At this page you can find information about the TV-mini Series called "Napoleon & Josephine: A Love Story"
It will be currently updated, as we find more information.
Your voice also counts here.
You are welcome to contribute with your own impression on Armand Assante's great performance in this role.
November 10, 1987
Awards Links Emperor and romantic lover
Armand Assante's resemblance with the real NAPOLEON
Armand Assante's relationship with NAPOLEON
The false NAPOLEON
FAN's comments on "Napoleon & Josephine"
"Napoleon & Josephine: A Love Story"
TV-mini Series 4 Episodes.
Originally showed in 3 Episodes.
It is difficult to find any good and clear photos from the making of this TV-minie Series on the internet.
November 7, 1987
"Napoleon & Josephine: A Love Story"
review/article
US TVguide
by Don Merill
Read this original review donated by a fan
Opens in PDF
In this review/article the series is complemented for it´s historic acuracy.
Ever since this TV-mini Series has been shown in televison world wide over and over again.
It is still running.
Fans bought it on VHS and as DVD's became the ordinary thing to buy and their Video Recorders broke down, they complained about the lack of a DVD version. They even wrote me and asked me if I could´nt do something about it ?
Well, I did'nt think it would make any difference, but I wrote Warner Bros and asked them if they could please make it on DVD, fans asked for it constantly.
Whether that helped or not I can't say. They proberly had planned it all ready.
But now you can buy it on DVD and it has been sold out several times.
Now and then it's for sale at the E-bay or Ioffer.com....and they still run dry !
Among "fans" just called "Napoleon" it is after all one of the most impressiv performances Armand Assante ever made.
It's not like this TV-mini Series did'nt win an Award, it actualla won two of them (se below) but Armand did'nt win an award for
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV"
as he should have done, neither were he nominated ?!
It has surpriced a lot of fans.
Many would liked to give him any Award for it even an Oscar even thou it's never given for TV Productions only motion pictures !
And talking about Napoleon - Armand Assante performed him twice in his life.
First time at a Theatre on Broadway as Emperor Napoleon I in Edward Sheehan's "Kingdoms" (1981-82), He was 32 years old.
Here is a rare look back in time, as New York Times review the Theatre Play and introduced Armand Assante as Napoleon December 14, 1981.(2 pages)
NYtimes
See also:several interviews with Armand Assante while and after making this demanding role here at this site: Go direct !
Romanticly enough...he meet his great love in life Karen McArn the same year.
Get a big size PDF of this picture (Free Download)
In lack of the "real thing" a first price can hardly do it, but if we had anything to say...we would have given him some sort of Price or Award long time ago.
"Napoleon & Josephine: A Love Story" won two Emmy Awards
One for:
Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Miniseries or a Special (Dramatic Underscore)
Gerald Fried (composer)
For part III.
The second for:
Outstanding Costume Design for a Miniseries or a Special
Michel Fresnay (costume designer)
For part III.
Jacqueline Bisset did a wonderfull performance as Josephine and she should be mentioned here, although we usually are that fanatic we pretend no one else was in the movie but Armand Assante.
She made an impression on Armand Assante as well. He made a documentary/biography about her in 1997 with the title: "Intimate Portrait" Jacquline Bisset.
I haven't been able to find any clips or remarks on this documentary any where, so if any of you can help ? It would be nice to know more about it.
Armand Assante was up against a lot of other previous performed Napoleon's as well as he performed with strong and clever people from the acting world, as Napoleons younger brother Anthony Higgins, as Talleyrand Anthony Perkins and as Therese Tallien Stephanie Beacham.
External links in common
Warning Spoilers !
Pay attention to that the first name mentioned is Armand Assante's...in danish TV it started where you see the title...and it was never mentioned any where who was perfoming Napoleon ? I wrote the TV Station and they said it was Michael Nurey (Lucky Luciano)
Third time they showed it....they still could't tell WHO
Armand Assante was ?
You tube
Napoleon and Josephine, all alone by them self...(?) It ends on the balcony with a short glimse of the image above where they are both dressed in white...
