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Plot Summary
In this hypothetical biography, Napoleon Bonaparte's rise and fall is attributed to his relationship with a noblewoman named Desirée. The film gives a chronological view of Napoleon's life and shows his love for a woman he wanted to marry; he spurned the relationship to focus on his career. Both Napoleon (Marlon Brando) and Desirée continue on with their lives after the relationship; he becomes the unhappily married Emperor of France and she becomes the Queen of Sweden. They meet up again later in the film in a confrontation in which Desirée convinces Napoleon to give up and go to St. Helena.
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Customer Reviews
Desiree leaves something to be desired
This was an old favorite and I am so sorry to see how poorly it has been treated. The story holds up and the actors are terrific but the quality of the sound is really bad.
Desiree
Very much of a let down compared to the book. Huge gaps in the story. Leaves a lot to be desired.
Episodic but Opulent
The daughter (Jean Simmons) of a Marseilles silk merchant falls for a young general named Napoleon Bonaparte (Marlon Brando); their lives are continuously intertwined even after he throws her over for the more influential Josephine (Merle Oberon). Episodic, flatly directed adaptation of Annemarie Selinko’s bestselling novel based on the life of Désirée Clary, who would marry Marshall Jean Baptiste Bernadotte (played here by Michael Rennie) and eventually become queen of Sweden (their descendants still hold the throne); still, it’s an extravagantly opulent production, with fine performances and a memorable score by Alex North (although the famous “Désirée Waltz” was actually composed by Alfred Newman).
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- $14.99
- Genre: Drama
- Released: 2007
- © 1954 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. Renewed 1982 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.