Quotes
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Napoléon : When such an old man marries such a young wife, he should learn to cover her with jewels. So should we forgive him, and see if something can be done about it?
Countess Marie Walewska : Sire, that's not what I want from your Majesty. My country no longer exists. Prussia, Austria, and Russia have dismembered it. Return Poland to me.
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Countess Marie Walewska : [kisses Napoleon's hand] Welcome, sire. A thousand times welcome. All Polish soil awaited to rise up, and -
[is lost for words]
Napoléon : And what?
Countess Marie Walewska : I don't know anymore. I've prepared so many things to say, but now that I see you, I'm lost for words.
Napoléon : So am I, mademoiselle. So am I. Which means we will have to see each other again, once we have both found the words we need. Would you like that?
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Maréchal Joachim Murat : My dear Bonaparte, I trust you don't see my marriage to Caroline a bad match.
Napoléon : You're my friend, Murat, and that's worth all the titles in the world. When I give my friendship, I never give it back. But a crown can be lost, and I would be grateful if you would stop calling me "my dear Bonaparte." Remember to call me Sire when you address me.
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Joséphine de Beauharnais : Look at me. Why don't you look at me? You've done it. You've done a dreadful thing. Although I begged you not to, and so did your mother, your entire family.
Napoléon : This affair doesn't concern you, or my family. It's an affair of state. It concerns the government of France, and me.
Joséphine de Beauharnais : And you, yes, you! You could have pardoned him. You didn't need anyone. You only had to say one word. One little word!
Napoléon : If he - had asked me to spare him... but those Bourbons are so stupidly proud.
Joséphine de Beauharnais : Proud, yes, but innocent! He wasn't even in France during the attempt to your life.
Napoléon : His friends were. And even if they didn't do it, they did it for him.
Joséphine de Beauharnais : This foul deed will bring a curse upon us. Sorrow to you, and sorrow to me, because I couldn't stop you!
[Josephine leaves for the door]
Joséphine de Beauharnais : And sorrow, to all who had a hand in this crime!
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Napoléon : For God's sake, Caulaincourt, you sound like a midwife!
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Napoléon : [regarding his coronation as Emperor] I intend to crown myself.
Pope Pius VII : Then why am I here?
Napoléon : To bless my reign.
Pope Pius VII : Now, who exactly are you asking to bless your reign, Sire? Almighty God? Or his humble deputy on Earth, the Pope?
Napoléon : Humble? Is that the word you use to describe the thunder of organ music, clouds of incense, altars full of flowers, robes trimmed with gold?
Pope Pius VII : You confuse God with religion.
Napoléon : On the contrary, I separate them. On the one hand, a theory: God. On the other, a certitude: religion. It gives human society a framework. People would have no reference points without religion, we saw the results of that, when during the Revolution the churches were looted and the priests guillotined. The country toppled into anarchy, chaos, and madness of the Reign of Terror. We can do without God, but not without religion.
Pope Pius VII : Do without God? Can you live without faith in the immortality of your soul? Without belief in the everlasting life?
Napoléon : If you have ever been in a battlefield, you would not believe in God, either.
Pope Pius VII : But I spend all my days and all my nights on a battlefield, Sire! The whole world is a battlefield! And every man who suffers is a terrible defeat for me. Place the crown on your own brow if that is what you wish. I will pray it does not become too heavy for you to bear.
Napoléon : Have you ever regretted being Pope?
Pope Pius VII : It terrifies me, Sire. Every day that God gives.
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Napoléon : Excuse this dreadful mud, Holy Father, but it's been raining so much lately.
Pope Pius VII : I've always wondered if the Pope, like his Divine Master, could walk on water. I cannot, evidently. But I do have other powers.
Napoléon : Such as crowning me Emperor?
Pope Pius VII : Yes, but also marrying you.
Napoléon : Marrying me? But I am married!
Pope Pius VII : During our long and tedious journey, one of my Cardinals told me that you and the future Empress have not been united before God.
Napoléon : Well, that may be true, but our civil marriage is no less valid.
Pope Pius VII : To me, it is meaningless. But rest assured, I shall be delighted to bless your union before God.
Napoléon : I have no intention of getting married a second time.
Pope Pius VII : Well, unfortunately, I cannot crown a man Emperor, who is living in a state of Sin.
Napoléon : Very well, then, a discreet ceremony - without unnecessary witness.
Pope Pius VII : When one has the Pope as a witness, Sire, no-one else is necessary.