You Tube
The same clip with spanish subtitles and proceed with other spots from the series, form the ballroom scene where Armand Assante is dressed in pure red, the divorcing scene and many heart acking other clips....the quality not the best..film is jumping
You Tube
Newspaper announcement of "Napoleon & Josephine" in Ocala Star Banner
February 6, 1987. "Armand Assante will play Napoleon..."
news.google.com/newspapers
November 1, 1987, Rome News-Tribune, by Linda Andrews, Armand Assante about his role as "Napoleon"....GoogleNews/Archive
Napoleons Chambers (photo) WikiPedia
A book has been made with all the real Napoleon's Love Letters to dear Josephine
Amazone.com
More about Napoleon's Love letters
WikiPedia
Joséphine de Beauharnais
WikiPedia
Napoleon I of France
WikiPedia
The intire history of Napoleon's life illustrated with paintings
search.com/reference/Napoleon
Napoleon's mother Maria Letizia Bonaparte
WikiPedia
The Empire Style, also called Neoclassical Style that was "in" at Napoleon's time is beatifully display at this site, with a chance to study many details...
MetMuseumOrg
A collection of "Napoleon Paintings" where you can study his clothing. As you can see there is a painting of some how the same red outfit Armand Assante wear for dance at the pallace.
library.thinkquest.org
NAPOLEON FAN STUFF
Napoleon's tooth
Napoleon had his fans to, as he lived. As he entered Paris after a great battle he of corse won, weman were standing at both sites the street and screaming throwing things at him like flowers and other personal belongings as a handkerthief dipped in parfume.
Still after his death "fanstuf" is sold on auction like his tooth November 2005
news.bbc.co.uk
A lock of his hair
Proberly ones given to one of his most ardent admires...for auction
news.bbc.co.uk
His last will
Napoleon's will and memoirs sold on auction
news.bbc.co.uk
"I awake full of you. Your image and the memory of last night’s intoxicating pleasures has left no rest to my senses."
wrote Napoleon Bonapart to his Josephine.
The real "Divorcing Sceene" Actually an annnulment..Drawing from 1869
Napoleon.org
Napoleon's mother in the TVseries
Napoleons real mother
It was'nt love at first sight for both Napoleon and Josephine, she did´nt want to have anything to do with him at first. But Napoleon never gave up...and won her heart.
Loveletters.
The difficulties of conquerring love with stratetic battles ending up with all Napoleon's hot and intense loveletters to her, must of which she never read.
But the rest of the world did ! As Napoleon still lived they were brought in newspapers all over Europe by Lord Nelson.
Today it is allmost as if this is the most interesting part of the Emperror's life story, many books are written about these letters (see links).
Here a divorce letter written by Josephine
wikiPedia
A wonderfull scene in the TVseries shows Armand Assante sitting in the middle of a batle writing to Josephine, more concerned about the words of his writing, than the war going on around him.
"Napoleon & Josephine: A Love Story" fucus on their romance, but still Napoleon's other achievements in life aren't overlooked in this TV prodoction.
It follows his career and ambitions in life very well and nothing seems to be missing.
He died alone...almost.
The historic Napoleon's death has been investigated in a National Geographic Documentary, we never see how his life really ends in this TV Production, but this documentary claims he was proberly poisioned by his best freind. They any way found high levels of Arsenic in his hair. They also have a theory of stommach cancer. We all know the paintings of him holding his hand inside his jacket with a painfull expression in his face.
Besides that Napoleon suffered from heavy attacks, cramps..? that was proberly due to his emotional temper...we see several of these attacks performed dramatically by Armand Assante in this love story.
Josephine never recovered from the loss of her Bonapart, she died before him.
More about the death of Napoleon
WikiPedia
We never see Napoleon's death not his Exile on St. Helena, the Series end before that...there´s a breathtaking scene with Napoleon trying to cheer Josephine up and saying goodby to her at her sick bed. We know the rest...it´s a beatifull but dramaticly sad ending of these 4 Episodes of their Love Story.
Their divorce...for Franche !
Why would you ever divorce a woman you love so madly ? Napoleon Bonapart's prioryties in life was often perculiar.
The "Divorcing Sceene" is one of the most dramatic in this TV production.
It is very realistic performed.
Napoleon's mother and the rest of the family.
The Series suggest strongly that Napopleon's mother had something to do with this choice of his, divorcing Josephine.
We see her talk him into it and explaining he must think of Franche and to give Franche an heir.
She never liked Josephine, she was to her, just a concubine and could'nt give birth to more children, than she allready had. (It's belived Josephine had a miscarriage as we see in the movie).
The historical mother knew from her son's birth that he would become a great ruler of a very large kingdom, because she went to an astrologer to have his Birthchart made.
(Whether this chart still exists is unceartain ?)
He would become a great leader.
