as Patrice Cossonneau)
Hugues Dalmagro	....	stunts (as Hugues Dal Magro)
David Doucinot	....	stunts
Cedric Gary	....	stunts
László Imre	....	stunts
Mario Luraschi	....	stunt coordinator
Pascal Madura	....	stunts
Domonkos Pardanyi	....	stunt performer
Eric Tonetto	....	stunts
Levente Lezsák	....	stunts (uncredited)
Béla Unger	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Christian Abomnes	....	first assistant camera (as Chris Abomnes)
Bernard Arseneau	....	gaffer: Montreal
Csaba Bankhardt	....	dolly grip: Hungary
Pierre Beaulieu	....	electrician
László Bille	....	camera operator
Arnaud Borrel	....	still photographer
Vincent Buron	....	first assistant camera
Stéphane Caron	....	first assistant camera: motion control
Andre Chemetoff	....	video assist operator (2002)
François Daignault	....	Steadicam operator
François Daignault	....	camera operator
Laurent Denis	....	still photographer
Sylvaine Dufaux	....	camera operator: "a" camera
István Gottmann	....	assistant camera: Hungary
Serge Grenier	....	key grip
Martin Grosup	....	director of photography: second unit
György Horváth	....	camera loader
Ladislav Hruby	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Lukas Jaromersky	....	rigging electrician
Milan Jirsa	....	gaffer: Czech Republic
Károly Kamerda	....	assistant camera
Malek Krimed	....	assistant camera
Estelle Marcoux	....	trainee camera: Montréal
Andréane Melançon	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera, France
Valentin Monge	....	Steadicam operator
Christian Navennec	....	first assistant camera: Canada
Csaba Nemesházi	....	assistant camera
Zoltán Pataki	....	video technician
Dany Racine	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Marci Ragályi	....	focus puller
Vincent Richard	....	second assistant camera
Neil Robertson	....	first assistant camera
Jocelyn Simard	....	second assistant camera
Péter Rácz Tiger	....	video assist operator
Dirk Van Rampelbergh	....	gaffer
Petr Zavrel	....	central loader

Casting Department
Yann Mari Faget	....	casting assistant: Morocco
Tamás Kertész	....	extras casting
Cornelia von Braun	....	casting: Germany
Tomas Zelenka	....	casting: Czech Republic

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nathalie Chesnais	....	costume supervisor
Nathalie Chesnais	....	key costumer
Miroslav Fantys	....	assistant to wardrobe supervisor
Vera Mirová	....	wardrobe master

Editorial Department
Tracie Gemmel	....	assistant editor
Guillaume Saint-Aubin-Seers	....	on-line editor

Transportation Department
Richard Chabot	....	driver
Zoltán Fohn	....	driver
Silvie Janculová	....	unit transportation coordinator
Roman Jedlicka	....	driver (2002)
Claudia Kossik	....	transportation captain
Andrée Roy	....	driver (as Andree Roy)
Zsolt Somogyi	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Noureddine Aberdine	....	location manager
Guy Aumond	....	production accountant
Bernadett Baló	....	production assistant
Emilie Barbault	....	script supervisor: second unit
Jacqueline Benloulou	....	production administrator
Shirine Best	....	development assistant
Elizabeth Boom	....	production coordinator: France
Élizabeth Boorn	....	production assistant
Ruth Charest	....	coordinator
Christophe Chauveau	....	location scout
Sylvie François	....	production coordinator: France
Jacqueline Gamard	....	script supervisor
Julie Garceau	....	computer playback operator
Mel Hider	....	assistant: Mr. Cowan and Mr. Piette
Richard Hyland	....	production accountant: UK
Vernice Klier	....	dialogue coach
Balázs Kovács	....	extras coordinator
Éva Kovács	....	production assistant
Emily Kyriakides	....	assistant to producer
Walter Ludwig	....	locations department: Austria
Gabriela Rezacova	....	catering interpreter
Lenka Rock	....	production assistant
Adrien Scolan	....	runner
Lucy Shuttleworth	....	development executive
Doug Smith	....	electronic press kit
Sylvie Talbot	....	title designer
Benoit Thériault	....	production assistant
Gábor Ujházy	....	location manager
Béla Vaszary	....	medical coordinator (2002)
Lucile Joly	....	assistant to producer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• A&E Television Networks
• ASP Productions
• GMT Productions
• Great British Films
• Kekchi Films Productions
• KirchMedia
• MA Films
• Okko Productions
• Spice Factory
• Transfilm
• Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF)

Distributors

• RTL Klub Televízió (2003) (Hungary) (TV)
• A&E Television Networks
• Beta Film (international)
• Versátil Home Vídeo (2009) (Brazil) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Camera e-Motion (motion control)
• Hybride Technologies (visual effects)
• Intrigue

Other Companies

• Camera e-Motion  motion control
• Gearbox Sound and Vision  Avid AudioVision systems supplied by
• Gearbox Sound and Vision  additional ProTools systems supplied by

Also Known As:

Le tricorne de Napoléon (France) (working title)
Napoléon (Germany)
Napoleon (Europe: English title)

Runtime:

357 min (4 parts) | 380 min (DVD edition)

Country:

France | Germany | Italy | Canada | USA | UK | Hungary | Spain | Czech Republic

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Spain:13 | Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Agadir, Morocco

Company:

A&E Television Networks

Trivia:

So far (2003) the most expensive European TV production.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Napoleon is with Eleanore Denuelle and his son to say goodbye, his hair is parted on his left side. When he leaves and turns around at the door, Napoleon's hair is parted on his right side.

Quotes:

Caroline Bonaparte: I'm here to bring you Murat's support.
Napoléon: Murat? Who authorized you to speak for Murat?
Caroline Bonaparte: He and I love each other.
Napoléon: Murat is over 30, and you're not yet 20. I don't think our mother will approve. I don't think I will approve!

Movie Connections:

References Le souper (1992)

Soundtrack:

Napoleon Enfant (Napoleon the Infant)

Well-made and interesting

This series, consisting (in Germany) of 4 parts, tells the story of the most important figure in French history, Napoléon Bonaparte whose remarkable career started as a mere officer in an artillery regiment. The film focuses especially on Napoléon's (C. Clavier) relationship to his early love, Josephine, who is quite beautiful but also some years older than Napoléon. Indeed, most of the film is centered largerly around the numerous affairs and relationships of the Emperor, who seeks an heir but also to strenghten the french influence in Europe. There are some quite fascinating battle-scenes, although, for a 42 million Euro project, one might say they could've been done better. Obviously most of the money has been spent on the wonderful costumes, and, naturally, on the prominent cast, which includes some famous European, as well as Amercian actors.

Generally, if you are interested in such kind of movies and have a certain knowledge of the historical facts, "Napoléon" is absolutely recommendable. It might have some flaws, and some historical facts may be, to the normally educated, not clear, but then, it's only a TV movie. And it's really rather enjoyable, bringing a fascinating period of European history to life.