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Maréchal Joachim Murat : The road to Namur.
Napoléon : Perfect. The Pope will think we've run into him totally by chance. I cannot let him imagine that I would make an effort to meet him. I owe him no more respect than to any petty little king.
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Napoléon : A man's scale is determined by his destiny, not by nature.
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Marquis de Caulaincourt : Sire!
Napoléon : Not now!
Marquis de Caulaincourt : She is here!
Napoléon : Who?
Marquis de Caulaincourt : She, Countess Walewska!
Napoléon : Here? Here.
Marquis de Caulaincourt : In the bedroom. Was I wrong to convince her to come here?
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Napoléon : How old do you think she was?
Joseph Fouché : Hungry children always look younger.
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Charles Talleyrand : All of those who voted for the death of Louis XVI consider you one of them now. They even have a title to propose for you: Emperor of the French. It's not a bad idea, of course. On one condition: to avoid any possible confusion, it must never look like a disguised return to the monarchy.
Napoléon : There will never be a king in France again, Talleyrand. I fought and would have given my life to make France a republic.
Charles Talleyrand : But an emperor can be elected. Like the Caesars in ancient Rome.
Napoléon : The Caesars were elected by the Senate. I would want all the citizens of France to approve my election.
Charles Talleyrand : Then let me be the first citizen of France to offer my approval... sire.
Napoléon : Sire? Sire?
Charles Talleyrand : You'll get used to it very quickly.
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Charles Talleyrand : Even the most fervent revolutionaries would applaud your decision to be firm with a henchman of the monarchy.
Napoléon : Support from such men leaves me cold. They've shed too much blood. They voted for the king's death.
Charles Talleyrand : Yes. And I wonder, what would you have done?
Napoléon : I don't know.
Charles Talleyrand : Of course you know. The revolution was irresistible. You would have done much the same as I did. You can't fight a tidal wave.
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Napoléon : I intend to turn this victory into a splendid victory, which is why we must have a monument commemorating the battle.
Percier : This calls for a triumphal arch.
Napoléon : No, gentlemen. A fountain.
Fortin : A fountain? But it's... it's so ordinary. There is nothing splendid about a fountain.
Napoléon : They will splash water. Paris is dirty. Paris is dying of thirst. Every time Parisians draw water from this fountain, they will feel a moment of gratitude toward the men who fell at Marengo.
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Joseph Fouché : The providence was protecting you.
Napoléon : I didn't appoint Providence as minister of police, Fouche, but you.
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Joseph Bonaparte : From now on, when you want to talk to me, you must address me as His Imperial Highness, the Grand Elector.
Julie : And what about me, your wife? What am I called?
Caroline Bonaparte : Oh, for god's sake, Julie, you're only the emperor's sister-in-law. It would be the last straw if you had a title while we, his own sisters, aren't even princesses.
Pauline : Speak for yourself, Caroline. I am a princess.
Élisa : Well, it's not fair. It really isn't. Why her and not us?
Napoléon : Because Pauline married Prince Borghese. I can't help it if you and Caroline preferred to marry generals.
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Napoléon : Do you think she would have abandoned me if I'd lost on the 18th Brumaire? If I'd been thrown into prison, or even executed? No, Lucien. Josephine would have never abandoned me. I have decided that she will be crowned with me. From now on, Josephine will not only be your daughter-in-law. She will be your empress. So please take note of it.
Letizia Bonaparte : It won't stop me thinking of...
Napoléon : You will think in silence. Two paces behind her.
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Napoléon : Remember to say Sire when you address me. And this goes for all of you.
Lucien Bonaparte : But it's a family gathering.
Napoléon : The imperial family, from now on. All the princes of Europe are watching us, and they can't believe what they see. Those Bonapartes aspire to the rank of Royal Highness, and they are not even aristocrats. They are barely French.
Caroline Bonaparte : We will show them we are their equals.
Napoléon : Don't nurse any illusions, Caroline. If we want those people to treat us as equals, we must behave as they do. They will mock us at the tiniest slip. It doesn't bother me at all, except that France, and the honor due to France, is at stake, through me.
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Lucien Bonaparte : I continue to think that the truth...
Napoléon : The truth? What truth? You still have not understood that power is in the appearance of power.
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Napoléon : The English are always enthusiastic when it's a question of getting rid of me.
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Letizia Bonaparte : You want the pope to come here? But you don't know what you're talking about, Napoleon. You can go to Rome to see the pope and receive his blessing. But he will never come here just for you.