And she brought him up in great exspectations of that, even spoiled him more than all the other children she had.
It created an emmense jealousy among him and his siblings, that lasted all their life.
Napoleon Bonapart was born in the sign of Leo
Chart of Napoleon with Libra/Scorpio ASC (the Napoleon's height is here mentioned and Armand Assante was actually to tall for this ..)
www.astrotheme.com
Another chart with Scorpio ASC
www.astro.com/astro-databank/Bonaparte,_Napoleon_I
There are no accurate birthtime for Napoleon, but because of his lifestory, astrologers have reconstructed the birthtime so that MC (midheaven) also become in the sign of Leo, this way his destany fit's. That way an interpretation would conclude: "A great Leader".
Because of an interpretation it confimes his among other perculiar relationship with "love" (and other relationships) with his Uranus in 7th house. He blows hot and cold.
As you read Napoleons personality in these interpretations, you can see how well Armand Assante actually performed this.
There is yet another wonderfull scene in this adapted screenplay of Napoleon's life and lovestory, were Armand Assante sit´s in the end of the room trying to give the whole family something of his wealth and succes. They all act griedy and demanding and start quarrel with each other.
"Napoleon" tries here to direct the family not with much succes and you can see on Armand Assante's face what's going on underneath the cotrolled surface. Something he is the master of. Layers and layers.
Napoleon and Josephine at the ball ...YouTube
The death mask of Napoleon Bonapart
Or ?
We can see where they got the inspiration for the awarded costumes
Character comes from the inside. Look-a-likes can be superficial.
How much did Armand Assante look like the historic Napoleon ?
Oilpaintings.
If we study the many drawings and oilpaintings of Napoleon, it's obvious that the artist's did'nt see him the same way. There are so many "looks" of Napoleon that they can't all be realistic ! He was proberly not good at standing or stitting still for longer periods either.
It must have been Hell for the artist !
Napoleon was awfully vaine. It´s said he supervisioned all the artists as they worked and he was " a pain in the ass" and disturbed the artists so bad with his pedantic demands they often lost their inspiration intirely. Most of his paintings were commissioned work.
Can wee trust theese images ?
Deathmask
There is thou something that might show how Napoleon really looked, although is was an image taken after he died.
Or was it ?
Deathmask at the Liverpool Museum.
liverpoolmuseums.org.uk
A bigger version of the photo to the left
www.librarycompany.org/artifacts/images/masks
Here a painting of Napoleon Bonapart on his deathbed
WikiPedia
There has been many discussions about whether Napoleons Deathmask is really a true image of his face or not, beacause actually 4 molds were taken at different dates after he died, go to this link at New York Times and click on the PDF version of a scanned article for further reading.
The drama that went on in his life seemed to proceed after his death.
First of all it got stolen shortly after it was made...and as they finally got "it back"?, they could be sure if something about it, might have been altered ??
The PDF version is a photo-static of New York Times article first brought August 15, 1915. It is hard to read on-line and as har to read...printed out (script is small)
hquery.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html
This information also concerns the mysteries around the his death mask. A woman stole the first cast and the drama went on form there...
WikiPedia
Or read this: Full text of "The Story of Napoleon's death-mask, told from the original document" It's a book. (Copy the title and go to the next link below. Press Ctrl and f at your keyboard and paste the copied into the search field, and you will see this book announced)
at this place:
www.archive.org
Book
www.joslinhall.com/catalog
But if we rely on this mask, there is a great resemblance concerning the features of his face.
You can see half the oilpainting of Napoleon on this photo and spot in between the windows behind Armand Assante at the chezboard at the photo to the right.
Armand Assante's Oilpainting of Napoleon looks very much like this one (big size)
WikiPedia
Armand Assante's "Oilpainting"
Original painting:
Napoleon in His Study
by Jacque-Louis David
Oil painting done by Napoleon's favorite painter and painted in 1812, near the end of his glorious empire.
The most famous Oilpainting of Napoleon that almost hangs in any powerfull leaders office is this one, was painted in 1801 also painted by
by Jacque-Louis David
Wikipedia
He often talks about his role as Napoleon and last he was reminded of it was as he worked with Wal Kilmer on the "Steam Experiment"
He said: "I worked with Wal Kilmer before, last time he was my Second in Command as I was Napoleon !"
(Interview/video July 4, 2009 MySpace.com where he also mentiones this)
Wal Kilmer is not on the role list for TV-mini Series so it must have been at the Theatre ?!