Napoléon : Yes, he will. He owes me a lot. I drew up a concordat that restored peace between the church and the state. Without it, there would be no more religion in France, and God would be just another emigre.
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Napoléon : The royalists claim to be inspired by God. They would never have picked Christmas Eve to carry out such a dreadful crime, and they would never have sacrificed an innocent child.
Joseph Fouché : History is filled with crimes committed in the name of God.
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Napoléon : Why would the royalists want me dead? I've put an end to the extremes of the revolution. Priests are no longer persecuted, and the emigre have been pardoned. No, look for the culprit among those anarchists and rebels, those who long for the return of the reign of terror, the Jacobins.
Joseph Fouché : The Jacobins are political opponents, not assassins.
Napoléon : Oh really. But who sent Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette to the guillotine? After murdering a king and queen, why should they think twice about me?
Joseph Fouché : Louis XVI and his Austrian woman were tried and condemned by the Supreme Tribunal. Their execution was perfectly legal. There is no connection between that and the brutal attack...
Napoléon : It's enough, Fouche!
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Napoléon : If you don't agree with me, then go. I can manage very well without a minister of police. I'll create my own police force and run it myself.
Joseph Fouché : And how will you justify my dismissal?
Napoléon : Justify? To the people? Do you really believe the people are going to miss you?
Joseph Fouché : The people won't. But you will.
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Charles Talleyrand : All that in one day, sire?
Napoléon : In a few hours, yes. 20,000 of their men dead. Between 7 and 8,000 of ours.
Charles Talleyrand : Sire, for one day I think I've...
Napoléon : Seen enough? No, Talleyrand, not yet, no. No. Open your eyes. Look, listen, smell, until nausea overcomes you, because you're going to negotiate peace. I want you to know what it has cost.
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Napoléon : We will miss the stink of manure when we smell the stench of death.
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Charles Talleyrand : And what will you demand from them?
Napoléon : I can demand anything?
Charles Talleyrand : Anything. You're the master.
Napoléon : Good. Then I demand... peace.
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Napoléon : Now I've made war with Austria. You want me to make love to her. To make love, Monsieur Talleyrand, you have to love.
Charles Talleyrand : Love? Sire, what's called for here is making a child.
Napoléon : With that fat pink ham who no doubt speaks French with a terrible accent.
Charles Talleyrand : Your Majesty, the whole of Europe finds Marie Louise extremely attractive, and if you should require some proof of that... I'm certainly not insisting.
Napoléon : France has already had an Austrian woman, Marie Antoinette. You can't build the future on bad memories.
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Charles Talleyrand : Do you never come down from your horse, sire?
Napoléon : I've been known to sleep in the saddle. I think I've done just about everything a man can do on a horse's back except make love. But that's still a possibility.
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Napoléon : There will be no more war, because the whole of Europe will be irrigated by my own blood.
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Eleanore Denuelle : It's me, sire. Eleanore Denuelle. I'm sorry I'm so late.
Napoléon : Don't worry. I told Josephine I was working. And your... your lateness has turned my lie into a white lie.
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Napoléon : Tell me. It doesn't bother you, sitting at my wife's knee, reading to her, knowing that you will be coming to my bed the same night?
Eleanore Denuelle : You would've had a mistress anyway. You enjoy life too much, sire. And you enjoy it even more when there's a risk involved.
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Napoléon : Where is my mother?
David : Well, nowhere, sire, since your dear mother preferred not to be present at the ceremony.
Napoléon : Because she couldn't bear the idea of seeing Josephine glorified. A catfight. But history will never understand why she was absent at such a vital moment. Here, David. Paint her right here. Make her easy to see. Give her a beautiful dress and see that she looks radiant.
David : Sire, I don't know if your dear mother would appreciate...
Napoléon : She'll be furious. She's very stubborn, like everyone else in the family. But this time, she will be grateful that I saved her from appearing so petty.
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Napoléon : You play dreadfully today.
Joséphine de Beauharnais : Would you rather I let Mademoiselle Denuelle take my place? Oh, perhaps she doesn't play chess. She can't be good at everything, can she?
Napoléon : You should know better than me, because Eleanore Denuelle is one of your ladies in waiting.
Joséphine de Beauharnais : And one of your mistresses.
Napoléon : Just gossip.
Joséphine de Beauharnais : She has a way of talking about you that gives it away. Not only she's your mistress, she's in love with you.