Interviewers often asks him about his roles in Judgde Dredd, Mambo Kings and as Gotti but they seeme to forget Napoleon...good thing Armand Assante remembers to mention it !
Fans who saw him in that role NEVER forgets it !!
This part has been meaningfull to Armand Assante and to millions of fans, but the critics never really gave the credit it deserved. And as mentioned above it's actually really art he never won any Award for doing this part so well !
It´s no secret Armand Assante admired the great actor Marlon Brando he is even is famous for talking slurry as him, what is only known or remembered by his fans, is that Marlon Brando also once performed a role as Napoleon. One could guess it has been an inspiration for Armand Assante as well.
The movie was called "Desiree" (1954)
us.imdb.com
Character comes from the inside.
As allways Armand Assante did a very thorough research before doing this part. There are many details there could be mentioned, but even as we never saw "Napoleon" over the shoulder as he signed the wedding papers after a quick ceromony, Armand Assante clearly moved his hand signing it, the way Napoleon created his signature with a backwars underlining.
You have to know the historical Napoleon very well to appriciate all these kean details Armand Assante made a great effort of.
Fact is: it must have been an enormous demanding task, there are so many oppinions about Napoleon Bonapart...those who loved him and those who hated him...where to begin ?
As it looks to us...he was born for that part !
Here you can tell how many other "Napoleon's" he was up against !
www.imdb.com/character
Pro Quest Archiver
TV Book
Armand Assante
about his preparation for the role of Napoleon Bonapart
in the TVmini Series: "Napoleon & Josephine: A Love Story"
pqarchiver.com
10 episodes.
with Christian Clavier as Napoleon
Isabella Rossellini as Josephine
even Gérard Depardieu is in it.
Besides: for most of us "Napoleon and Josephine" was fullfilling.
Read this:"...Napoleon Bonaparte technically was a Corsican. And he was short. But in history and legend, he stands tall...When I received A&E's press kit on "Napoleon"....my first reaction was "Why?" After all, ABC did a big-budget miniseries titled "Napoleon and Josephine: A Love Story," starring Armand Assante..."
?
Read more
www.highbeam.com/doc
I never saw it..but my neighbour came in and said "I´m so disappointed. I was exspecting to watch Napoleon & Josephine and then they send this faked Napoleon...I want the real Napoleon !"
"But he is dead !" I said.
"No, - I've seen him !" then she paused and looked at my wall and pointed at a framed pencil drawing that hang at the wall.
"It's him ! There he is !"
"That's Armand Assante as Napoleon !" I informed her.
Well that was the real Napoleon and nobody could "sell" her anything else.
The year after they sended "Napoleon & Josephine: A Love Story" again and she came running to my doorstep: "Go watch...Now ! It's the real Napoleon this time !"
and she is not even a fan.
She allways call Armand Assante "What's this dude's name ?"
Poor Christian Clavier proberly made the best of his performance and he was anyway up against even stronger forces as it became his turn.
He is frenche ! It must be importent to the frenche people that Napoleon is perfomed by one of their own.
But here, - we are fanatic...and to us there is no other Napoleon but Armand Assante.
Sorry !
Even if the real Napoleon raised from his grave, we would proberly call him a bad imitation !
made alot of fans for Armand Assante.
Many of these allready told about it on "His Fans" site (direct link)
But you might have more to tell...here is the chance.
What was your
favorite scene ?What impression left Armand Assantes performance on you ?
Did you fall in love with the real Napoleon in history classes as well ?
to the assantefansite
with the titel: Comment's on Napoleon and Josephine !
Grace
Ever since I saw Napoleon & Josephine (back in 1988), I was impressed by Armands performance in this Movie. He did a “great” job with the character Napoleon. I almost believed he “was” Napoleon. So it’s over 19 years now that I have been a fan of him.
I became a devoted collector of all his Movies.
Rosie T.
It is to bad he never won an award for that, I would have given him an Oscar.
Anya Olajsajtolók
I allready have a VHS. Then I bumped into this page of Napoleon and Armand Assante.
I did´nt even know his name was that, just love the story.
Then I see he was also Odysseus I love that to. What is so funny is that I never knew it was the same man ??!
I now I find ALL THIS ?
I´m amazed. Turns out I know quite many of his movies. I will never leave this place.
I´m mad about the real Napoleon and this Armand Assante. I agree...HE IS NAPOLEON.
My God he can change so much from one role to another !?