Napoléon : Supposing it's true. The only thing that would matter to you is whether I'm in love with her.
Joséphine de Beauharnais : Ah, good question. What's the answer? She excites you but you don't love her.
Napoléon : You see, you have nothing to fear. Your turn.
Joséphine de Beauharnais : I'm not afraid of Eleanore Denuelle, no more than any of these other little... that you've taken to bed, and you go on taking to bed. The only thing I fear is that you'll love me less and less, until the day comes when you don't love me at all.
Napoléon : That will never happen.
Joséphine de Beauharnais : Anything can happen, my friend.
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Napoléon : Eavesdropping?
Charles Talleyrand : I... I was just passing by, sire. I... I walk very slowly.
Napoléon : You are minister of my foreign affairs, monsieur, not of my family affairs.
Charles Talleyrand : Yes, of course, but I couldn't help overhearing, sire. I fear your brother Lucien is correct. An emperor without an heir is in an extremely tenuous position. A successful attempt on his life can annihilate everything. Not just the man, but his work. Sire, I think you should take all the time you need. You will find a delicate way of explaining it to her.
Napoléon : Explaining it to her is not the problem. I love her. That is the problem.
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Maréchal Joachim Murat : We may have God on our side, but the English have Nelson.
Napoléon : Nelson, Nelson, what is this Nelson? Little man perched on a lump of wood that's called a boat. Well, Murat, boats can be sank.
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Napoléon : I've had 200,000 men stationed at the city gates for over a year. All the wine merchants and whores must have made a fortune.
Maréchal Joachim Murat : True. The army stinks of wine and ass.
Napoléon : Don't worry, Murat. It will soon be stinking of gunpowder.
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Napoléon : Two hours from now, Iena, which was only the name of a small town, will become the name of a great victory.
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Countess Marie Walewska : All of Poland is throwing me into your arms, sire.
Napoléon : Don't be afraid, madame. You're not yet in my arms.
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Countess Marie Walewska : You're leaving?
Napoléon : I will come back.
Countess Marie Walewska : 'I will come back.' You must have said that so many times.
Napoléon : I've always come back.
Countess Marie Walewska : But not always to the same address.
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Napoléon : Would you feel more reassured if I married you?
Countess Marie Walewska : Don't be cruel. We both know that cannot be. You're already married, and so am I. The only thing you can marry here is...
Napoléon : Your cause. The Polish cause.
Countess Marie Walewska : It was not in my mind last night. Not for a moment. Last night you were my country.
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Napoléon : Give me a little time. If I see that the Poles are worthy of being a nation...
Countess Marie Walewska : Of course they are. Look at me. Judge them by me. I am one of them.
Napoléon : Impetuous, passionate, running toward me like a mad thing, at the risk of being crushed by the crowd, and then refusing to see me again. If Poland is anything like you, she must be a fantastic little country.
Countess Marie Walewska : What must we do to make you love this fantastic little country?
Napoléon : Let yourself be loved.
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Joséphine de Beauharnais : You have fewer enemies now. Even the press is unanimously singing your praises.
Napoléon : I had to close down 60 newspapers to achieve that.
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Petite fille attentat : I'm not a princess, sir.
Napoléon : Perhaps not tonight. Maybe tomorrow. You must believe in the future.
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Joséphine de Beauharnais : Poor child. What's the point of filling her head with dreams? You know she'll never be anything else than a guttersnipe.
Napoléon : That's how you think, my dear. As for me, I want France to be a country where nothing is impossible for anyone.
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Napoléon : My god, you're beautiful. Not a day over 25.
Joséphine de Beauharnais : It's makeup. A painter invented it and helped me put it on, working highlights and shadows, as if I were a masterpiece.
Napoléon : You are.
Joséphine de Beauharnais : Your masterpiece, then. The masterpiece of your love.
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Napoléon : Wait till you see me sucking the marrow from Austria's bones and grinding Russia into a pâté. I shall give the English good reason to call me Bony the Ogre.
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Marquis de Caulaincourt : What I find quite extraordinary, sire, is the serenity with which Your Majesty listens to my report.
Napoléon : My serenity comes from the fact, I have 150,000 men ready to die for me, Caulaincourt, with whom I can subjugate, crush, or destroy anyone I like. And not only can, but will.
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Napoléon : There goes your friend.
Marquis de Caulaincourt : My friend, sire? What do you mean?
Napoléon : The queen of Prussia. Obviously not enjoying the war any longer. Women are so fickle.
